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The monsoon season brings joy with the sounds of rain and indulgence in delicious snacks. However, it also brings an increased risk of infections that can weaken the entire immune system. To combat this, adding neem leaves into your diet can be quite helpful. According to an international journal, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (eCAM), neem leaves, known as Azadirachta indica, have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that help eliminate toxins, boost immunity, and improve blood circulation. So, considering them a natural rainy-season immune system booster won't be an exaggeration.
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Adding neem leaves to your diet may seem difficult due to their bitter taste, but there are many tasty ways. Numerous dishes can use neem leaves, from crispy fritters to soothing stews. This monsoon, try these creative and tasty neem leaf recipes to stay healthy.
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1. Neem Begun Bhaja
Neem Begun Bhaja is a popular Bengali dish made with neem leaves and eggplants, and undoubtedly, it's perfect for the monsoon season. To prepare, wash the neem leaves and eggplants. Heat mustard oil in a pan and fry the neem leaves until crispy. Remove and set aside. In the same oil, fry the eggplants until golden brown. Mix the fried neem leaves with the eggplants and serve hot with steamed rice.
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2. Neem Shukto (Mixed Veg. Curry with Neem Leaves)
Neem Shukto is a traditional Bengali mixed vegetable curry with a twist of neem leaves. This mustard and milk-based gravy dish is mildly spiced with Panch Phoron. To prepare, you have to grind mustard seeds and radhuni into a fine paste. Then, you have to heat mustard oil and fry lentil dumplings and neem leaves separately. Next, you have to mix the oil with dry red chillies, bay leaves, and panch phoron. Once that's done, you have to add chopped vegetables, dry spices, and neem leaves and sauté for a few minutes. Keep a little amount of water and green chillies ready to add to the sautéed vegetables, and simmer until vegetables are cooked. Then, you have to add the mustard paste, milk, ghee, sugar, and fried dumplings. Next, you will need a few more minutes to let it simmer, and then you can serve it with hot steamed rice.
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3. Neem Narkel Bhaja (Stir-fried Neem Leaves with Coconut)
Neem Narkel Bhaja is a simple yet delectable dish that combines neem leaves with grated coconut. To prepare, you have to heat mustard oil in a pan and season it with dry red chilli. Then, add the washed neem leaves, green chilli, turmeric powder, and salt. Make sure to continue cooking until the neem leaves exude their inherent juices and become dehydrated. Once that's done, you have to add some shredded coconut, mix well, and sauté for a brief additional period. Serve the dish while it is still hot, accompanied by steamed rice.
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4. Sweet Potato And Neem Leaves Vegetable Curry
This dish combines the sweetness of sweet potatoes with the bitterness of neem leaves, creating a healthy and tasty curry. For this, you need to clean the neem leaves really well and then pressure cook the sweet potatoes until they are soft. Now comes the tempering. You have to heat oil and fry mustard seeds, urad dal, red chilli, and Bengal gram dal. The next step is to add neem leaves, fry until crispy, and then add chopped sweet potatoes and salt, cooking until the sweet potatoes are well-fried. The final step is to garnish with roasted peanut powder and serve with hot rice.
5. Papaya Neem Leaves Crush Stir Fry
This dish blends the subtle sweetness of papaya with the bitterness of neem leaves. To prepare, start by steaming raw papaya slices. Now, when the papaya slices are ready, you have to heat oil in a pan and fry neem leaves with salt and turmeric powder until crispy. Keep it aside once done, and in the same pan, add more oil to temper with mustard seeds. As soon as the tempering is complete, add papaya slices, salt, and turmeric powder. To bring out the taste, sauté until soft, then add sugar and the fried neem leaves. Mix well and serve.
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6. Neem Jhol
Neem Jhol is a light and soothing Bengali stew made with neem leaves, drumsticks, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. To prepare, de-string the drumsticks and chop the vegetables. Dry roast neem leaves until crispy, then stir-fry with a little oil. Set aside. In a pan, heat vegetable oil and fry lentil dumplings. Temper the oil with nigella seeds, add potatoes, and fry. Add sweet potatoes, drumsticks, turmeric, and water. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Add fried dumplings and neem leaves. Let it cook for a few more minutes and serve hot.
7. Neem Leaves Fritters
Neem leaf fritters are delicious, crispy, and not so bitter. Prior to cooking, you have to wash neem leaves and mix chickpea flour, rice flour, cumin, coriander, red chilli, and salt into a batter. Next, you have to heat some oil in a pan. One thing you need to ensure is that the neem leaves are fully coated in batter. Then comes the final step of frying the fritters until crispy and golden. To remove excess oil, you should put the fritter on a paper towel and then serve. For a healthier alternative, you can just air-fry the fritters with a few drops of oil. They taste best hot since they lose crispiness when cold.
8. Neem Chutney
Neem Chutney is quite an interesting dish that retains the health benefits of neem leaves without much bitterness. To start, take your time to blend neem leaves with kokum, jaggery powder, salt, and cumin seeds into a smooth paste. In another pan, you have to heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds until they splutter. Then comes the curry leaves and dry red chilli, and all you have to do is to add the tempering over the blended neem mixture. As soon as the tempering is added, mix well to combine all the flavours, and it's ready. Adding jaggery balances the bitterness of the neem leaves, and you can use this freshly made chutney as a tasty accompaniment to various snacks and meals.
