This recipe is part of the #thehomeseries with my dear Prachi, founder of @craftwellness.in Healthy, refined flour and sugar free, summer special! Prachi is a wonderful nutritionist and has been helpful in Nature Therapy’s journey with inputs to our Journal. Today I invited her over to shoot an episode for #thehomeseries to make a healthy snack bar, with our favourite mango summer fruit! This crumble bar is reminiscent to one I used to gorge on in my college days with an apple stuffing. This mango filling feels more attune with Indian summers, hints of cardamom and tropical coconut it perfect for a hot summer afternoon with a glass of iced tea. And if you’re a bit sneaky, go ahead and add that scoop of vanilla ice cream!

A summer delight, a spicy fiery gingery hit against the sweet delicious luscious mango! I whisk up a basic sorbet concoction with mango pulp and a simple lemongrass-infused sugar syrup, set overnight, and then simply toss into a large wine glass, and add a bit of finger ale for fizz. Of course, you have full permission to sub with a chilled prosecco – as I have done countless times! I did not have a popsicle mould, so I used silicon mini cupcake moulds which I must admit, was a lot of fun to pop into the mouth at any odd time! The Recipe Serves Ingredients Mango sorbet: 1 mango, pulped and juiced, strained 2 tbsp lemongrass sugar syrup ginger ale (1/4 can) fresh lemongrass stick Lemongrass Syrup: ¼ cup sugar ½ cup water 10 x 5 cm stalks of fresh lemongrass Instructions Lemongrass Syrup: Place all the ingredients together in the sauce pot and bring to a boil, followed by a simmer, stirring occasionally until you get your sugar syrup consistency Pour the syrup into a glass jar through a sieve and store until ready to use Mix the mango crush with the sugar syrup and stir well Pour into your setting mould and freeze overnight Take them out and place in a wine glass Pour ginger ale on top – just a bit to fill about 1-2 cm at the bottom and stir with fresh lemongrass Top up the ginger ale as needed

A deconstructed skinny version of a cheesecake is THIS. Hung curd provides all the creaminess, the spice of ginger contrasts beautifully against the luscious mango. My favourite part of this recipe is the very sophisticated part of crumbling the digestive biscuits – I call it anger management (against covid 19?). I can assure you, that this is every bit of kitchen therapy in a dessert! Again, this dessert is a versatile – you can add and subtract any ingredients. The digestive biscuit is from a ready pack, so doesn’t need any added sugar. If you increase the amount of coconut oil (or melted butter), you can easily press down the crumb to create a base into a pie mould. But for me, life is about being stress-free and easy, and this is what I prefer to do. If you’re gluten free, you can go for gluten free granola – this does a similar job for the crunch factor! The Recipe Serves 2 Ingredients 8 digestive biscuits ½ tbsp coconut oil 2 tsp grated ginger 1 cup hung curd 1 tbsp honey 1 tsp vanilla extract desiccated coconut 1-2 tbsp fresh mango fresh mint sprig Instructions Place the biscuits in a ziplock and fasten shut Take a ladle of heavy big spoon and bang on the ziplock, to crush the biscuits into a crumb Empty out the ziplock into a mixing bowl Add coconut oil and 1 tsp grated ginger and combine Place the mixture into the two serving glasses Next, take stir honey and vanilla extract and remaining 1 tsp ginger into the hung curd Divide the mixture between the two glasses Top with fresh mango pieces, desiccated coconut and garnish with fresh mint leaves

