Know Your Summer Veggies

You must have heard people exclaim which vegetables they should cook in summer. The excuse normally given is that there are limited options which include bland gourds of almost all conceivable kinds with  a welcome respite offered by lady fingers. This is not true. Summer has its share of vegetables which are just apt for the hot weather.

Summer greens

Lauki. Lauki the big daddy of all summer vegetables is nutritious and versatile. It is known for it’s cooling properties. The cooked vegetable is nutritious, healing and easy to digest. It is excellent for low -cal diets and for small children, people with digestive disorders and for diabetics. It has properties that are valued in traditional healing. Lauki is rich in iron and vitamin C and B complex. A glass of lauki juice with a pinch of salt is an excellent drink in summer. Tinda is rich in vitamin A, and if you are suffering from premature greying of hair try dried pieces of ribbed gourd in shade boiled with coconut oil for oiling your hair.

Ladyfinger. The slim ladyfinger often comes to your rescue when children refuse the other summer vegetables. It’s a good source of protein, B vitamins, iron, zinc and copper, and an excellent source of dietary fibre, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and manganese. Nearly half of the nutrients of this vegetable comes from soluble fibre in the form of gums and pectins. Soluble fibre helps to lower serum cholesterol thereby reducing risk of heart disease.

Amarnath greens. The most common green leafy vegetable in summer is choulai or amaranth greens (also known as Chinese spinach). They are very good sources of vitamins A, B6, C, riboflavin and folate, and rich in minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese.

Pumpkins. In traditional medicine, pumpkins are said to be cooling and diuretic and good for upset stomachs. They are rich in beta-carotene, calcium, potassium and fiber. Pumpkins regulate your blood sugar levels and work as a good immunity booster.

Petha. Ash gourd or petha is a summer vegetable, but we know it as the famous candied sweet –Agra petha. Petha is a natural source of iron, vitamins C and B complex and is brilliant for fighting anaemia.

Bitter gourd. Whoever gave karela this name, never bothered to look beyond the taste! Any thought why karela grows in summer? It lowers body heat. It contains vitamins A, B1, B2, C and iron and is known to us as the medicine in itself. Bitter melon is reported to help in the treatment of diabetes. It has also been reported that bitter melon may help in the treatment of HIV. It also controls hypertension and boosts immunity. While cooking karela, do not boil it and discard the water.

Kheera. To be “cool as a cucumber” add them to your menus during the warm summer months when they are in season. Although slicing cucumbers are available year round, they are at their best from May through July. The flesh of cucumbers is primarily composed of water but also contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and caffeic acid, both of which help soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling. Eat this as salad or add into your raita, it’s wonderful during summer.

(Dr. Karuna Chaturvedi, chief dietician with Indraprastha Apollo hospitals, New Delhi)

Handy tips

• While cooking summer greens keep it simple.
• Try experimenting with different styles of cooking with these vegetables.

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