Summer is officially here, and gond katira is suddenly everywhere. From Reels showing off rose milk with jelly bits to our grandmothers hyping it as the real summer hero, everyone is on board. Gond katira, also called tragacanth gum, is known for its cooling effects and goes into everything — nimbu paani, falooda, rose sherbet, you name it. But just because it is popular does not mean everyone is using it the right way. The truth is, most people mess it up without even knowing. So, before you go soaking some for your next chilled drink, check out these common mistakes people make with gond katira.
Also Read: Summer’s Burning You Out? Gond Katira Shikanji Will Keep You Cool And Healthy This Season
Here Are 5 Ways You Are Using Gond Katira Wrong:
1. Soaking It For Too Little Time
Gond katira is not something you can rush. Soaking it for just 20 minutes is not going to work — it will end up half-bloomed and weirdly chewy. This thing needs time to puff up and get that soft jelly texture. Best to leave it overnight in a big bowl of water. The next morning, you will have those perfect jelly blobs ready to go into your cool drinks.
2. Using Too Much In One Go
What looks like a tiny rock can turn into a whole lot of fluff. Just one or two teaspoons are plenty for a tall glass of drink. Add too much and it turns your drink into a gloopy mess. Gond katira should sit lightly in your drink, not take over the whole glass. Less is more when it comes to this summer ingredient.
3. Mixing It With Hot Drinks
Since gond katira is used to cool the body down, putting it into hot drinks makes no sense. Whether it is tea or warm haldi doodh, adding this to heat will cancel out all its benefits. Plus, it ruins the texture — instead of being soft and bouncy, it turns rubbery. Stick to cold recipes like lemonade, badam milk or rose sharbat.
4. Skipping The Rinse After Soaking
After soaking, gond katira might look all clean and fluffy, but you still need to rinse it. Sometimes it has a yellowish tinge or tiny bits of dust from the drying process. Not washing it can leave a weird aftertaste in your drink. It is an easy step, but it makes a big difference in how your drink turns out.
5. Forgetting To Drink Extra Water With It
People forget this all the time — gond katira absorbs a lot of water. So, if you are eating or drinking it and not upping your water intake, it might leave you bloated or feeling heavy. Just like chia seeds, it needs fluids to do its job properly. So always balance your gond katira treats with enough water throughout the day.
Also Read: PCOS Diet: How Gond Katira May Help Keep PCOS Symptoms At Bay
Want to know the difference between gond and gond katira? Click here to know more.
