Monsoon will take some more time to reach my part of world. We are still experiencing all the features of ferocious summer the blazing sun, scorching heat, sweltering winds, all working together to drain the energy out of the body. Soaring temperatures reduce the appetite to eat and increases the urge for some chilled beverages. As cooking is my passion and now having summer vacation..this time tried to avoid all the preserved, fizzy, carbonated drinks and each time made some natural home made drinks for family and guests. So here are some quick recipes of few of them.
Ice Cream Falooda
Ice cream falooda…this is a very elegant and irresistible beverage. It is famous for its rich, soothing and aromatic flavors. Often I am confused that whether it should be called a dessert or beverage. Falooda means vermicelli and this is prepared by mixing rose syrup, sabja (basil seeds), and milk and for extra taste ice cream is also added. Along with other health benefits..sabja seeds are best body coolant and thus are mainly consumed during the summer time.
Ingredients: (For two regular servings)
Milk - 4cups
Sugar - 2tbsp
Falooda sev - 4tbsp (I use the regular vermicelli)
Rose syrup - 4tbsp
Sabja (Basil seeds) - 2 tsp
Rabdi (or condensed milk) - 2 tbsp
Vanilla ice cream - 2 scoops
Instructions:
1. Soak sabja in the water for an hour.
2. Take the milk and sugar in a pan. Let it come to a boil on medium heat. And then lower the heat and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
3. Then take out half of this mixture and chill it in the refrigerator.
4. In the remaining milk add the vermicelli and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
5. When the vermicelli is ready chill it in the refrigerator.
6. Keep everything ready and refrigerated (basil seeds, milk, vermicelli), so that everything can be assembled just before serving.
7. Take two glasses. Add rose syrup 2 tbsp in each.
8. Then add cooked vermicelli.
9. Slowly add chilled milk.
10. Then add soaked sabja.
11. Top it up with rabdi and a scoop of ice cream.
12. Serve immediately.
Gulkand Lassi
Gulkand lassi is a soothing and aromatic drink made with yogurt and Gulkand (rose petal jam). Instead of going for the ready made Gulkand, I prefer the home made one for its color and flavor.
Ingredients: (For two regular servings)
Yogurt - 2 cups
Rose petals- 1 cup (Red rose but not the hybrid one)
Sugar- 1/2 cup
Lemon juice -1/2 tsp
Rose water- 1 tsp
Ice cubes
Water
Instructions:
1. In a pan add the sugar and a table spoon of water. Cook on a low heat till the sugar dissolves.
2. Keep few rose petals for garnishing and finely chop the rest rose petals.
3. Cook the rose petals in sugar syrup for few minutes.
4. Switch off the heat and add lemon juice & rose water.
5. Rose water adds more flavor & fragrance and the lemon juices stops the crystallization process of jam.
6. Now the home made gulkand is ready.
7. Take the yogurt, gulkand, water and ice in a blender. Blend until smooth.
8. If you want you can strain it with a strainer.
9. Garnish with rose petals and then serve the chilled lassi.
(You can make gulkand in this method and store in freeze for more than a week and can use it whenever you want)
Bael Panna (Wood Apple Drink)
Bael panna or sharbat is another popular drink in summer for both its flavor and health benefits. This fruit is only available during this time of the year and is best known for keeping various stomach and intestinal problems at bay.
Ingredients: (For four regular glasses)
Wood apple -1 small size
Sugar -1 cup
Yogurt - 1 cup (optional)
Water - 2 glasses
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Instructions:
1. Break the wood apple and using a spoon scoop the pulp. Avoid the seeds. Keep this in a large bowl and pour a glass of water. Now mix with hand and squeeze the pulp.
2. Now strain this pulp using a soup strainer.
3. Now blend this pulp with all the other ingredients in a blender.
4. Serve Chilled.
Aam Panna (Raw Mango Drink)
Aam panna is another popular beverage to fight against the heat in Indian summer. In Odisha we get aam panna made of roasted green mangoes which prevents sun stroke. But it is little difficult to make the roasted one, so I am sharing another method of making aam panna that is also very good in taste as well as benefits.
Ingredients: (For four regular servings)
Green mango - 2 nos.
Mishri (crystallized sugar lumps) - 1 cup (Can use regular sugar also)
Salt -1/4 tsp
Rock salt-1/2 tsp
Mint leaves-1/2 cup
Roasted cumin powder-1 tspWater
Instructions:
1. First peel the mangoes and cut into pieces. Discard the seed.
2. Cook this mango pieces with the mishri and some water.
3. I cook this in pressure cooker for 5 minutes or till two whistles.
4. Once it comes to room temperature; shift it into blender along with all the other ingredients and blend it.
5. If one want to strain can strain it.
6. Serve chilled.
Kesar Badam Thandai
It is very famous north Indian drink. After winter especially it is made during Holi and then throughout summer. Many types of spices and nuts are used to make this recipe. A person who ever had it once can never forget its refreshing, cooling and aromatic flavors.
Ingredients: (For four small servings)
Honey - 1/2 cup (Can use sugar -1/2 cup)
Almonds - 8 to 10 nos.
Pistachios - 8 to 10 nos.
Cashew nuts - 8 to 10 nos.
Melon seeds – 2 tsp.
Poppy seeds-2 tsp
Poppy seeds-2 tsp
Whole peppercorn- 1 tsp
Fennel seeds- 1 tsp
Fennel seeds- 1 tsp
Green Cardamom - 8 nos.
Saffron strands - 6 to 8 nos.
Milk - 2 glasses
Instructions:
1. Soak all the ingredients in a cup of water for 2 to 3 hours in freeze. (except honey and milk)
2. Grind these ingredients into smooth paste.
3. Now strain it by using a soup strainer.
4. Mix it with milk and honey.
5. Serve chilled.
Kokum Sharbat
Kokum is a tropical evergreen tree (Garcinia indica) found in Western Ghats region of India. It resembles with small purple plum. The dried Kokum can be used trough out the year. Kokum sharbat is consumed in many part of the country in summer to counteract the heat.
Ingredients: (For four regular glasses)
Kokum -1 cup
Black salt - 1/2 tsp
Roasted cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Sugar -1 cup
Regular salt - 1/2 tsp
Water
Instructions:
1. Soak Kokum in hot water for 30 minutes.
2. Grind this into a smooth paste. (You may feel a little stickiness in your grinder pot)
3. Now strain it by using a soup strainer.
4. Mix all the ingredients and then it’s ready.
5. Serve Chilled.
So enjoy the remaining days of summer with some refreshing chilled home made beverages which will satisfy your taste buds and are good for health too. *smiles*
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