Virgin Mojito on the rocks | Refreshing Non-Alcoholic Mojito Mocktail

There is something instantly refreshing about a chilled glass of Mojito on a warm day. The combination of fresh mint, zesty lime, sparkling soda, and ice creates a drink that feels light, vibrant, and incredibly uplifting. Whether served during summer afternoons, family gatherings, festive celebrations, or simply as an evening refresher, Mojitos have a timeless appeal that never goes out of style.

Traditionally, Mojito (pronounced Mo-hee-to) is a classic Cuban highball cocktail prepared using white rum, sugar, lime juice, sparkling water, and mint leaves. Over the years, it has become one of the most loved refreshing beverages across the world.

Since I do not consume alcohol, I decided to make a refreshing non-alcoholic version that captures all the freshness and flavours of the original drink while being completely family-friendly and wonderfully rejuvenating.

This Mojito On The Rocks is cooling, invigorating, and perfect for hot weather. The fresh mint leaves release a beautiful aroma, the lime adds a citrusy brightness, while the sparkling soda gives the drink its lively fizz. Served over plenty of ice, this mocktail is pure refreshment in a glass.

And honestly, when drinks look this beautiful and taste this refreshing, one hardly misses the alcohol at all.

🍹 Mojito On The Rocks (Non-Alcoholic Mocktail)

Ingredients

Mint Leaves – 6 to 8 fresh leaves
Soda Water / Club Soda – ½ glass
Fresh Lime Juice – 2 tablespoons
Sugar – 2 teaspoons
Ice Cubes – As required
(For one glass of Mojito, you will need almost one full glass of ice)

Method

In a tall glass, add the fresh lime juice, sugar, and mint leaves.

Using the back of a spoon or a cocktail muddler, gently crush the mint leaves into the lime juice and sugar mixture. This helps release the natural oils and refreshing aroma from the mint while allowing the sugar to dissolve beautifully into the citrus juice.

Fill the glass generously with ice cubes, leaving a little room at the top.

Now slowly pour the chilled soda water over the ice and stir gently.

Garnish with extra mint leaves and a slice of lime.

Serve immediately on the rocks with a straw and enjoy this cool, sparkling refresher.

Mojito For A Family Of Four

Fresh Lime Juice – ½ cup
Sugar – 3 to 4 tablespoons
Fresh Mint Leaves – Around 30 leaves plus extra for garnish
Ice Cubes – 4 cups
Soda Water – 2 cups
Lime Slices – 4 for garnishing

A Few Refreshing Benefits Of This Mocktail

Mint is not just known for its cooling freshness but has traditionally been valued for several wellness benefits too. It is often associated with aiding digestion, helping ease nausea, soothing headaches, and providing a refreshing feeling during hot weather.

Lime adds Vitamin C and brightness to the drink, while sparkling soda gives the mocktail its festive and uplifting character.

A small little attempt at making indulgences feel just a bit more guiltless.

This refreshing non-alcoholic Mojito makes an excellent party drink for adults and children alike and is a wonderful alcohol-free alternative for celebrations and gatherings.

Enjoy this sparkling, minty cooler chilled and fresh.

Some information source inspiration courtesy: Wikipedia

#VirginMojito #MocktailRecipe #SummerDrinks #NonAlcoholicCocktail #RefreshingDrinks #MojitoOnTheRocks

ROYAL FALOODA & KULFI FALOODA - The Dessert of the Royals

ROYAL FALOODA & KULFI FALOODA - The Dessert of the Royals
Falooda was the dessert of the Royals, so it definitely is a special dessert and looks so beautiful with layers of different ingredients and topped with ice cream.
Falooda has been one of the expensive desserts on the menu in restaurants up until now.
Falooda is not only delicious but also healthy, it's cooling for the body and hence a summer special dessert.

History of Falooda
India was always a subject of interest for invaders due to its vast abundant lands endowed with riches, Indian food has various culinary influences as well. Falooda is a dessert which was brought in by the Mughals.
There's a story that the Mughal Emperor, Jehangir was a food connoisseur and would frequently challenge the royal chefs to come up with something different and thus was born the Falooda, a rich and royal dessert with Milk, cream, Vermicelli, nuts, jelly, fruit syrups. I believe this could be true because the Mughal's were very fond of the Rose flavour and also the falooda looks a lot like Phirni (Kheer) with a twist and certain infusions. I'm sure this is a dessert of the Royals hands down.

