Koraput (Odisha): If you think lemon juice, cold drinks, squash and 'jal jeera' can alone quench your thirst and that of your family and guests in summer, think again. With the mercury rising fast across Odisha, here is a rustic recipe from the tribal villages of Koraput district.
The tribals, well rooted to the soil, keep themselves cool with a special diet, known as "mandia pej", a soup made of ragi powder and stale water of boiled rice.
"Buying soft drinks from the market is expensive. Cold drinks also contain harmful chemicals that may cause physical complications. Also, these are not available in our village. To keep our body cool, we drink lots of mandia pej.
It is prepared in all households and is very economic," said Daitari Durua of Siribeda village in Boipariguda block.
Preparation of the drink is very simple. After powdering ragi, it is mixed with stale water of boiled rice and kept in a covered container for a couple of days.
