Pitta-Cooling Summer Drink: Fennel, Coriander and Mint Cooler Recipe

Hot weather asks for something refreshing, and Indian kitchens have a long habit of making it from seeds, herbs and dried fruit instead of fizzy drinks: seeds soaked overnight, mint torn into a jug, raisins plumped in water. This cooler follows that habit with fennel, coriander seed, mint and a few raisins.

It is a gentle, lightly sweet drink that suits a hot afternoon. The page gives the recipe, the traditional reading for pitta, and the cautions. It is a drink, not a remedy, and it makes no claim to treat heat, acidity or anything else.

The recipe at a glance

• Time: 5 minutes, plus 4 to 8 hours soaking (or overnight).
• Makes: about 4 cups (1 litre), enough for 4 glasses.
• Equipment: a jug with a lid, a fine strainer, and a spoon.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds (about 6 g)
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds (about 5 g)
• 8 to 10 raisins, rinsed (about 15 g)
• 10 to 12 fresh mint leaves
• 4 cups of water (1 litre), cool or at room temperature
• Optional: 1 to 2 teaspoons of raw cane sugar, mishri (rock sugar) or jaggery, to taste
• Optional: a few drops of lemon juice, or a teaspoon of rose water

Method

1. Crush the fennel and coriander seeds lightly with a mortar and pestle or the back of a spoon. This opens them up and lets the flavour into the water.
2. Put the crushed seeds and the raisins in the jug and pour in the water. Cover and leave on the counter for 4 to 8 hours, or overnight in a cool place. In very hot weather, use the fridge so the drink does not spoil.
3. In the morning, press the raisins with a spoon to release their sweetness, add the mint leaves and let the drink stand for 10 minutes.
4. Strain into glasses. Taste, and add sugar or a few drops of lemon if you wish. Serve cool but not ice-cold. Over-chilled drinks are not part of the tradition, and many people find slightly cool water more comfortable.

Drink the jug the same day and make a new one tomorrow. Always wash the jug and strainer well, since drinks left out in heat can spoil.

Variations

• Quick version. Pour hot water over the crushed seeds, steep 10 minutes, cool, then add the mint. This is less delicate but takes 15 minutes in all.
• Cucumber addition. Blend a few slices of cucumber into the strained drink.
• Sweeter. Soak a few more raisins, or a dried fig, instead of adding sugar.
• For a thirsty crowd. Double the quantities and keep the jug in the fridge.

The Ayurvedic reading (traditional)

Pitta is the principle of heat and transformation, described as hot, sharp, light and slightly oily. The tradition’s rule of likeness says that qualities are reduced by their opposites, so the suggestion for hot weather, and for people who run warm, is food and drink that is cooling, sweet, bitter and astringent. The page on pitta sets out the reasoning, and eating for pitta gives a fuller list.

The ingredients are chosen from that list. Fennel and coriander seed are the two spices most often described as cooling or mild and agreeable to pitta. Mint is traditionally described as cooling in its effect on the mouth and body, though teachers differ on how cooling it truly is. Raisins and sugar add sweetness, which is the taste tradition associates with calming pitta (see the six tastes). Soaking seeds in cool water, rather than boiling them, belongs to an old method of making a cold infusion known in the classical texts as hima, one of several forms of herbal preparation. Teachers say a cold infusion keeps a lighter, cooler character than a boiled tea.

Grishma, the hot season, and the early autumn season of Sharad, when the texts describe pitta as most easily disturbed, are the times when this style of drink is most often suggested. The page on seasonal eating explains that thinking. Teachers also say sipping through the day is gentler than gulping, and that very cold or iced drinks, and sugary soft drinks, are not part of the tradition.

None of this means a drink can reduce your body temperature or treat heat-related illness. If you are in intense heat, drink plenty of water, rest in the shade and see a doctor for symptoms such as dizziness, confusion or very little urine.

What modern research says

Fennel and coriander seeds are ordinary culinary spices, and there is no good research showing that this drink cools the body or calms acidity. What keeps you comfortable in hot weather is fluids, shade, rest and light clothing. The drink is a pleasant, low-sugar way of taking some of those fluids.

Who should be careful

• Allergy to the carrot family. Fennel and coriander belong to the same family as celery, carrot, parsley and cumin. Avoid the drink if you are allergic.
• Diabetes. Raisins and sugar add carbohydrate. Leave out the sweetener, use fewer raisins, and follow your care team’s advice.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Food amounts are familiar, but a strongly flavoured seed drink taken daily has not been well studied. Ask your doctor or midwife.
• Babies and young children. Do not give seed infusions to infants. Ask a paediatrician.
• Hormone-sensitive conditions. Fennel is sometimes said to have a mild hormone-like action. If this applies to you, ask your doctor.
• Medicines. If you take medicines that need careful dosing, such as warfarin, thyroid tablets or diabetes medicines, ask your pharmacist about daily herbal drinks.
• Hygiene. A jug left out in warm weather can grow bacteria. Refrigerate in hot weather and drink it the same day.
• Kidney disease or fluid limits. If you have been told to limit fluids or potassium, ask your doctor before making this drink a habit.

This recipe is general education, not medical advice. Please read the medical disclaimer, see a doctor about any health concern, and a registered Ayurvedic practitioner (BAMS in India) if you want Ayurvedic treatment.

Frequently asked questions