The popularity of the Falooda
Falooda is very popular in India and its neighbouring countries and in the middle eastern countries. 

Different countries have different variations like in some countries the Vermicelli is slightly thicker and in some they are fine. 

The most common flavor added to falooda is rose and this is done by adding the rose syrup. 

But newer permutations have evolved over the years with the rising popularity of the dessert.

A variant is the falooda kulfi, where falooda and kulfi are served together with syrup. 

Falooda Innovations
As the Falooda gained its popularity, Newer flavours came in, the most popular flavours of falooda include rose, kesar (saffron), Pistachio, mango, chocolate, and fig.
The vermicelli used in Falooda is often made from Arrowroot giving it a silkier and translucent texture than the vermicelli made from wheat. The colour is also whiter and blends easily with the flavours. Since it's not easy to get the Arrowroot vermicelli, I sometimes buy the Instant Falooda mix pack so I can stick to the original ingredients and taste. In my recipe here I have used the standard vermicelli available in the market.

Falooda in Mumbai
Falooda is one of the famous drinks cum dessert of India, and available in almost all restaurants in Bombay. 

During the fasting month of the Muslims, the Falooda is sold on streets outside mosques and areas populated by Muslims. 

It is believed that after breaking the fast with dates or salt, it is good to have something cool, that will cool the system before you eat. 

Eating heavily after observing a fast may cause acidity so usually drinks which are cooling to the system are had first. 

Falooda has rose and basil seeds both of which are very cooling to the system, hence it is a very popular drink.

Ingredients

Milk – 1 litre
Sugar – 5-6 tbsps
Dehydrated Vermicelli (Arrowroot or Wheat whichever is available) – 100 gms
Green cardamoms – 2-3
Basil seeds Takmalunga seeds (also called Tukmaria / Takmarya) – 2-3 tbsps
Pistachio – 1-2 tbsps
Almonds – 1-2 tbsps
Rose syrup – 3-4 tbsps
Jelly – 1 small packet
Ice cream – Any flavour of your choice. (Vanilla/strawberry flavors goes best with Royal Falooda)

Method
Falooda being a mix of various ingredients needs some preparation. 

Soak the basil seeds in water for half an hour.

Preparation of the Jelly 

First of all, Make the jelly using the instructions on the packet. Strawberry or Rasberry is my preferred flavor simply because the color is attractive, but I didn't get it so I used a Pineapple flavor here. You can use any flavor you like. 

You can use any brand of Jelly available in the market. Do check the ingredients, you get vegetarian Jellies and even Halal jellies in the market. 

Most jellies have Gelatin as the main ingredient which is from an animal source, so Vegetarians/Vegans and Halal Sensitive people must watch for the ingredients/contents on the pack.

Follow the instructions on the pack, it's usually very simple, Boil the water, add the packet of jelly and stir and then transfer to a jelly mold. Cool the jelly in a refrigerator. After a few hours, the jelly is ready.

Once set, cut them into neat cubes, as shown in the picture.

Take Milk in a pan, add sugar, Crush the Green cardamoms into a powder and add to the milk. Allow the milk to boil. Now add the dehydrated vermicelli and the basil seeds and allow it to cook in the milk. Once the vermicelli and the basil seeds are soft. Add the rose syrup and mix well and allow to boil for another minute or two. Remove the pan from the flame and allow it to come to room temperature. Then refrigerate this mixture.

Meanwhile, Cut the blanched almonds and Pistachio nuts into slivers for garnish. Keep aside.

Serving Instructions
In a tall glass, Add the refrigerated Rose Milk mixture, while pouring, scoop the vermicelli and basil seeds that must have settled down and pour into the glass first, then top it with the milk settled above. Remove the refrigerated jelly and cut it into slices Add a layer of this sliced jelly.
Place a scoop of your favourite ice cream on top. Vanilla, Strawberry, and Tuti Fruity flavored ice creams go best with the Royal Falooda. For other Flavors like Pistachio, you can use the pistachio ice cream topping. Garnish with nuts.
Add a straw to drink the milk and a long dessert spoon to enjoy the other ingredients. 

