Kiwi Recipes: With the summers breaking all records, all we can fall back on are the juicy, citrusy summer fruits to refuel our body. I have always loathed summer season for the ever increasing heat, sweat and several gastro problems in the body such as indigestion. Yet love it for the many delicious fruits it brings with itself. From melons to mangoes and the vibrant green tangy kiwis, summer season offers a host of such fruits, which are not just flavourful but have amazing health benefits that are much needed to our body.
Kiwi isn't an ordinary fruit. By looks, flavour and even when it comes to nutritional benefits, it is much distinct from other fruits. It has glistening green slices with dotted black seeds when peeled off from its brown fuzzy outer layer and offers a great sight for the eyes besides a tarty, refreshing flavour. With a Chinese origin, kiwi was earlier known as 'yang tao' and 'Chinese gooseberry' before it started to be commercially cultivated in New Zealand and marketed by the name of 'kiwi' because of its close resemblance to their national bird and was eventually crowned as the national fruit of New Zealand.
Kiwi Nutrition | Kiwi Fruit Benefits
Termed as an exotic fruit, kiwi rapidly garnered popularity across countries due to the many health benefits it offers. It is added to many desserts, cereals and salads or eaten just as is. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 100 grams of kiwi contain about 61 calories, 1.14 grams of protein, 0.52 gram of fat, 14.66 grams of carbohydrates and about 3 grams of fibre. Besides all of this, kiwi is loaded with health benefits that give a major boost to our body. Let's look at the many kiwi fruit benefits:
1. High On Vitamins & Minerals: With Vitamins A, B12, B6, E, iron, calcium and potassium, kiwi helps in proper functioning of the body by ensuring blood circulation in the vessels, iron absorption for healthy bones, good vision, etc.
2. Helps In Digestion: Presence of an enzyme known as actinidin helps in the proper digestion of proteins in the body and also helps patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.
3. Rich Source Of Vitamin C: While you might think that oranges and lemons are the only rich sources of vitamin C, kiwi also isn't far from it. With a 154 percentage per 100 grams of vitamin C, kiwi proves to be a powerful antioxidant and also helps in boosting our immunity against harmful pathogens.
4. Good Source Of Dietary Fibre: Loaded with dietary fibre, kiwi helps in the prevention of numerous diseases. According to a study done by the University of Leeds, "Increasing consumption of fibre-rich foods can lower the risks of both coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD)."
With so much and more health benefits of kiwi, it would be ideal to include it in our diet. And to ease your next question of how to do that, we have a list of some of the best kiwi recipes to prepare at home.
Here Are 7 Best Kiwi Recipes To Prepare At Home:
1. Mango Kiwi Fuzz
Packed with two of the best summer fruits, the king of fruits-mango along with the tarty goodness of kiwi, this summer cooler is an absolute must-try. Perfect for summer season, this would instantly fuel you up in the sweltering heat.
(Also Read: 4 Energy-Packed Kiwi Drinks You Must Drink To Beat The Heat This Summer)
2. Kiwi and Black Olive Dumplings
Who doesn't like to indulge in a steaming hot platter of dumplings? Here is a delicious yet healthy kiwi recipe packed with mock duck along with black olives, kiwi syrup and paste with the outer skin made with wheat starch and potato starch. Mock duck is gluten-based vegetarian food made with wheat gluten and soy sauce. Kiwi and black olive dumplings are served with a kiwi-based sauce, which is poured atop.
3. Kiwi Upside Down Cake
Apple, pineapple, orange and other fruit cakes are too mainstream! Have you heard of kiwi cake? Here we have a delectable kiwi cake recipe packed with the goodness of pulpy kiwis blended with butter, flour, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla essence. Baked perfect fluffy, turned upside down and topped with glazed cherries, this cake is sure to please the kids!
(Also Read: 13 Best Easy Cake Recipes | Best Cake Recipes)
4. Kiwi Pavlova
A classic dessert from New Zealand, pavlova is known to be their national meringue dessert. It is basically a meringue-based cake named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. It has a crisp crust with a soft and light base. Kiwi pavlova has kiwis sliced between layers of meringue and topped with passion fruit syrup.
5. Tangy Prawns With Kiwi Salad
Cooked prawns mixed with oranges, kiwi, nuts and herbs and topped with a delicious dressing of curd, lemon juice, honey and mustard. These are served with scrumptious mushroom rolls stuffed with mushroom mixed with butter, herbs and pepper. It's a perfect dish to prepare as a side with your next meal.
6. Kiwi Bread Halwa
A twist to that traditional halwa! Kiwi bread halwa has kiwi pureed to a thick mixture with sugar, cardamom powder and toasted bread pieces and further cooked with milk, ghee and sautéed nuts like cashews, almonds and pistachios.
7. Melon And Kiwi Fruit Smoothie
Get yourself the fuel for the day with this nutritious and flavourful kiwi smoothie! Melon and kiwi fruit shake has a powerful blend of the two fruits along with papaya, grapes, plum, honey, milk and nutritious oats. It is just the perfect breakfast option to begin your day with.
(Also Read: Top 7 Smoothies Recipes | Easy Smoothie Recipes)
These delightful kiwi recipes are the perfect way to include this wonder fruit in your daily diet. Prepare these at home and let us know your favourite kiwi recipe in the comments section below.