The first time Alia cooked something in her kitchen, it was a salad. And honestly, I’m not even surprised. The 30-year-old actress follows both, a strict diet and skincare routine. And I’d like to think her skin looks as radiant as it does because she watches what she eats.
Alia’s go-to while filming Dear Zindagi in Goa when the temperatures were soaring, was a recipe she whipped up and filmed for her YouTube channel. The ingredients have numerous benefits for both the skin and hair. You’re going to want to check this out!
Alia’s Beetroot Salad
With three of her favourite ingredients – beetroot, dahi (yogurt) and kadi patta (curry leaves), Alia’s first stint in the kitchen was a beetroot salad that she whipped up with the help of her chef. She also shot the entire video sans makeup and you can really tell that what she eats does wonders for her skin!
Ingredients
- Boiled and grated beetroot
- 1 cup yogurt
- Black pepper
- Chaat masala
- Coriander
- Cooking oil
- Black mustard seeds
- Cumin seeds
- Asafoetida (Hing)
- Curry leaves
Method
- Add the yogurt to the boiled and grated beetroot and mix it well.
- To this, add a dash of salt, a pinch of black pepper and chaat masala and garnish with coriander.
- In a pan, add some cooking oil. To this, add some rai, jeera (mustard and cumin seeds), thing and curry leaves. Once it starts to splatter, turn off the stove.
- Add this ‘tadka’ to the bowl containing beetroot and yogurt and mix well.
Benefits Of Beetroot For The Skin
“Beetroot is very good for the skin”, Alia said before taking us through the recipe. She wasn’t wrong. The vegetable has a high water content with 87% water. No wonder the salad was her go-to while shooting in Goa’s heat. It hydrated her skin with every bite.
Beets are also rich in Vitamin C, which protects the skin from premature signs of ageing and boosts glow. Vitamin C also reduces the melanin production which in turn helps combat hyperpigmentation.
It also has a high iron content that helps revive damaged skin cells and heal bruises faster.
Beetroot has a deep red natural colour which makes it natural lip and cheek tint. If you’re someone who dislikes chemical-laden products, this veggie is perfect.
How Yogurt Benefits The Skin
“For some reason I can’t do without dahi (yogurt)” Alia said at some point in the video.
Dahi, curd, yogurt, however you may refer to it, is part of every Indian household. It is high in lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that is a popular ingredient in skincare products. Lactic acid is known to help exfoliate the skin and give it a brighter appearance, reduce inflammation and boost the formation of new skin cells.
Additionally, lactic acid also helps reduce the appearance of pores, reverses sun damage and also treats hyperpigmentation.
It also helps in hydrating the skin.
Curry Leaves Benefits For Skin & Hair
“Kadi patta, that’s my favourite,” Alia said while adding the ingredient to the oil for tadka. The ingredient we add to most of our dishes also has numerous benefits for both the skin and hair.
The deep colour of the leaves may help in reversing premature greying of hair with regular consumption.
The leaves also help fight off dandruff and treat bacterial and fungal infections on the scalp.
Curry leaves contain antioxidants that can bring back the lost shine from the strands and make hair lustrous while also boosting regrowth. The antioxidant properties also help combat premature signs of ageing like fine lines and wrinkles.
Known for their antiseptic properties, curry leaves when applied in paste form can help treat rashes and small wounds.
It’s no wonder Alia is a fan of this recipe. I’m sold on it too!
Featured Image: Instagram
