Volume I · Chaitra – Vaishakh
April
Gentle Cooling & the New Wheat
Grishma · summerVolume II plan for April →
The season
Vasanta → Grishma (spring to early summer)
| Aspect | In the book |
|---|---|
| Hindu months | Chaitra – Vaishakh |
| Ritu | Vasanta → Grishma (spring to early summer) |
| Weather | ≈ 18 – 34 °C, warm dry days, hot afternoons |
| Agni | Moderate, starting to dip with heat |
| Dosha | Kapha settling; Pitta and Vata (dryness) begin to rise |
| Favour | Sweet, bitter, astringent; light, slightly cooling, freshly cooked |
| Limit | Very spicy, sour or salty food, fermented items in excess, heavy fried snacks |
In season
Vegetables
Lauki, tinda, torai, early bhindi, cucumber, raw mango, drumstick, mint, green coriander
Fruit
Watermelon (late), muskmelon, papaya, banana, last oranges, mulberry
Other
New-crop wheat, sattu, jau
Festivals & observances
| Occasion | In the kitchen |
|---|---|
| Baisakhi (13–14 Apr) | New-wheat celebration: soft atta phulka, kadhi–chawal, sweet meethe chawal; Haridwar Ganga snan. |
| Ram Navami (Chaitra Navratri, lunar) | Panakam (jaggery–ginger–cardamom water), kosambari (soaked moong salad — serve lightly steamed), neer mor. |
| Hanuman Jayanti (lunar) | Boondi-free besan ladoo (soft), banana, prasad halwa. |
Kitchen guidance
- Shift from warming to neutral foods: moong, lauki, tinda, rice.
- Introduce cooling drinks at room temperature: sattu sharbat, panakam, takra.
- Fluid target 1.5–2 L/day for most guests — elders lose thirst sensation; offer drinks proactively.
- Keep salt modest but replace electrolytes with buttermilk and lemon water.
Daily rituals
- On waking
- Room-temperature water with a few soaked coriander seeds (dhaniya water)
- At bedtime
- Warm milk with a pinch of cardamom (100–150 ml)
Seven-day menu
The week at the table
Monday
- Breakfast
- Lemon–peas poha · papaya
- Lunch thali
- Lauki–moong dal
- Tinda masala
- Lauki–chana
- rice & phulka
- Kheera raita (room temp.)
- Evening
- Sattu sharbat (salted)
- Dinner
- Moong yusha · soft phulka
- Sweet
- Gulkand–rose phirni (80 ml)
Tuesday
- Breakfast
- Moong dal chilla · mint chutney
- Lunch thali
- Yellow moong tadka
- Torai–moong
- Bhindi with coconut
- rice & phulka
- Pudina takra
- Evening
- Panakam
- Dinner
- Lauki–moong khichdi
- Sweet
- Rice kheer (60 ml)
Wednesday
- Breakfast
- Rava idli · coconut chutney
- Lunch thali
- Toor dal (mild)
- Kaddu khatta-meetha
- Parwal sabzi
- rice & phulka
- Raw-mango chutney (small)
- Evening
- Roasted makhana
- Dinner
- Namkeen dalia
- Sweet
- Atta sheera (40 g)
Thursday
- Breakfast
- Sweet dalia with dates · banana
- Lunch thali
- Kadhi (no pakora)
- Aloo–jeera (light)
- Raw-mango–kaddu
- rice & phulka
- Lauki raita
- Evening
- Stewed apple
- Sweet
- Coconut ladoo (1 small)
Friday
- Breakfast
- Vegetable upma · muskmelon
- Lunch thali
- Masoor–lauki dal
- Beans–carrot thoran
- Kundru (soft)
- rice & phulka
- Coriander chutney
- Evening
- Coconut water with lime
- Dinner
- Vegetable soup · phulka
- Sweet
- Banana–date mash
Saturday
- Breakfast
- Ragi porridge with jaggery
- Lunch thali
- Moong with drumstick
- Tinda masala
- Lauki–chana
- rice & phulka
- Kheera raita (room temp.)
- Evening
- CCF tea
- Sweet
- Mango phirni (end Apr)
Sunday
- Breakfast
- Soft besan–lauki chilla · curd
- Lunch thali
- Whole moong (soft)
- Torai–moong
- Bhindi with coconut
- rice & phulka
- Pudina takra
- Evening
- Muskmelon cubes
- Dinner
- Torai–dal · phulka
- Sweet
- Gulkand (1 tsp)
Nutrition
Energy in the featured recipes
Energy from protein, fat and carbohydrate
kcal per serving (protein & carbs × 4, fat × 9)
This month's six recipes
Vol I · Apr 1April
Lemon–Peas Poha (Soft)
BreakfastSpring–summer
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
219 kcal5 g proteinSoft
View recipe →
Vol I · Apr 2April
Lauki–Moong Dal
Lunch · DalSpring–summer
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
179 kcal9.7 g proteinSoft
View recipe →
Vol I · Apr 3April
Tinda Masala (Sattvic)
Lunch · SabziSpring–summer
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
68 kcal1.9 g proteinSoft
View recipe →
Vol I · Apr 4April
Sattu Sharbat (Salted)
Evening · DrinkSpring–summer
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
63 kcal3.1 g proteinThin liquid
View recipe →
Vol I · Apr 5April
Moong Yusha (Classical Moong Soup) with Soft Phulka
DinnerSpring–summer
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
329 kcal13.4 g proteinThin soup + soft bread
View recipe →
Vol I · Apr 6April
Gulkand–Rose Phirni
SweetSpring–summer
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
197 kcal6.4 g proteinSmooth, set
View recipe →Signature dish