Summer Cooling Coriander Drink – Dhanyaka Phanta

/

My favourite fresh herb! If you have seen any of my food reels you will see fresh coriander leaves go in practically everything, probably even when it’s not supposed to. As a key ingredient in salad, blended into a chutney, garnish for everything Asian, seeds in a herbal tea blend and ground for spicing dahls, curries and more. It also extensively used in Mexican cooking as much as Indian and Asian. Some people genuinely hate or are allergic… I’m just glad I am not one of them.

Both the fresh herb and the seeds have multiple health supporting benefits. After all food is medicine! All foods, herbs and spices have health benefits and when we eat everything in balance according to Ayurveda with all shad rasas and have as much diversity as possible we get to enjoy the synergistic benefits. So I am a firm believer that while we can be wooed by the healing benefits of all ingredients - expect miracles when you create balance.

It can be a wonderful support in various lifestyle diseases like diabetes, cholesterol, obesity, indigestion, hormonal imbalance and even in acidity, excessive bleeding, excessive thirst and works as a wonderful ayurvedic detox – get that CCF tea on!

Ayurvedic properties of coriander (seeds & leaves):

Rasa (taste) – kashaya (Astringent), Tikta (bitter)
Guna (qualities) – Laghu (light on digestion), Snigdha (unctuous)
Vipaka (post digestive effect) – Madhura (sweet)
Veerya (potency) – Ushna (hot)
Tridoshic - balances all the three doshas so good for everyone

Dhanyaka Hima (cooling coriander seed drink)

Coriander seed drink is a great over the summertime as it can deeply quench our thirst and support increased pitta conditions and burning sensations. It can reduce excess sweating, hot flashes, abdominal colic due to increased acidity.

How to prepare:

  • Take a teaspoon of coriander seeds (you can even crush slightly) – steep in water (boiled and cooled approx. 50-60ml) overnight.

  • In the morning you can strain and a little natural sweetener of those and drink on an empty stomach.

  • Since it is made with cool water with sugar added it acts as a very cooling and energising agent to the body while cleansing the channels.