Indulge in this cool and royal treat.

Note: If you like it sweeter you can add more sugar.

KESAR KULFI FALOODA
Kesar Kulfi Falooda is a variation of the Falooda with a topping of Kulfi. As the times went by more and more innovations kept happening with the Falooda with some topping the Falooda with Ice cream and yet other’s with Kulfi (the Indian traditional Icecream). I personally prefer Kulfi more than Ice cream because it’s creamy and has a lot of nuts, cardamom etc and goes well with the flavours of the falooda.

KESAR KULFI 
Kulfi is an Indian ice cream. Kulfi is made from thickened and reduced milk flavoured with nuts or saffron and cardamom. It is very rich and creamy. It has lots of dry fruits in it and enhances the flavour of your falooda when used as a topping instead of ice cream. If your Falooda is topped with Kulfi instead of ice cream it becomes Kulfi Falooda, which is yet another beverage cum dessert delicacy for us to enjoy. Enjoy a desi drink topped with a desi ice cream.

Here is a recipe for Kesar Kulfi

Ingredients
Full Cream Milk – 2 litres
Sugar – 1 cup Sugar
Cardamom (elaichi) powder – 1 tsp
Saffron - a few strands
Arrowroot or Cornflour powder – 1 tbsp

Making the Kesar kulfi
Dissolve the saffron in 2 tbsp of warm milk and allow to soak for half an hour.
Take Milk in a pan, add sugar, cardamom powder and the soaked saffron along with the milk in which it is soaked. Allow the milk to boil.
Simmer on a low heat until the quantity reduces to about 1 litre.

Now mix the arrowroot or cornflour in a small bowl along with some milk, ensure there are no lumps, it should be a smooth mixture. Add this mixture to the boiling milk. Stir continuously and boil for a further 5-10 minutes, until the mix thickens like custard.

If it is too thin, add a little more cornflour dissolved in cold milk and cook for a further 5 minutes. Allow the mixture to come to room temperature.

Pour the mixture into Kulfi mould and keep in the deep freezer. Once the kulfi is set, it is ready for you to eat it just like that or you can top up your falooda with this Kulfi instead of ice-cream.

Making the kulfi takes time, so you can make it in advance and then store it for whenever you need it.


Tips

· In case you don't get the Sabja seeds, you can add chia seeds instead, the taste is not compromised.

· If you do not get the arrowroot vermicelli or the instant falooda packet, you can use the wheat vermicelli instead.


Variations

· You can make different flavours of the Falooda by adding the different syrups, example - for mango you can add mango pulp

· If you want you can skip jelly in the recipe as well.

· Similarly, for Kulfi, instead of kesar, if you add Pistachio, it becomes Pistachio kulfi. You can make a dry fruits kulfi, by adding different nuts etc.



This post was initially posted on 17th September 2007 and then revisited again with an additional recipe of the Kulfi Falooda on 20th May 2011

Aam Panna Recipe | Traditional Raw Mango Summer Drink | Indian Cooling Beverage

Aam Panna Recipe | Traditional Raw Mango Summer Drink | Indian Cooling Beverage

There are some drinks that instantly transport you back to childhood summers… and for me, Aam Panna is one of them.

Growing up in Mumbai, I remember my mother buying Aam Panna during the summer from a lady who used to run a small-scale business from home making syrups, sauces, squashes and jams. Bottles of homemade summer coolers would always find a place in our refrigerator during those hot Mumbai summers.

I remember drinking Aam Panna back then, though honestly, I was never very fond of it as a child, so I never really attempted making it myself. Over the years, I occasionally bought bottled Aam Panna concentrates from Mustafa in Singapore, but somehow I never quite liked those versions either. Most of the time, Yo (my dearest hubby) happily finished them off.

But recently, everything changed.

Last week, I happened to taste some freshly made homemade Aam Panna at a friend’s place, and from the very first spoon, I was completely sold.

It was refreshing, tangy, sweet, mildly spicy and absolutely delicious. A whole burst of flavours exploded in my mouth. I instantly realized that all the Aam Pannas I had tasted earlier probably never appealed to me because they weren’t fresh.