LAB X KITCHEN THERAPY X THE KITCHEN TRAIL   ‘Tis almost the holiday season, and while most of us in this industry are severely overworked but also learning so much, taking notes for the next year and generally looking to broaden horizons. This week is the last strenuous stretch before I take off on a quick break, and this recipe is the perfect anticipatory bake for the season: The Mango Coconut Cake will remind you of tropical lands, the sea and a pina colada! Devised for the first Afternoon Tea menu at Le Artisan Boulangerie, when mangoes were abundant in season, this slice was my attempt to bring the beach to the mind while slogging away at work! Every Gujarati household stores tubs of mango ras for the months after, used carefully and defrosted only for special occasions. For me, I believe every day is special, so no use in freezing anything! This is the best way to use up the luscious mangoes in this cake, and the elderly generation will adore you for this one! Photography & Styling: The Kitchen Trail The Recipe Serves 6 Ingredients 1 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 3/4 cup mango puree 2/3 cup castor sugar 2 tbsp coconut milk 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 15g coconut shreds 100g icing sugar 50g mango puree 40ml coconut milk 40ml whipped cream 25g desiccated coconut 1/2 tsp vanilla extract desiccated coconut shreds Instructions Preheat the oven to 200C and grease and line a medium cake tin. Beat the butter and sugar and then add the egg, vanilla extract and coconut milk. Combine in the mango puree. Fold in the dry ingredients and pour into the cake tin Bake for 25 minutes. Cool and slice into two or three layers (1.5 cm thickness) Whisk the icing sugar with mango puree, coconut milk and vanilla Add more coconut milk if required for a liquid smoother consistency Spread the filling between each layer (4 or 5 layers) On top sprinkle desiccated coconut and garnish

When I came across Bake with Shivesh’s Instagram post of Frozen Yoghurt, it got me go down memory lane. I discovered the joys of fro-yo in Boston during my college years. Close to my campus was this little gyros place that made frozen yoghurt in a variety of flavours that varied from double fudge chocolate, summer fruits, and exotic concoctions. During mid-terms and finals, my friends and I usually walked there for a quick break, and even sometimes during the freezing cold, we managed to gobble down cups of frozen yoghurt – it’s supposed to be healthy thanks to the yoghurt in place of cream and lower sugar quotient. This is my cheat version which is made in a smoothie maker – and yes I bought one just to make fro-yo and not any sort of protein shake! The smoothie mixer is ideal as the blades can cut through ice, and our frozen berries tend to break a normal mixer at times. A few blitz is all it takes for this delicious berry hued sweet treat. When it’s just done, I like to swirl it into a cone as a soft serve, and once hardened, a proper scoop.   The RecipeServes 10 scoops Ingredients 180 g Greek Yoghurt 300 g Frozen Rasberries 1 tbsp Honey Instructions Let the frozen fruit sit for 5 to 10 minutes out. Add the yoghurt, frozen berries and honey in a high-powered blender and blitz for about 30 seconds, until blended and creamy. Careful not to overmix and melt the mixture. You can scoop out immediately to eat as soft serve or place in freezer to firm up before eating.

The rains and a little case of the travel bug has got me wishing for a weekend laying on the beach with a drink served in a coconut, a guilty romance novel and no network! But since I am far, far away from such a weekend happening anytime soon, I settled on baking a cake – the answer to most miseries. Inspired by the pina colada, I replaced the usual suspect, pineapple, with mangoes, added a dash of coconut milk along with desiccated coconut shreds. The mango puree adds a lovely marigold hue, and this cake is incredibly sponge-y. The hints of coconut are perfect reminiscent of the beach and an ideal way to use up leftover ras from the season. I garnished with toasted coconut slices and fresh mango slices. So, if you are need of the beach, this is as close to the solution. Optional: a few drops of coconut extract Photo Credits: The Kitchen Trail by Krishna Lalbhai The Recipe Serves 6 Ingredients 1 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 3/4 cup mango puree 1/2 cup butter, soft 2/3 cup castor sugar 2 tbsp coconut milk 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 1/3 cup desiccated coconut Icing: 3/4 cup icing sugar 1/4 cup coconut milk 1/2 tsp vanilla extract Mango slices Toasted coconut slices Instructions Heat the oven to 200°C and grease and line a 9” cake tin. Whisk butter, sugar and coconut milk together until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat for 5 minutes. Then add coconut shreds, mango puree, baking powder and flour. Whisk to just combine, do not overbeat. Pour into the tin and bake for 25 minutes. Whisk the frosting ingredients together for a thick paste and spread over the cake. Top with toasted coconut and mango slices.