If you love detox water or prepare overnight-soaked seed water to consume the next day, first thing in the morning, you might be aware of the benefits of drinking cumin (jeera) water. For the uninitiated, drinking it can improve digestion, enhance weight loss efforts, and help fight inflammation.
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However, why should you have plain ol’ jeera water when you can give it a tangy, sweet, and zesty mix? On May 21, chef Kunal Kapoor shared his recipe for chilled cumin water.
Sharing the reel on Instagram, the MasterChef judge wrote, “A refreshing, tangy jeera water made with roasted cumin infused into warm water, balanced with black salt, a hint of hing, fresh mint, and a squeeze of lemon. Light, chatpata, and deeply comforting, it’s a simple drink that soothes the stomach while delivering bold, familiar flavours in every sip.”
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
Cumin seeds (Jeera): 2½ tbsp
Water: Three cups
Jaggery (gur), chopped: Two to three tbsp
Salt: to taste
Black salt (kala namak): 1/2 tsp
Ice cubes: Generous amount
One small lemon
Method
Step 1: Take a pan and roast the cumin seeds. The chef recommends medium-roasting for the seeds.
Step 2: Once they are roasted and become fragrant, set aside.
Step 3: Take a mortar and pestle and crush the seeds. Don’t make a fine powder; keep it a bit chunkier.
Step 4: Now, take a pan and add the cumin powder to it, along with three cups of water.
Step 5: Mix everything well, then let the water boil until it has reduced to half its volume.
Step 6: Now, take some jaggery and cut it into fine pieces.
Step 7: Take a bowl and add the jaggery powder. Next, strain the boiled cumin water and add it to the bowl.
Step 8: Add some salt and black salt to taste, and mix everything well.
Step 9: To serve, fill a tall glass with ice cubes. Take half a lemon slice, squeeze the juice, pour in the cumin water, mix, and enjoy.
Why is cumin water beneficial?
According to Dr Anshu Chaturvedi, head of the department of dietetics at CK Birla Hospitals, Jaipur, the primary benefit of jeera water lies in its ability to optimise digestive function. According to him, it stimulates digestive enzymes and helps reduce gas, bloating, acidity, and indigestion while improving overall digestive functioning.
Moreover, it may also support weight management by slightly boosting metabolism and improving fat breakdown, contributing to gradual weight reduction when combined with a proper diet and exercise.
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media.