Fresh Aam Panna tastes absolutely amazing.

The freshness of raw mangoes combined with roasted cumin, black salt and that delicate sweet-sour balance creates something incredibly cooling and rejuvenating.

My friend was also telling me about the intense Delhi heat and the wonderful health benefits of drinking Aam Panna during peak summer. That was enough inspiration for me to immediately go in search of raw mangoes.

Since mango season was in full swing, finding them wasn’t difficult at all. One important tip I learnt was to always choose firm, green raw mangoes without soft spots. The tanginess of raw mangoes is what gives Aam Panna its signature refreshing flavour.

A quick search about the health benefits of Aam Panna made the drink even more fascinating to me.

Traditionally, Aam Panna is renowned in India for its heat-resistant properties. Made using raw green mangoes and spices, it is considered one of the best natural drinks to fight the harsh Indian summer heat.

Raw mangoes are naturally rich in pectin, Vitamin C and several essential nutrients. Aam Panna is believed to help prevent heat exhaustion and dehydration while replenishing the excessive loss of sodium chloride and iron caused by sweating during summer.

It is also traditionally considered beneficial for digestive health and gastro-intestinal disorders.

Raw mangoes are known to contain Vitamins B1 and B2 along with niacin, and due to their high Vitamin C content, they are also believed to help improve the elasticity of blood vessels and support the formation of new blood cells.

No wonder this humble drink has remained such a beloved Indian summer classic for generations.

The original recipe usually includes mint leaves, but honestly, I loved the pure flavour of the raw mangoes so much that I skipped the mint entirely in my version. If you enjoy mint, you can absolutely add it.

Here is how I made Aam Panna at home, and let me tell you, it was a huge hit.

Ingredients

Raw green mangoes – 3 medium-sized
Sugar – as per taste
Black Salt (Kala Namak) – 1½ tablespoons
Freshly roasted and ground cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder or chilli flakes – a pinch
Fresh mint leaves – a handful (optional)
Ice cubes – as required

Method

Peel the mangoes and cut them into large pieces.

Place them in a pressure cooker with enough water and cook for about 3–4 whistles until soft and tender.

Alternatively, you can microwave the raw mangoes with adequate water on high for about 10 minutes, or until softly cooked. Cooking time may vary depending on the microwave.

Allow the mangoes to cool completely.

Once cooled, squeeze out the pulp and discard the seeds.

Using a hand blender, lightly blend the pulp. Do not make it into a completely smooth puree. Allow some texture to remain for that lovely fresh and pulpy homemade feel.

Transfer the pulp into a large vessel.

Add sugar as per taste, black salt, freshly roasted cumin powder and a pinch of chilli flakes or chilli powder.

If you are adding mint leaves, you can blend them into the puree.
(I haven’t added mint leaves in my Aam Panna because I absolutely loved the flavour of the raw mangoes.)

Once you have mixed the sugar and spices, taste the concentrate and adjust anything if required.

Pour the prepared concentrate into clean bottles and store it in the refrigerator.

Whenever serving, add about 4–5 tablespoons of the concentrate into a tall glass and top it up with chilled water. Throw in a few ice cubes, garnish with mint leaves if desired, and enjoy a cool, refreshing and healthy summer drink.

Serving Suggestions

Serve chilled on hot summer afternoons for the ultimate refreshing experience.

Aam Panna pairs beautifully with:

• Indian summer meals
• Spicy chaats and snacks
• Parathas
• Evening gatherings
• Festive summer brunches

Variations

• Add jaggery instead of sugar for a deeper earthy flavour.
• Blend in fresh mint leaves for a classic North Indian-style Aam Panna.
• Add soda water for a fizzy twist.
• Add saffron strands for a festive touch.

