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Seasons

Summer recipes: cool drinks, kulfi and light food

Sharbats, lassi, kulfi, aam ras, raita, cold salads and soups to keep you cool in the heat. (240 recipes)

Dongbei da la piMung bean sheet salad

In north-east China, a big platter of this arrives at almost every family dinner and restaurant table, often next to the stews and dumplings. Wide, glassy sheets of mung-bean starch sit on a bed of shredded cucumber, carrot and cabbage, with a sesame, garlic and vinegar sauce and a dab of mustard poured over at the table. It's cool, slippery and crunchy. Look for dried la pi sheets or wide mung-bean noodles in Chinese supermarkets. Chef's tip: the sheet noodles must be fully cold before mixing, or they go soft and sticky.

25 minChineseSaladsVegan
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Thayir sadamCurd rice

No Tamil meal is really finished without thayir sadam. It's the last course on a banana-leaf lunch, the comfort food packed for train journeys and school tiffins, and the prasadam handed out in some Tamil Nadu temples. Soft, mashed rice is mixed with cool yogurt and a splash of milk, seasoned with ginger, green chilli and curry leaves popped in hot oil, then dotted with pomegranate, grated carrot or green grapes. It's eaten slightly cool with a spoonful of pickle or a fried vathal on the side. Chef's tip: mix a little milk in with the yogurt; it keeps the rice creamy and stops it turning sour if you pack it for lunch several hours ahead.

25 minIndianRice & GrainsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Xi'an liangpiCold wheat starch noodles

In Xi'an's Muslim Quarter, cooks peel liangpi off steaming trays all day, cut it into wide ribbons and toss it with chilli oil, black vinegar, garlic water and cubes of springy gluten. It's eaten cold, often with a flatbread, as a summer lunch. Gansu's niangpi, from Lanzhou and Tianshui, is the same dish with thicker sheets and more garlic, so it's covered here too. You wash a flour dough to split the starch from the gluten, so allow 4 hours for the starch to settle. Chef's tip: stir the starch water every time before you ladle it, because the starch sinks fast.

100 minChinesePasta & NoodlesVeganSpicy
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pakhala bhataSoaked rice with curd

Pakhala is Odisha's answer to the summer heat: cooked rice left to soak in water, often overnight so it turns faintly sour, then loosened with curd, salt, lime leaf, cumin and green chilli and eaten cold at midday. The state even celebrates Pakhala Dibasa on 20 March. The rice itself is plain; the pleasure is in the sides, such as badi chura (crushed fried lentil dumplings with onion and mustard oil), fried potato, saga bhaja and roasted aubergine. Chef's tip: for the gently sour basi pakhala, leave the rice in its water at room temperature for 8–12 hours; for dahi pakhala, eat it the same day with more curd.

40 minIndianRice & GrainsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Rooibos iced tea

Rooibos grows only in the Cederberg mountains north of Cape Town, and on hot Western Cape afternoons it is brewed strong and poured over ice rather than drunk hot. The tea is naturally caffeine-free and slightly sweet with notes of honey and vanilla, so it needs little added sugar. Orange, lemon and fresh mint make it a summer jug for the stoep (veranda). Chef's tip: brew the tea double strength and pour it straight over plenty of ice; it chills in seconds and the melting ice dilutes it to the right strength.

10 minSouth AfricanDrinksVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Majjiga pulusuButtermilk curry with ash gourd

Majjiga pulusu is the cooling yogurt curry of Andhra Pradesh, cooked in summer when the buttermilk at home turns a little sour. Unlike Gujarati kadhi, it isn't thickened with gram flour: soaked chana dal is ground with coconut, ginger, green chillies and cumin, stirred into the curd, and simmered gently with soft pieces of ash gourd (or okra, or chayote). It's mild, tangy and creamy, and eaten mixed into rice with a fried vegetable or fritter on the side, especially at Telugu wedding meals. Chef's tip: whisk the yogurt until completely smooth before it goes near the heat; lumpy yogurt splits much more easily.

