DON'T MISS: Three really yummy summer recipes

Sure the rains have hit parts of South India, but as the country continues to be under the heat spell, Harnoor Channi-Tiwary belts out these dishes to beat the sun!

Even as the Rain Gods have indeed showered their blessings on Kerala and parts of Maharashtra, the rest of India is still reeling under summer heat. So as most of us are sweating under our collars, Harnoor Channi-Tiwary has written in with these lip-smacking yet healthy and easy-to-make summer recipes.

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Delightfully simple to toss and scrumptious to eat, this Greek salad may become a staple on your dining table this summer.
Watermelon, with 92 per cent water content, is a great summer ingredient. It's refreshing, filling as well as keeps those calories in check. Feta cheese is high in calcium and phosphorus and the quantity mentioned below only adds 130 calories to your salad.
 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients:

• 500 gm Watermelon
• 50 gm Feta Cheese
• 1/2 Onion
• 2 Lemons
• 1tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 8-10 Mint leaves (Pudina)
• 8 Pine nuts

Method:

• Slice the onion into thin half moons. Soak the slices in the juice extracted from 2 lemons for half an hour.
• Remove the pips from the watermelon and cut into bite size pieces.
• Add crumbled feta cheese and the onions with the soaking juice.
• Roughly tear the mint leaves with your fingers and add to the bowl.
• Drizzle the olive oil over the salad and add in the chopped pine nuts.
• Very lightly toss the salad with your fingers so as not to further break the cheese.

Devour!

Harnoor Channi-Tiwary is the founder of Journey My Way (journeymyway.com), a personalised travel advisory firm.

Vietnamese Rolls

After a manic Monday at work, the last thing you want to do is spend time in cooking. These rolls are quick to make, do not need any cooking time and are great for a light dinner accompanied by a salad. The Mise en Place (getting ingredients ready to combine later) can be done earlier. The vegetables can be chopped and kept in a sealed container in the fridge overnight.
 
The recipe is perfect for weight watchers and the health conscious.
 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients:

• 6 sheets Rice paper (found in all supermarkets including Big Bazaar)
• Lettuce leaves
• 1 Red capsicum
• 1 Green capsicum
• 1 Carrot
• 6 slices Salami (can be substituted with paneer)
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 2 tbsp Peanuts
• 1/4 cup Soya sauce
• 1tsp Chilli sauce
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Very thinly slice the capsicums, carrot and salami/ paneer so that they are all of similar length and thickness, like matchsticks.
• In a bowl, mix the soya sauce with chilli sauce.
• Put the peanuts in a mortar and roughly grind with a pestle so that they seem coarsely chopped (do not reduce to powder).
• Heat a tawa and add the peanuts. Dry roast on medium heat for a few minutes till golden and remove in a bowl.
• Finely chop the garlic and fry in a tsp of oil till golden brown and crisp. Remove.
• Prepare the rice paper as per instructions on the packet (soak for a few seconds in water and then let it dry on a napkin for a minute.
• On each rice paper, spread a lettuce leaf (torn into a similar size), add sliced vegetables and salami/ paneer, sprinkle roasted peanuts and fried garlic and drizzle with a tsp of the chilli soya sauce. Add salt to taste. Roll up.
• Serve immediately with the chilli soya as a dipping sauce.

Tofu with Herbs

The health qualities of Tofu are well appreciated but not many people know how to use it best. Raw tofu can have a bitter taste and may not seem like a great substitute to Paneer. In this recipe, we quickly pan sear the tofu so that it remains soft inside and has nice crispy exterior.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 200gm Tofu block
• 2tsp Maida
• 1tsp Dried basil
• 2tsp Olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup Coriander leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup Mint leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup Basil leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup Spring onions with leaves chopped
• 2Green chillies, finely sliced
• 1 Red chilli, finely sliced
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2tbsp Sesame oil
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
• 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
• 2tbsp Good quality vinegar
• 2 tbsp Palm sugar-can use regular sugar as well (replace with Stevia if for sugar free options)

Method:

• Cut the tofu into 1 inch squares
• Mix the maida, 1tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and 1tsp dried basil and dust lightly on the tofu, trying to cover all sides evenly but not heavily.
• Heat 2 tsp cooking oil in a wide frying pan, drop in the coated tofu and cook for 1 min on both sides, just so that there is a really light golden color on top. Remove an place on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.
• In the same pan heat the sesame oil. Drop in the green chillies, spring onions so it sizzles and the sugar. Stir and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add the mint, coriander and basil. Cook for another 30 seconds, add all the sauces and cook for a minute on high heat.
• Put the tofu in a serving dish and pour the herb mixture on top.
• Serve hot with garlic fried rice or a light salad.

Have a healthy summer recipe you'd like to share with us? Simply write in to getahead@rediff.co.in (subject: Healthy Summer Recipes) and we will publish the most interesting ones right here on rediff.com!