Summer essentials: Almonds, walnuts make for a nutritious diet

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According to celebrity chef Vicky Ratnani, here are some almond recipes that will prove to give you a healthy summer and a nutritious diet.

• Makhnee Masala Almonds:

  Serves 3

  Ingredients:
  Almonds - 60g
  Salt - to taste
  Olive oil- 5ml
  Makhnee Gravy Masala (dry) 1 and a half tsp

  Method: Toss the almonds with the spices and olive oil, sea salt and toasted in a pan or 7 minutes in a moderate oven.

   

• Rasam Spiked Almonds

  Ingredients:

Almonds - 60g
Sea Salt- 1tsp
Olive oil- 5ml
Coriander seeds - 1tbsp
Dry red chilies- 2
Toor (arhar) dal- 1 tbsp
Bengal gram(channa dal) - 1tbsp
Black peppercorns - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 tbsp

Method:
Toast the almonds with sea salt and olive oil. Set aside. 

In the same pan, dry roast the red chilli, channa dal and toor dal on a medium flame until the dals are golden in colour.

Transfer to a plate to cool. 
Roast the coriander seeds and pepper until fragrant. Add the jeera at the end, and roast it till it starts popping. Let all the ingredients cool completely. 

Powder them to a fine powder in a mixer and it to the almonds and then store in an airtight container.

on the same lines celebrity chef Sabhyasachi Gorai has also suggested some recipes on behalf of California Walnuts

• Tropical mango, walnut and turmeric smoothie bowl

  Ingredients:
  Flesh from half a mango (reserving a few slices to garnish)
  1 small piece of fresh turmeric
  Half a banana 
  200 ml coconut milk 
  Squeeze of lime juice (plus a little zest to garnish)
  8 walnut halves
  A handful of raspberries and blueberries 
  1 passion fruit 
  1 tbsp of coconut flakes

  Preparation:
  Place the mango, turmeric, banana and coconut milk into a blender and blitz until smooth.         Add lime juice to taste and blend again until combined.

  Pour the smoothie into a bowl and garnish with the reserved mango, berries, walnuts, passion fruit, lime zest and coconut flakes.

   

• Walnut Mango Bowl

  Ingredients:
  300 g of the flesh of a mango 
  800 g of natural, sugar-free yogurt
  40 ml of milk
  4 ice cubes
  1/4 teaspoon of cardamom
  60 g walnuts

  Preparation:
  Grind the mango together with half of walnuts, the yogurt, the milk, the ice cubes and the ground cardamom. 

  If the mixture is too thick, can add water or milk until the desired consistency is achieved.

  Pour the mango lassi into four bowls and decorate with the rest of the California walnuts, some of them grated, grated cocoa, sheets of mango and ground cardamom.

If you find any of these helpful, try them and make your summers comfortable and nutritious with the goodness of almonds, walnuts and other dry fruits.