30 minIndianCurriesGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Papelón con limónIced panela and lime drink

Papelón con limón is the cold drink of Venezuela, served in jugs alongside arepas, empanadas and every Sunday lunch, and sold by the glass from street stalls in the heat of Maracaibo and the plains. Papelón is the Venezuelan name for panela, the dark block of unrefined cane sugar; melted into water and mixed with lots of fresh lime, it tastes like a caramel-scented lemonade. The hot Colombian cousin is aguapanela. Chef's tip: dissolve the papelón in warm water first, then chill; it never fully dissolves in cold water and leaves grains at the bottom.

10 minVenezuelanDrinksVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

LuladaLulo and lime drink

Lulada is the drink of Cali and the Valle del Cauca, sold in tall glasses from street stalls and juice shops on hot afternoons. Lulo (naranjilla) is a small orange fruit with a green, sour, citrus-like pulp; for lulada it is chopped and crushed by hand rather than blended, then mixed with lime, sugar, cold water and ice, so you drink it with a spoon as much as a straw. Look for frozen lulo pulp or whole fruit in Latin American shops. Chef's tip: crush the lulo with a fork or muddler; blending smashes the seeds and makes the drink bitter.

10 minColombianDrinksVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ajoblanco malagueñoChilled almond and garlic soup

Ajoblanco is one of the oldest soups in Spain, a white gazpacho from Málaga that dates back to Moorish times, before tomatoes ever reached Europe. Blanched almonds, bread, garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar and ice-cold water are blended into a silky, nutty and surprisingly refreshing cream, traditionally served with sweet green grapes or slices of melon floating on top. In Málaga it is the star of the Fiesta del Ajoblanco in the village of Almáchar each September. Chef's tip: let the blended soup rest in the fridge overnight before serving; the garlic mellows, the almond flavour deepens and the texture becomes smoother and creamier.

15 minSpanishSoupsVegan
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Gazpacho andaluzChilled tomato and cucumber soup

Gazpacho is the cold soup of Andalusia, drunk from a glass or eaten from a bowl through the scorching summers of Seville and Córdoba. It began as a farm workers' meal of bread, oil, garlic and vinegar pounded in a wooden bowl; tomatoes and peppers came later and turned it into the bright red, refreshing soup we know. Ripe tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, garlic, sherry vinegar and plenty of olive oil are blended until silky and chilled hard. Serve it with tiny dice of cucumber, pepper and onion and a few crunchy croutons. Chef's tip: add the olive oil last, in a thin stream with the blender running; it emulsifies the soup to a creamy, pale-orange texture instead of leaving a slick of oil on top.

15 minSpanishSoupsVegan
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Salmorejo cordobésThick chilled tomato and bread soup

Salmorejo is Córdoba's answer to gazpacho: thicker, richer and simpler, made with just ripe tomatoes, bread, garlic, olive oil and salt, blended into a cream so dense a spoon almost stands up in it. In Córdoba it is served in a shallow earthenware bowl as a first course or tapa, topped with chopped hard-boiled egg and diced cured ham; this vegetarian version keeps the egg (leave it out for a vegan dish) and adds a few crunchy croutons and a thread of olive oil. Chef's tip: use bread with a dense, tight crumb, like a day-old Spanish 'pan de telera' or a firm white loaf; airy supermarket bread makes salmorejo thin and gluey.

15 minSpanishSoups
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Hiyashi chukaChilled ramen noodles with toppings

Hiyashi chuka (冷やし中華) is Japan's summer noodle dish: shops all over the country hang up a 'hiyashi chuka hajimemashita' (we've started serving it) sign when the hot weather arrives. Cold, springy ramen noodles are topped with neat strips of thin omelette, cucumber, tomato and other vegetables, then dressed with a tangy soy, vinegar and sesame sauce. This vegetarian version uses sweetcorn and seasoned tofu in place of the usual ham. Fresh, light and ready in under half an hour. Chef's tip: rinse the noodles until they squeak and are truly cold, then shake them dry; any warmth or water left on them makes the dressing taste flat.