Since Yo (my dearest husband) not only helped me buy and carry the raw mangoes home from the supermarket, but also patiently helped me peel, semi-blend and finally taste-test the Aam Panna with his big thumbs-up approval, he definitely deserves some credit for this post. 😊

Sukanya’s Musings proudly sends this refreshing summer cooler to:

🌿Priti’s His cooking event at Indian Khana

🌿Since Iam using Raw green Mangoes in this recipe I would like to send         Preeti’s Green Gourmet Event. featuring recipes with fresh green produce

🌿Since this is one of the best summer coolers I would like to send this to Divya’s “Show me your Smoothie” Event celebrating refreshing summer beverages

#AamPanna #RawMangoDrink #IndianSummerDrinks #SummerCooler #RawMangoRecipe #IndianBeverages #HomemadeDrinks #TraditionalRecipes #IndianFoodBlogger #RefreshingDrinks #HealthySummerDrinks #KairiPanha #SummerRecipes #MangoSeason #SukanyasMusings #IndianCuisine #CoolingDrinks #DrinkRecipes #DesiDrinks #FoodBlogger

MANGO MILKSHAKE FOR THE GRAND FINALE

GRAND FINALE

Some time in the month of July I came across the NaBloPoMo website. I found it very interesting that Eden Marriott Kennedy started NaBloPoMo in 2006 as some kind of a joke because she'd failed at the NaNoWriMo. She says in her blog that, “I decided that if I couldn't write a novel in thirty days, at the very least I could post on my blog every day for a month.”.

These were the very lines that inspired me to take on the NaBloPoMo challenge in July.

I started blogging everyday from the 15^th of July but I was not sure whether they would consider 15^th of July to 15^th of August a month. So I continued blogging in August. I thought I would be able to easily post on my blog everyday, but there was trouble in paradise…..

Both my girls were down for 2 weeks in August, and getting to my laptop was getting more and more difficult, but I didn’t want to give up…not yet.

I continued posting everyday. It was getting stressful for me to post everyday as my blog has 80% recipes so it was difficult to think, cook, click photos while nursing my 5 year old and 10 month old baby back to health. What kept me going was the thought that I had taken this as a challenge and I didn’t want to give any excuse, so I used to sit up until late into the night and type. I wouldn’t get up till I finished on my post.

I didn’t want to give up and by god’s grace I have come to the end of the challenge. I want to thank God to help me sail through all challenges in life. I then want to thank my kids, my husband and my maid without whose help and support all this wouldn’t have been possible and I want to thank you Eden for helping me and people like me take on challenges sitting in the comforts of their homes and make them believe in themselves and achieve the unachievable. To make people believe that when there is almost no limit to how far you can go in what you are doing. "The sky is the limit".

A big thanks to all my friends in Blogosphere who went through my posts everyday and encouraged me with their wonderful comments. Thanks girls, “You’ll kept me going I must say.”

And I must say this has been such a fulfilling challenge for me, so I want to end my challenge with an exotic drink and that is the thick Mango Milkshake. What better way to end it than to toast to this achievement with a drink made with the King of fruits – The mango.

MANGO MILKSHAKE

Ingredients

I used the tinned Mango pulp here

Mango Pulp (1 lb mango pulp) -1 tin

Milk - 5 cups

Sugar – 2-3 tbsps

Method

Put all the above ingredients in the blender. Blend until smooth.(As shown in the picture on your right, it is a close up of the texture of the Milkshake inside the blender.) Keep this refrigerated and serve chilled.

This is a thick milkshake, but if you don't want it too thick, you can add some water or some more milk to the milkshake while blending it

GINGER ALE

GINGER ALE

If you love ginger ale, try making your own at home. Homemade ginger syrup is mixed with club soda to make fresh ginger ale.

Ingredients

Peeled fresh ginger - 2 cups coarsely chopped,

3 strips lemon peel (about 4 inches each), yellow part only

1-1/2 cups (about) sugar

3 quarts chilled club soda

Ice cubes

Method

Place ginger, lemon peel, and 4 cups of water in a 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer at a low boil, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.

Add sugar, stirring constantly, and continue to boil until reduced to about 3 cups, another 15 minutes.

Place a fine wire strainer over a large bowl. Pour in ginger mixture to separate solids from liquid. Discard the lemon peel. The strained cooked ginger pieces may be reserved for other uses (good with vanilla ice cream or yogurt), if desired.

Cool the syrup, pour into a glass container, seal tightly, and chill at least 1 hour until cold or up to 1 week.

For each 16-ounce serving, mix 1/4 cup ginger syrup with 1 cup cold club soda and pour over ice.

Additional ginger syrup and/or sugar may be added to taste.

