SWEET CORIANDER COOLER - A REMEDY TO STAY COOL
What springs to mind when you think of a thirst quencher? Chilled water? Lemonade? A fizzy energy drink? All of these might refresh us in the moment but according to Ayurveda they aren’t as beneficial as we think when it comes to hydrating the body and in fact can have the opposite effect. Caffeine, artificial sweeteners, and even lemons, jaggery and honey are heating to the body, which isn't helpful when you're trying to cool off, and ice and chilled liquids dampen Agni at a time when digestive strength has already dialled down to keep the body from overheating.
As mentioned in previous blogs and in my book East by West, we know from Ayurveda that room temperature to warm water is an excellent way at hydrating the body while supporting our Agni. Water that is previously boiled and cooled to a drinkable temperature means it has been exposed to the fire element which makes it ‘lighter’ in quality and helps us to ‘digest’ it, or process it more easily, in the same way that food needs to be digested by the body.
Again, thanks to the wisdom of Ayurveda we can also turn to nature's medicine cabinet of herbs and spices to further enhance water for different ailments or needs. One such remedy is coriander. Both the seed and leaf have a cooling effect on the body - a brilliant pacifier for Pitta types and Pitta conditions such as acidity, hot flushes, fever and indigestion.
By steeping coriander seeds in water for a good period of time to make a cool infusion (just soak overnight), you have a thirst quenching, hydrating tonic that you can drink first thing in the morning or throughout the day. This drink is tridoshic, balancing all the three Doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) which energises us, whilst also cleansing and detoxing the shrotas aka bodily channels. Add Sharkara (aka Mishri/Rock Sugar) as a sweetener to make it more satiating if you like, which also has a cooling effect (unlike jaggery, honey and molasses) and is one of the lightest sweeteners to digest.
As with all herbal preparations, coriander water should be taken for an observed period of time, 6-8 weeks. Consult with an Ayurvedic practitioner for longer periods of time and for more complex issues.
METHOD
To serve as a morning remedy
1. The night before, add the coriander seeds to the water, cover, and leave overnight at room temperature to infuse.
2. The next morning, strain, add a little Rock Sugar, and drink on an empty stomach, Or, to take throughout the day, double
the recipe, and divide into 3 servings to have on an empty stomach before each meal.
INGREDIENTS
1 tsp coriander seeds
50ml of boiled, cooled water
Optional: ¼ tsp Sharkara to sweeten
