Play it cool in this summer

Play it cool in this summer

As the summer beats down heavily, fix yourself a cool drink at home. Although a variety of readymade juices and fruit crushes are available in the market, it is always better to prepare one at home, devoid of additives and preservatives. Chilled lassi and buttermilk prepared using low-fat curd are also healthy summer drinks, next only to water. They are easily digestible than whole milk, and protein as well as calcium can be absorbed more easily by the body.

Here are a few recipes of drinks to keep yourself cool this summer.

Ice Tea

Ingredients

• 2-inch piece of cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• 1 green cardamom
• 5 tsp tea leaves
• 7-8 tsp sugar (adjust as per taste)
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 3-4 tsp lemon juice
• 5 cups of water
• A few fresh mint leaves

Method

Boil five cups of water with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Simmer for a few minutes. Add sugar, tea leaves and stir to mix well. Remove from fire. Add fresh mint leaves. Strain and set aside to cool. Stir in lemon juice and place in the refrigerator to cool. To serve, pour the chilled tea in tall serving glasses, put some ice cubes and garnish with mint leaves.

Pink Delight

Ingredients

• 6 cups chopped water melon
• 4 scoops strawberry ice cream
• 3-4 tsp strawberry syrup
• A few ice cubes crushed
• Sugar to taste

Method

Put chopped water melon along with the seeds and blend to a puree. Strain to get the juice. Now put the juice, ice cream, strawberry syrup, sugar, and crushed ice together and blend. Pour the drink into serving glasses. Drop a few ice cubes and garnish as per your liking. Serve immediately.

Nimbu Jaljeera

Ingredients

• 1.5 tbsp jaljeera powder
• 2 tsp roasted cumin seeds powder
• 2 tsp black salt
• 6 tsp lemon juice
• 5 tsp powdered sugar (adjust as per taste)
• Quarter cup mint leaves
• 2 tsp chopped coriander leaves
• Half-inch-piece ginger, chopped
• 5 cups of water
• A few ice cubes
• A few lemon wedges

Method

Grind mint, ginger, and coriander to a paste with a little water. Now mix this paste with cumin seeds powder, jaljeera, black salt, sugar and lemon juice. Add five cups of chilled water and blend all the ingredients. Pour into tall serving glasses, serve with ice cubes and decorate with lemon wedges.

Spicy Butter Milk

Ingredients

• 1 cup chilled curd
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• Half tsp black salt
• 1 tsp ginger juice
• A few curry leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds powder
• Three-quarter tsp chaat masala
• 2 cups of water
• Salt to taste

Method

Combine green chillies, coriander, ginger juice, chopped curry leaves with a little water and blend in a mixer. Add curd and water to the prepared mixture and blend till smooth. Add chaat masala, roasted cumin seeds powder, black salt, salt and mix well. Keep this in refrigerator to chill. Serve chilled, garnished with roasted curry leaves.