Can serve12 servings

MILO DINOSAUR

This is my entry for Srilekha’s Icecreams and Milkshakes Event

MILO DINOSAUR
This is my daughter’s favorite drink. Whenever we eat outside, she will make it a point to order this if it is on the menu. I am not sure if this drink is available anywhere else, I think this would be a Singapore special drink and may have originated here. The recipe is simple and kids adore this drink.
Ingredients
Milo – 1 ½ tbsp
Water – ¼ glass
Milk – ¾ glass
Sugar – 2 tsps (as required)
Icecream – 1 scoop (Preferably Vanilla or Chocolate)
Method
In the glass/tumbler that you are serving, Add 1 tbsp of Milo, 2tsps Sugar and ¼ glass of hot water and stir well, Top it with boiled milk, stir well, Check for sugar, if more sugar is required, add, stir and chill it in the refrigerator. When cool, use a hand blender to work up a froth. This increases the volume of the Milo and makes it look like Expresso Milo (just like Expresso Coffee).

Use a transparent glass/tumbler so that the kids can see how attractive the drink looks. Top it up with a scoop of icecream, Vanilla or Chocolate flavor icecream goes best with this drink and on top sprinkle the remaining ½ tbsp of Milo powder with a tea strainer.

Put in a straw and serve this deliciously refreshing and nutritious drink to your kids.

Strawberry Milkshake Recipe | Creamy Fresh Strawberry Milkshake at Home

  

If you love Strawberry milkshake and like to order for it whenever you go to a fast food joint, remember that they don’t use fresh strawberries, they use strawberry flavor which has loads of chemicals. It’s better to prepare fresh Strawberry Milkshake at home and get the benefits of eating Strawberry.

Strawberries have always been an expensive fruit. Seldom you see strawberries at a cheaper price, but when you do see them don’t miss it. That’s just what I did, bought some strawberries at a cheaper price and decided to indulge in some thick fresh Strawberry Milkshake topped with fresh Strawberry Ice cream. Delicious…..slurp!! slurp!!….

Ingredients

Strawberries – 10-12 Ripe berries
Milk – 4-5 glasses of Milk
Sugar – 4-5 tbsp
Ice cubes – 4-5
Strawberry Ice cream
The above measurements can make 4-5 tall glasses of Milkshake.

Method
While buying the strawberries, choose the ripe ones which have a deep red color, this will give your Milkshake a good color. De-stem the strawberries and Wash it well. In a mixie/blender, Blend the strawberries and sugar. The reason I used more sugar is because strawberries are sour, if you want you can reduce the measurement of sugar in the recipe and add later if required. Pour the Milk and add in the ice cubes into the blender, blend well, if required you can add some more sugar after tasting and run the blender. If you want your milkshake to be thick, add 2-3 scoops of strawberry ice cream and then run the blender for about a minute. All the ingredients must mix well and become one uniform mixture.
Pour the milkshake into a tall glass tumbler. Top it with fresh strawberry ice cream.
You can slit one strawberry and fix it to the top of the glass for decoration, don’t forget you need a straw and a spoon, the straw to savor your milkshake and the spoon to eat your ice cream. Serve chilled. Enjoy your Strawberry Milkshake.

💮Sharing The Joy

I Would like to send this post to WYF event which simply means "What's Your Favourite. The theme for July is Juices and Icecreams.

The event is hosted by Easycrafts

#StrawberryMilkshake #MilkshakeRecipe #SummerDrinks #StrawberryRecipes #HomemadeDrinks #SukanyasMusings

Strawberry Lassi Recipe | Refreshing Indian Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie

There’s something irresistibly refreshing about a tall glass of chilled Lassi on a warm day. Traditionally popular across North India, Lassi is one of those timeless yogurt-based drinks that instantly cools, refreshes, and comforts.

While the classic Sweet Lassi remains a favourite, fruit-based variations have slowly become popular over the years, adding their own vibrant flavours and colours to this humble drink.

One such delicious variation is the Strawberry Lassi, creamy, fruity, mildly tangy, and absolutely refreshing.

I happened to spot some beautiful ripe strawberries on sale and simply couldn’t resist bringing them home. Their deep ruby-red colour and sweet aroma instantly inspired me to make this lovely Strawberry Lassi.

