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7. Investing in Immunity: Recipes to Boost your Health Daily

More than 70% of our immunity comes from the gut, so feed your gut only the healthiest and tasty from our selection of recipes.

The months-long lockdown has begun to end, and it’s gotten even more quintessential now to invest in your immunity as much as possible. Be it superfoods like fruits, nuts, and greens, or simply a cup of tea or juice, choose your own pick for staying healthy and well-immune with our selection of immune-boosting delicious recipes we got for you here.

Take a look:

Mickey-mizing your Health with Dr. Mickey Mehta:

1.) WATERMELON HEALTH

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups watermelon
• 1/2 banana or guava
• 1 teaspoon or more of coconut sugar (its healthy)
• 1 cup coconut water/alternatively you could use yogurt
• 1 pinch cayenne
• A tiny pinch of salt

PROCEDURE

Blend together and serve.

2.) SQUASH SALAD

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg butternut squash(red bhopla), chunkily diced
• Curry leaves
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 100g spinach
• 150g cherry tomatoes, halved. You could use the regular tomatoes OR A cup of
• curd (optional)
• 1-2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds or walnuts for the crunch and nutritious value
• Salt
• Sugar if you require a little sweetness

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Boil the pumpkin but be careful to not over boil
2. Dice the tomatoes or if you prefer curd, skip the tomatoes and add curd to the salad
3. Chop the spinach
4. Mix all the dry ingredients with pumpkin seeds and walnuts along with crushed garlic salt and (sugar)
5. Heat the oil up and add mustard seeds with curry leaves
6. Add this to the ingredients and mix
7. Salt and sugar may be according to your taste

Benefits: Squash is power-packed with vitamins A, B6, and C, folate, magnesium, fiber, riboflavin, phosphorus, and potassium. Antioxidants help improve immunity and reduce inflammation.

BEETROOT AND YOGHURT SALAD

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup or even more depending on the consistency of the yogurt (either low fat or full fat)
• 2 teaspoon cumin seeds powder
• Sea salt (to taste)
• 750 g. cooked beetroot, or even less
• A few baby spinach leaves (washed and well drained)(optional)
• A cup full of fresh garden mint (roughly chopped)
• A cup full of coriander (roughly chopped, including leaves and stems)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First, make the dressing; mix all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper accordingly. Leave the dressing aside for a while for all the flavors to blend. Then assemble the salad as follows. If you are short on time, no worries, it will still taste just as good. However, preparing it in advance enhances the flavors.
2. Take the beetroot and chop into even-sized wedges.
3. Mix all the other ingredients together. The beetroot wedges, the baby spinach leaves washed and chopped, the chopped mint and coriander in a large serving bowl.
4. Just before serving, you can pour the dressing over the salad. You can add some mint and coriander leaves as garnish on the top before serving.
5. You can have this salad on its own, or you could eat it with crusty bread and some salty butter. It could be served along with other dishes also.

Benefits: Beetroot is a good source of vitamin C - an antioxidant that helps boost your immune system and protect cells from damaging free radicals. Yoghurt does wonders for your gut health all the same.

SHOTS OF TURMERIC AND ROSEMARY

INGREDIENTS

• 2 inch ginger piece peeled and grated
• 1 turmeric root peeled and grated
• Some cumin powder (according to taste)
• A couple of cloves not more
• A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• Some cinnamon powder (according to taste)
• 4 cups purified water
• The juice of 4 lemons
• Honey or maple syrup according to your taste…some may like it sweet
• A pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a saucepan add the turmeric, ginger, cumin powder, cloves, cinnamon powder, and black pepper powder.
2. Bring to a boil with a cup of water. Let it cook for 10 minutes over low heat.
3. Strain the concoction and mix it in the rest of the water in a pitcher along with honey, and salt.
4. You may serve this with some ice or just hot according to your need. With ice it is refreshing on a hot summer’s day. When served hot it helps to clear the throat and nasal congestion.

Benefits: Curcumin present in turmeric acts as an antioxidant and boosts the body's natural antioxidant capacity whereas Rosemary is a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, which are thought to help boost the immune system and improve blood circulation.

SPINACH AND GARLIC PEARL BARLEY RISOTTO by The Oberoi Group

INGREDIENTS

• 100gms pearl barley
• 100gms spinach
• 3gm garlic
• 2gm onions
• 10gm butter
• 10gm parmesan cheese
• 100gm veg stock Substitute
• Pearl barley with Broken wheat or any millets like Jowar/Bajra

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Boil and strain the pearl barley separately
2. Blanch the spinach and finally chop it. In a pan, add butter, sweet chopped garlic and onions. Add the pearl barley to this; add stock and cook reduce it
3. Add chopped spinach
4. Finish with butter and parmesan cheese
5. Garnish with fried garlic slivers

Benefits: Garlic has natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, helping ward off illness and recover quicker. It can increase the number of t-cells in your blood, which in turn fights viruses and could help reduce the length of time you have a cold. For spinach besides being rich in vitamin C, it is also packed with numerous antioxidants and beta carotene, which may increase the infection-fighting ability of our immune systems.

BEETROOT BOOSTER JUICE by Chef Anshu Raj, Caterspoint

INGREDIENTS

• Beetroot 300gms
• Carrot 300gms
• Apple 100gms
• Lemon ½ tsp
• Ice cubes for chilling and cold servings
• Salt according to taste, optional only

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut the beetroot, carrot and apple, and squeeze out the juice in a juicer. Blend it well and strain it to remove all the fibres. The pulp itself is rich in fibres.
2. Add half a teaspoon of lemon juice and salt to taste.
3. Mix it and serve chilled with ice cubes. Do not add ice cubes in case you are not well.
4. Serve at room temperature.

Benefits: Beetroot and carrots have the power to keep your immune system strong. The nutrients in it fight the diseases to protect you through health problems. In this Covid-19 pandemic, we suggest you drink this juice as it supports healthy liver function and has antioxidants.

MINI RECIPES

MORNING MOJITO by Dr. Nikhita Shere, Forest Essentials

INGREDIENTS

• 4-5 Fresh Tulsi (Holy Basil) Leaves
• 1 tsp Honey
• 1/2 Lemon
• 120 ml earthen cooled water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Hand crush the tulsi leaves and place it in the glass.
2. Squeeze the lemon and pour the cold water.
3. Drizzle the honey and stir it all together.

Benefits: Tulsi acts as a natural immune system booster as tulsi leaves extract increases the natural killer cells activity, boosting the immune system.

RICE LEMONADE by Chef Harpal Sokhi

“One thing you can do is try the boil and drain method of rice.” suggests Chef Harpal, “Once the rice is boiled, drain out the water and let it cool for 4-5 hours at room temperature. Once cooled, add some lemon, sugar, and ice, and drink it just like that! This is one of the best drinks to cool off with during summers.”

“For those who avoid sugar or are diabetic, replace sugar with ginger and cumin and you’re good to go. Your immunity is in the best hands if you’re consuming this drink.”

Benefits: Rice water improves immunity by helping your gut health as well as cooling your body system. Perfect for summers.

Image credits: freepik.com, unsplash.com