Summertime Culinary Ride

Cool Regional Cuisine

India’s culinary diversity shines during the summer months, when kitchens across the country turn to age-old recipes designed to beat the heat. In the South, dishes like rasam, curd rice, and tamarind rice offer tangy, refreshing comfort. In North, families enjoy moong dal khichdi, Aam panna, and khatta baingan — simple preparations that hydrate. The East brings its cool magic with Aam dal, a green mango lentil dish that balances sweet, sour, and savoury. “Green mango fish curry is a summer staple, especially in the West and South coast, pairing the heat of spices with the cooling tang of raw mango,” says Ravinder Kumar, Executive Chef, Karma Lakelands (Gurgaon) adding, “Summer is the season to eat cooling fruits and vegetables. We add seasonal produce into raitas and fresh salad to help guests stay light during the season.”

Summer Menu

Summer food should make people feel revitalised, light, and comfortable. Even restaurants and cafes introduce more cooling drinks, citrus spritzers, fresh smoothies, cold salads, and light rice-based or grain bowl dishes in summer. “Watermelon is hydrating, cooling, while mango is a summer classic. It is not a coolant — it generates heat. I prefer pairing it with mint or curd to balance it out,”

Parth Gupta, Chef and Founder, Cicchetti Italiano, Delhi. Water-rich fruits and vegetables are abundant in summer. One must enjoy mint, kokum, lemon, coconut water, and light vegetables like turai (ridge gourd), lauki (bottle gourd), tinda (round gourd) which are gentle on the gut and incredibly versatile in their preparations across India.

During summer, it’s important to focus on foods that are cooling and easy on the stomach. Mugdha Pradhan, Functional Nutritionist, CEO and Founder, iThrive, a Pune-based health and wellness platform, says, “Cooling grains like jowar (sorghum) are gut-friendly and help regulate body temperature. Amaranth (Rajgir) is a gluten-free grain that works well in porridges or light meals. Parboiled rice is an excellent choice too. Incorporating yoghurt-based dishes (if you can tolerate dairy) is a great way to support gut health and keep the body cool. Aamras, rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and natural sweetness, is good. Just skip the refined sugar and enjoy it in its pure form.”

Hydration Matters

Hydration is key during hot weather to prevent fatigue and dehydration. In summer, Talgoda, munjalu (ice apple), is hydrating and easily available. Sol Kadhi is a refreshing drink popular in Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka, made from kokum, a sour fruit. Bael sherbet (wood apple), popular in Bihar and Odisha, is naturally sweet and excellent for digestion. Coconut water is a natural electrolyte-rich drink that hydrates. Infused waters with lemon, mint, or cucumber (used for flavour, not juiced) offer a cooling effect. “Traditional drinks like aampanna, made from raw mango or homemade electrolyte drinks like lemon water with pink salt are advisable. Instead of sugar, add a natural sweetness with raw honey,” adds Pradhan.

Foods To Avoid

Avoid foods that generate excess heat or burden the digestive system. Spicy and oily foods, heavy curries, and dishes loaded with red chilli can overstimulate digestion and raise internal body heat. Refined sugar and sugary sweets, including packaged desserts, cold drinks, and flavoured sodas, contribute to inflammation and sluggishness. “Fermented or leftover foods, or fermented batters, can cause bloating and acidity in a humid climate. Alcohol is dehydrating and can overload the liver, best to avoid during peak summer months,” states Pradhan.

People should also avoid street food during summer, as high temperatures increase the risk of contamination and foodborne infections. Choos-ing fresh, home-cooked meals supports better digestion and keeps you safe from infections.

Celeb Chill Pills

Many celebrities flaunt their perfect beach bodies, but they are very careful with their summer food intake choices. Some share their secrets to beat the summer.

Varun Dhawan recently enjoyed ice cream for lunch and posted two images on his Insta saying: “Who has ice cream for lunch? ME.”

Rakul Preet Singh’s secret to beating the summer heat is barley water. She wrote: “It will rid you of all summer woes; be it bloating, acne or any digestive issue.”

Keerthy Suresh loves sweet, juicy Panduri mangoes. Her social media post read: “Bingeing on Panduri mangoes before the season gets over!”

Kriti Sanon shared a photo of a mango bowl on her Insta calling it “Pyaar”’

R. Madhavan's favourite breakfast dish is Kanji, a traditional South Indian-fermented rice porridge, made with yoghurt, which is cooling and calming and is apt probiotics for summer.

Ayushmann Khurrana shared a photo of his secret summer drink, a protein shake recipe of Sattu and buttermilk on Insta.

Shilpa Shetty swears by the benefits of summer fruits, including jamuns