The combination of fresh strawberries and thick yogurt works beautifully together, creating a drink that feels both indulgent and nourishing at the same time.

Strawberries are rich in Vitamin C, fibre, potassium, folate, and antioxidants, making this drink not only delicious but also wonderfully refreshing and wholesome.

The best part?

It comes together in minutes.

Strawberry Lassi

(A Refreshing Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie)

Ingredients

Strawberries – 10 to 12 ripe berries

Thick Yogurt – 4 cups

Milk – 1 cup

Sugar – 5 to 6 tbsp

Ice cubes – 4 to 5

The above measurements yield about 4 to 5 tall glasses of Lassi.

Method

While buying strawberries, always choose ripe berries with a deep red colour, as they naturally give the Lassi its beautiful pink hue and sweeter flavour.

Wash the strawberries thoroughly, remove the stems, and keep them ready.

In a blender, add the strawberries and sugar first and blend into a smooth puree. I have used slightly more sugar in this recipe because strawberries can sometimes be mildly tart, and yogurt too may carry a slight sourness depending on its freshness. You may adjust the sugar according to your taste.

Next, add the thick yogurt, milk, and ice cubes into the blender. Blend again until the mixture turns smooth, creamy, and frothy.

If required, add a little water to adjust the consistency. The Lassi should be thick yet pourable.

Pour into tall glasses, top with a few extra ice cubes if desired, and serve chilled.

Creamy, fruity, and wonderfully refreshing, this Strawberry Lassi is perfect for warm afternoons, summer brunches, or simply when you want something deliciously cooling and comforting.

Enjoy every sip!

#StrawberryLassi #LassiRecipe #IndianDrinks #YogurtSmoothie #SummerDrinks #StrawberryRecipes #SukanyasMusings

JIGAR THANDA

JIL JIL JIGAR THANDA
“Jigar thanda”, literally means cooling the heart. Jigar thanda is a very popular cool drink in the south of India. The drink said to have been one of the favorites during the Moghul era and is still popular in northern India. Jigar thanda is also considered an ideal drink after long periods of fast. The Jigar thanda is usually consumed during the Ramzan fasting, the muslims break their fast by consuming a glass of Jigar thanda. This drink mainly contains milk, jelly(made of China grass),“nannari” and sweeteners.

Cold milk is known to be a remedy for acidity,

China grass is very healthy also,

(Read about China grass/ Agar Agar also known as Kadal Paasi in Tamil in the Desserts section of my blog under Agar Agar Jelly)

Nannari (Sarasaparilla, Anantmool, anantamool) is a natural coolant, the roots of this herb have the medicinal property of protecting human beings from common summer ailments and ironically enough it grows in cool places.

Please refer to the below link for more information on Sarasaparilla

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarsaparilla

“Jigar thanda” is said to be good for stomach and oral ulcers. The drink is not just rejuvenating, but can also can fight stress and weakness, especially if wolfed down after a hard day's work. Madurai is famous for its carts selling Jil Jil Jigarthanda on the streets.

JIGAR THANDA RECIPE
Ingredients
Milk – 5 cups
China Grass (Agar Agar) – 5 gms
Sugar – 1 cup (you can add less sugar if you please) or alternatively u can add half a tin of milkmaid this will reduce the cooking time of the milk and give it the faint pink color soon.
Nannari – 1 tbsp (Available in syrup form in Ayurvedic shops) / Rose syrup - 1 tbsp
Ice cream – 1 scoop for one glass,
Sago((javarishi / sabudana) – 1 small cup soaked in water for 2-3 hours

Method
Boil the milk in a saucepan, till it turns slightly pink. Incase you are using milkmaid then check for sugar , if u need more sweet u can add sugar as per your desire and stir until it dissolves and when the mik turns slightly pink, switch off the gas. Allow it to come to room temperature and then refrigerate it.
Take some hot milk (from the milk we boiled with sugar/ milkmaid) from the saucepan and add in another vessel, Add the sago to this milk and cook till the sago becomes transparent. Switch off the gas. Keep this separately. Refrigerate this.
Prepare the Agar Agar Jelly (Click on the link, Refer to the recipe of Agar Agar Jelly in the Desserts section of my blog) and keep the cubes ready accordingly.

