Niti Sheth

I started researching ghee thinking I’d be done in an afternoon.

A few rabbit holes, several Sanskrit words, and more questions than answers later… here we are.

Apparently, there’s a lot more to this golden elixir than melted butter.

So instead of keeping my existential ghee crisis to myself, I’ve decided to turn it into a series.

Welcome to Ghee Decoded — where we’ll uncover the why, the how, and the wisdom behind Ayurveda’s liquid gold.

Come down the rabbit hole with me 🧈✨

Let’s stop putting health habits and rituals on extremes.

Let’s stop saying good health is merely doing this or not doing that.

Let’s normalise good health as a series of little habits that we work on everyday. And sometimes if we fall, that’s ok! There’s always tomorrow.

Good health is about being regulated most of the time but also allowing yourself to let loose and half fun for a little bit of the time.

I remember when we were younger, mum would often take us to the shopping centre to keep us cool (because it was air conditioned 🤣)

But I’m here to offer you a cheaper alternative - nature! Honestly it has the answers to everything!

If you’re feeling irritably hot this summer, then try these three simple yet powerful things to help you stay cool - body and mind.

Just a few minutes of this can instantly cool down your body and help to calm an overstimulated nervous system.

As temperatures stay constantly high this week - make a batch of this cooling infusion to help you stay hydrated and cool without having to reach for cold drinks from the fridge.

Add a palmful of coriander seeds, fennel seeds, dried rose petals and dried hibiscus flowers to a tea strainer and pour with some boiling water. Leave to steep until the water comes to a room temperature or your can keep it overnight (on the window sill to catch the cooling rays of the moon 🌕) ready for a cool drink the next day.

It’s a really forgiving infusion so if you don’t have all the ingredients at home, just make it with whatever you have. All of them have cooling properties which are perfect to keep you cool on the inside to beat the heat!

Now I know this isn’t the most Ayurvedic recipe - but if you ever want to have ice-cream, have it in Summer, have it during the day, and chew on some fresh ginger + lime juice later in the day (to help break up the excess mucus which may be formed from the ice-cream). Here is a super simple, no-fuss ice-cream recipe.

Ingredients:
500ml double cream
1 tin (397g) caramel
Handful of pecan nuts
Milk chocolate (I used cooking chocolate)

Method:
1. Melt the chocolate using the double boiler method (place a heatproof bowl above a saucepan that is half-filled with water - and put the saucepan on the stove so the water is simmering. Once the water is simmering, add in the chocolate to the heatproof bowl and keep stirring until the chocolate is melted.)
2. Once the chocolate is melted, carefully line your ice-cream moulds with the chocolate using a spatula. Once coated, place the ice-cream moulds in the freezer to allow the chocolate to set.
3. Roast the pecan nuts in the oven at 150 C for about 5 minutes until they’re well toasted (slightly brown).
4. Roughly chop the pecan nuts and set aside.
5. In a mixing bowl, whip 500ml of double cream until stiff peaks have formed.
6. Add in the carame and the chopped pecan nuts and gently mix again until everything has been well incorporated.
7. Divide the ice-cream mixture into the ice-cream moulds that have been coated with chocolate - the chocolate should have set by the time you make the ice-cream mixture.
8. Freeze for up to 8 hours or overnight.
9. Melt some more chocolate using the double boiler method and carefully cover the ice-cream in the moulds. Place back in the freezer so the chocolate can set.
10. Defrost at room temperature for 5 mins, offer with love and honour with gratitude.

Variations: Instead of caramel, you can use condensed milk and add in either of the following flavouring options: pureed fresh strawberries, pureed and chopped fresh mango, chopped cherries + dark chocolate, saffron strands, pistachio paste + chopped pistachios.

Link to the ice-cream moulds is through my Amazon storefront via the link in my bio.