During summers, your body does not demand rich, calorie-laden food. You feel like eating light and crave more for liquids. A wholesome salad along with juice sounds like a perfect meal option and significantly cuts down the time spent in the kitchen as well.

Here is a millet and vegetable salad made with grains of sorghum / jowar as the base along with Zucchini, red bell pepper, and boiled peanuts. Jowar is gluten-free and is rich in antioxidants. Jowar grains retain the hull that contains the majority of the nutrients, fibre, iron, and a fairly high protein level as well making it an ideal staple starch.

Ingredients:
Jowar grains – 1/4 cup
Zucchini – 1 small
Red bell pepper – 1/2
Raw peanuts – A fistful

For Dressing:
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Crushed black peppercorns / pepper powder – 1/4 tsp
Extra Virgin Olive oil – 1 tbsp
Black salt to taste

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves 1

Method: Rinse the sorghum grains and soak overnight in water. You could skip the soaking step but you would need to pressure cook it for a longer time.
Cook sorghum and raw peanuts (in separate containers) in a pressure cooker for about 3 whistles. For sorghum, add water in a 1:3 ratio. Wait for the pressure to release naturally before opening the pressure cooker lid.
Scrape the skin off the zucchini and chop into small pieces. Chop bell pepper into small pieces. Keep aside.
To prepare the dressing, mix olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper powder.
Once the cooked sorghum grains and peanuts have cooled off, transfer them to a bowl. Add the chopped zucchini and bell pepper pieces. Add black salt and mix well. Add the dressing and mix well. The salad is ready to be served. You may add parsley leaves.
Refrigerate for about half an hour if desired.
I paired this with pineapple juice with a dash of rock salt. Makes a complete and satisfying meal.