Serving Instructions
Take a tall glass tumbler, pour one ladle of the cool milk with the sago, ensuring that there is enough sago at the bottom of your glass. Add 1 tablespoon of the Agar Agar (China Grass) jelly that u have cut into cubes and kept. Add the nannari syrup, if nannari is not available u can add also add rose syrup which is commonly available, Rose is also known for its cooling properties if consumed. Now pour the boiled cool milk on top of all this leaving just quarter of a space in the tumbler. Top it up with a scoop of ice cream.

To add a special touch to your jigar thanda add a tablespoon of Theretti pal or Paal Khoa (Refer to the Microwave cooking section of my blog for the recipe)

MATTHA (Spiced Buttermilk from Maharashtra)

MATTHA
Mattha is a spiced buttermilk, this is again another Maharashtrian speciality. The main ingredient of the Mattha is buttermilk. People who save the cream obtained from milk, usually churn the cream to obtain butter, once the butter is scooped out, what remains is the buttermilk, this buttermilk has a unique taste and is not liked by some people, but it is very nutritious, So, spices are added to this buttermilk and lo and behold it becomes the Matttha. The Mattha is generally served before or after a meal, though it can also be had with the meal, and it is thought to help with digestion. It is very good for soothing an upset stomach because it has lactobacilli and it is lower in fat than yoghurt. The Mattha acts as a coolant for the body. It is good to have after a heavy meal, a wedding feast or in hot summer days, to cool your system and help with digestion.

For those who don’t save cream and make butter at home. We can still have mattha by mixing yogurt with water and the spices. Here is the recipe of the Mattha. I have had Mattha in my house which we call as “Kadanja Mor”(Churned Buttermilk) down south. But I got to taste the authentic Maharashtrian Mattha in Pune, thanks to my husband, it was served in earthern mugs, cool and oh so delicious!!!! Here is the recipe for all of you to enjoy.

Ingredients
Low fat Yogurt – 250 ml
Water – 250 ml
Green chillies – 2-3
Ginger – a small piece
Mint – 4-5 leaves
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Coriander leaves – ¼ cup
Salt as per taste
Sugar – ½ tsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp (preferably use freshly roasted and powdered cumin)
Asafetida – a pinch
Chaat Masala – ½ tsp

Method
Finely chop the green chillies, coriander leaves and mint leaves. Keep aside. Finely grate the ginger. In a jug, blend the yogurt and water. Add the finely chopped, green chillies, coriander leaves and mint leaves, break some curry leaves into 2, for the essence to enter into the Mattha and some you can add as a whole. Add the finely grated ginger. Now add salt, sugar, asafetida, Freshly, roasted and powdered cumin powder and chaat masala. Mix everything well with a hand churner or a big spoon. Taste the Mattha, if anything needs to be added, add it and refrigerate it. It tastes better if kept for a while as all the spice enters into the Mattha and enhances the taste
Serve cool. If you want to serve immediately to the guests, you can add icecubes and serve chilled. It would be ideal to make and serve the Mattha in earthernware.
Cool down with Mattha.

MANGO LASSI (A Mango Yogurt Smoothie)

MANGO LASSI (A Mango Yogurt Smoothie)
Mango lassi though an Indian beverage is extremely popular among the westerners. Most westerners when they go to an Indian restaurant order for a Mango Lassi. Since Mango lassi is not so easily available in the Bombay restaurants, I got to taste it when I moved to Singapore. Its one of the best Beverages to have, so yummy and so nutritious.

Ingredients
Thick Yogurt – 4 cups
Mango pulp – 1 cup
Sugar - 4 tsp
Ice cubes – 4-5

Method
Try to use the Indian Alphonso Mango pulp which has better color and flavor. In a mixie/blender, Pour the Thick yogurt, Mango pulp, Sugar and add in the ice cubes. Since the pulp usually has some sugar, you can go easy on the sugar, if required you can add some more sugar and run the blender. Run the blender for about 1 minute. Till all the ingredients mix well and become one uniform mixture. Add water to dilute the thickness, the lassi should be in pouring consistency. Pour into a tall glass tumbler. Add some ice cubes. Serve chilled. Enjoy this rich beverage which is not only nutritious but also a treat to your taste buds.