10 recipes to Boost Immunity against the Novel Corona virus
In order to boost immunity in this COVID-19 scenario several herbal soups, porridges and teas can be prepared in different variations. The lockdown is the perfect time to try these out
COVID-19 : Special Soups
- Special Vegetable and Herb Soup
Ingredients
- Beetroot – 100 g (1 medium sized)
- Carrot – 100g (2 nos. 10 cm long)
- Coriander leaves – 10 sprigs
- Ginger –1 piece – 2 cm long
- Garlic – 10 cloves
- Black Pepper -1 teaspoon (coarsely ground)
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
- Onion -50 g (1 – medium sized)
- Tomato – 50g (2 – medium sized)
- Corn starch -1 teaspoon (optional used as a thickener to be dissolved in water and added towards end as desired)
- Horse gram – 2 teaspoons
- Salt to taste
Method of Preparation
Vegetables are cut into pieces and all the other ingredients are mixed and taken in a large vessel and 2 litres of water is added and made to boil on medium flame until 1/3 of water is reduced and now the soup is ready to use. If desired just before removing from flame a little corn starch dissolved in water may be added allowed to boil and removed when soup starts to thicken. It is then be filtered and used and filtrate is served hot with a small blob of butter that melts in the heat and gives a pleasant smell.
Variations
- Chicken/ mutton bones may be added along with the vegetables.
- Instead of Horse gram- red gram can be used.
- Cloves and Cinnamon may be added to enhance the flavour
- 2. Special Tamarind and Herb Soup / Mooligai Rasam
Ingredients for Boiling
- Tamarind – 10 g
- Red gram – 1 tablespoon
- Horse gram – 1 tablespoon
- Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
- Coriander leaves -5 sprigs
- Asafoetida powder – ¼ teaspoon
- Tomato – 1 medium sized
Ingredients for sautéing
- Curry leaves – one handful
- Garlic – 10-15 cloves
- Black Pepper (grated) – 1 tablespoon
- Cumin seeds – 2 table spoons
- Ginger – 1 inch
- Tomato – 1 small ( cut into small pieces)
- Oil for sautéing -1 tablespoon
All ingredients except tomato are mixed and coarsely ground for sauteing
Method of Preparation
Add all the ingredients for boiling in a vessel and add 2-3 litres of water and allow to boil for 10 minutes after reaching boiling. Keep this aside and sauté the ground ingredients in oil and add the tomato and sauté for some time and add this sauted mixture to the boiled soup close the lid and bring to boil again. The soup is ready and it can be served hot or mixed with rice and eaten with a side dish.
COVID – 19 : Special Porridges
3. Millet Herbal Porridge
Any type of millet – 1 cup
Onion -1 medium sized (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves – 10 sprigs
Mint leaves – 10 nos.
Tomato – 1 medium sized (finely chopped)
Paprika/chilli powder – ¼ teaspoon
Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
Black Pepper (grated) -1/2 teaspoon
Ginger -garlic paste – 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon sticks – 3 cm size
Cloves – 3 nos.
Curd/ Yoghurt -1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Oil for sautéing- 1 tablespoon
Method of Preparation
I cup millet is dry roasted and coarsely ground
Oil is taken in a deep fry pan and after the oil heats up cinnamon, cloves and onion are added and fried until golden brown. To this Ginger garlic paste is added and mixed and then chopped tomatoes, paprika powder, turmeric powder, coriander leaves, mint leaves and salt are added and mixed and allowed to cook well until the ingredients soften and get mashed and the oil starts surfacing. At this stage 8 cups of water is added and on boiling the coarsely ground millet powder is added and allowed to cook until soft with a porridge like consistency. Just before taking off the flame black pepper is added and mixed well. If it begins to harden 1 or 2 cups of water may be added and boiled to loosen the porridge.
4. Broken wheat and Green gram sweet Porridge
Ingredients
- Broken Wheat – 1 cup
- Green gram (broken) – ½ cup
- Jaggery – ½ cup
- Milk – 2 cups
- Ghee /melted butter -1 tablespoon
- Shredded coconut – 1 tablespoon
- Almonds/walnuts – for garnish
- Salt to taste
Method of Preparation
Ghee /melted butter is taken in a deep fry pan and first the almonds and walnuts are lightly fried and removed then the wheat broken and broken green gram is roasted until light brown. 3 cups of water is added and allowed to boil until the wheat and green gram soften. Salt is added along with jaggery and shredded coconut and jaggery is allowed to melt. Now the milk is added and after boiling roasted almonds and walnuts are added as garnish and served hot.
5. Rice/Millet and coconut milk Porridge
Ingredients
- Sona masoori rice/ basmati -100 g (any of the millets could also be used)
- Coconut milk – 200 mL
- Salt to taste
- For sautéing
- Ghee -1 teaspoon
- Ginger – 1 cm piece (finely chopped)
- Onion – ½ cup (finely chopped)
- Black pepper (grated) -1 teaspoon
Method of preparation
100 g of rice is cooked until soft with excess to reach a porridge like consistency. Add the coconut milk salt to taste. Mix well and allow to boil for a minute and add the sauted mixture for garnish and mix well. Porridge is now ready to serve hot.
Sauteing
Heat ghee in a pan and add chopped onions and ginger and fry until golden brown then add grated black pepper
Special teas
6. Ginger/dry ginger –cumin tea
Add 1 tablespoon chopped ginger and 1 teaspoon dry roasted Cumin seeds (Jeera) to 3 cups of water along with jaggery/brown sugar and allow to boil until it gets reduced to half the quantity and then add 1 cup of milk. Filter and serve hot
7. Coriander –cumin tea
Add 10 -15 sprigs of coriander to 3 cups of water along with 2 teaspoons of dry roasted cumin seeds (Jeera) and allow to boil until it gets reduced to half the quantity
8. Lemon-honey tea
Add ¼ teaspoon tea granules and ¼ cup jaggery to 3 cups of water and bring to boil. Remove from flame and add 1 teaspoon of lime juice, filter and serve hot
9. Lemon- jaggery tea
Add ¼ teaspoon tea granules to 3 cups of water and bring to boil. Remove from flame and add 1 teaspoon each of lime juice and honey, filter and serve hot
10. Clove-cinnamon –pepper tea
Add ¼ teaspoon tea granules to 3 cups of water along with some cloves, a teaspoon of whole black pepper and a cinnamon stick and bring to boil. Remove from flame and add 1 teaspoon honey, filter and serve hot