25 minJapanesePasta & Noodles
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Mango lassi

A refreshing, lighter mango lassi made with low-fat yogurt: ripe mangoes, yogurt, a little sugar and rose water are blended with water until smooth and frothy, chilled and poured over crushed ice. Perfect on a hot day or with a spicy meal.

10 minIndianDrinksGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Strawberry & orange sorbet

A simple frozen dessert of fresh strawberries blended with orange juice and frozen in a mould. It's tangy, fruity and fat free, perfect after a heavy meal on a hot day. Serve it straight from the freezer with sliced strawberries.

10 minDessertsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Coconut summer fruit delightCoconut custard and fruit dessert

A colourful no-bake pudding: a base of biscuit crumbs moistened with pineapple syrup and topped with fresh coconut, covered with a fluffy custard cream and finished with pineapple, cherries, kiwi, grapes and strawberries. It's light, creamy and fruity. Pipe whipped cream around the edge and serve chilled.

30 minDesserts
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Mawa saffron kulfiSaffron and nut kulfi

Kulfi is India's dense, creamy frozen dessert, made by boiling milk down to half and enriching it with mawa (khoya, dried milk solids), condensed milk, saffron, cardamom and ground nuts. It freezes slowly into a firm, rich ice that's sliced rather than scooped. Serve it in slices, garnished with almonds and pistachios.

75 minIndianDessertsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Mango faluda delightMango and almond milk pudding

A cool layered pudding of ripe mango with cardamom and almonds, covered with a vanilla milk 'faluda' set with agar-agar. It's fruity, creamy and lightly spiced, and fully vegetarian. Make it in a glass dish so the layers show, and serve chilled with mango slices, cherries and almonds.

40 minIndianDessertsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pineapple soda

A creamy, fizzy pineapple drink: pineapple juice, coconut milk and vanilla ice cream blended with fresh pineapple, then topped up with sparkling water. It tastes like a light, alcohol-free piña colada. Serve straight away, with straws.

10 minDrinksGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Iced coffee

Strong instant coffee, sweetened with brown sugar, chilled and then whizzed with ice until frothy. A splash of single cream on top makes it smooth and rich. Make the coffee ahead so it has time to chill.

55 minDrinksGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Fresh punch

A big jug of fresh fruit punch made from mango, passion fruit, pineapple and orange juices, with a splash of tree tomato juice. Cumin, aniseed, salt and a little ginger soda give it a lively sweet-salty-spicy taste. Serve chilled, garnished with chopped apple and mint: perfect for parties.

20 minDrinksVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Mango & lime fool

A light, creamy fool of fresh mango puree, sharpened with lime, folded through whipped cream and yogurt so it's prettily rippled. Served in tall glasses, it's somewhere between a drink and a pudding. Chill for an hour or two and decorate with fresh mango slices just before serving.

20 minDessertsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Mango & passion juice

A tropical cooler of fresh mango and black passion fruit juice, lifted with ginger juice, lemon and a splash of ginger soda. A pinch of salt balances the sweetness. Serve chilled, garnished with diced apple and fresh mint.

15 minDrinksVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Cucumber sootherCucumber, pineapple and carrot juice

A cool, pale-green juice of cucumbers, sweet pineapple, carrots and celery with a few fresh sage leaves. Soothing and lightly sweet. Serve cold.

15 minDrinksVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Banana raita

A creamy, sweet-and-tangy raita of chilled yogurt with banana, grated cucumber and pepper, spiced with mustard, cumin and a little chilli. It's cooling next to spicy food: serve it with biryani or dhosa ladoo. For a festive version, add finely chopped apple and pomegranate seeds.

15 minIndianChutneys & DipsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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