Plum Lemonade ~ Refreshing Drink

To creat a refreshing summer beverage, ripe plum has been combined with freshly sqeeze lemon juice. I looked this recipe on plums from Chef In You. I tired the venture on plum in this season for the first time. The plum blended with sugar and ginger powder. Then I have added lime juice with this. after adding this lime juice it produces an amazing cooling fruit juice.

Ingredients :

Plum - 10 pcs, ripe, halved and pitted
Sugar - 2 tsp
Ginger powder - 1/2 tsp
Lime - 3-4 
Water - 4-5 cups
Ice cube & mint leave spring to serve

Method :

Halved and pitted the ripe plum.

Take the pitted plum in a blender and add little water. Grind them smooth puree.

Strain the juice in a bowl.

Now add lemon juice and enough water according to the required consistency. Mix it well.

Garnishing with fresh mint, lime slice and serve over ice cubed.

Sending this to Guru's "Giveaway Summer'13 Drink & Dessert", Recipe Junction's "Spotlight : Summer Fruits" and Nivedhanam's "Kid's Delight : Sweet Treat"

Aam Panna (Raw Mango Refreshing Cooler)

Aam panna is a very healthy tangy summer cooler made with raw mango pulp and spices like roasted cumin seeds and rock salt which gives you great aroma to it. Pulp of raw mango usually extracted after the whole mango which gives wonderful smoky flavor to the drink. It is a very easy prepared perfect drink to beat the heat in summer.

Ingredients :

Mango - 3, medium
Sugar as per taste
Roasted cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Rock salt - 1 tsp

Method :

Roasted the whole green mango and cool it completely. Now peel off the skin and squeeze out the pulp from the seeds in a bowl.

Add mango pulp, 1/2 cup chilled water, sugar, rock salt, roasted cumin powder in a blender and blend it. 

Take it in a glass and add ice cube or crushed ice & Serve chilled.

Sending this to Indrani's "Spotlight : Summer Fruit" event, Guru's cooking giveaway Summer'13 Drinks & Desserts, Foodelicious's "Only chilled or frozen dessert" event

Holi Special ~ Thandai

Thandai is a wonderful cold refreshing and healthy flavored milk that is traditionally prepared during the Holi festival. Thandai is  made especially when the hot, dry summer winds blow through the region leaving everything and everybody parched. This thirst-quencher is tasty and cooling. The festival of Holi is never complete without the regular dose of different variants of thandai. Thandai is a mixture of almond, fennel seeds, melon seeds, cardamom, saffron, poppy seeds, rose water, pepper, milk and sugar.

Ingredients : 

Almonds- 1/4 cup
Blanched Melon Seeds - 1 tbsp.
Soaked Poppy Seeds (Khus Khus) – 2 tbsp
Whole Fat Milk – 500 ml.
Peppercorns – 3
Fennel Seeds (Saunf) – ½ tsp
Cardamom (Elaichi) - 2
Sugar – 150 gm.
Rose water – 1 tsp
Saffron Strands -Few
Method :

Heat the milk ,then add sugar.  Stir it till sugar dissolves completely and remove from flame. Add Saffron Strands.  Allow the milk to cool to room temperature.

Blend almonds, cashew nuts, melon seeds, soaked poppy seeds to a smooth paste.

Grind the fennel seeds, pepper corns and cardamom into fine powder. Add the powder ,paste to the boiled milk, mix well.

Let it refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours to 6 hours.

Strain the drink, add rose water and mix.

Lip Smacking Thandai is ready......

Sending this to sizzling Tastebud's "Summer Splash" event

Minty Watermelon Twist

Watermelon is one of the summer’s biggest treats. It’s perfect all by itself, but it also is makes for a refreshing base for summer cocktails. A refreshing watermelon cocktail made with fresh watermelon juice, lime juice and mint leaves. 

Ingredients :

Watermelon - 1/2 medium,seedless watermelon, rind removed, flesh cut into chunks

Lime juice - 1/2 cup

Mint leaves - 4

Sugar - 2 tbsp (optional)

Lemon wedge and mint leaves for garnishing

Method :

Squeeze lemons into a large pot add mint and sugar, mash with a spoon until mint leaves are well mashed and sugar is dissolved.

In a blender, puree watermelon in batches until smooth. Pour lemon juice it in. Stir to combine. 

Serve cold and garnish with lemon wedge and minty leaves.

Sending this to Viji's "HOW YOUR STYLES TO THE WORLD SERIES - 2" event

Kiwi - Orange Smoothie

This is a Nutritional Powerhouse Smoothie! Kiwi is good for the digestive & Immune systems, & the skin.Oranges provide a good source of fiber, protection from infection & cancer.

Ingredients :

Kiwi fruit - 5
Fresh orange juice - 1 cup
Mint leaves - 5 to 6
Honey as required

Method :

Simmply slice off each end of the kiwi, and then using a knife just peel all the skin then slice them horizontally.

Place into the blender with fresh squeezed orange juice and blend together.

Garnish with a slice of kiwi and mint leave.

Mango Lassi

       In fact Mango lassi is one of the most popular beverages in Northern India. It is also a favorite at Indian restaurants.
          Mango Lassi is a delicious combination of mangoes and yogurt that is cool...The mango lassi drink is a cross between a smoothie and a milk shake and is smooth, creamy, and absolutely heavenly! This drink is such a refreshing drink to have on a hot summer day.

Ingredients :

Fresh mango pulp ~ 2 cup
Yogurt ~ 1 cup
Milk ~ 1/2 cup
Honey or sugar ~ 1 or 2 tbsp
Crushed Ice cubed ~3 cups, use as needed

Mint leaves and chopped cashew for garnishing

Method :

Wash and peel the mango and cut into pieces.(If you don't have fresh mangoes, substitude it with canned mango pulp)

Blend the mangoes, yogurt, milk and 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Adjust sugar according to taste.  Sugar amount will depend on the sweetness or sourness of the mango and yogurt.

Add crushed ice cubed and blend until it becomes smooth in consistency.

Pour into glasses and garnish with chopped cashew and mint leaf.



Sending this to Akila's "Dish name start with M" and Denny's "Serve It” Series – Serve It :Blended" event

Mango Juice (Aamras)

Mango , which is called  “ King of Fruits “  is not only a delicious fruit, but holds a great degree of nutritional value. It has a unique flavor, fragrance, taste and health.!
         
        Summer is the only season one can relish fresh homemade ripe mango juice. Aamras / Mango juice is a quick , easy drink recipe. This is prepared with ripe mango slices, ice crushes and sweetener of choice. Fresh Fruit juice has always a reason for having it due to its ability of reliving our body. It is better preparing it at home than buying outside drinks.This is my way of making Mango Juice.

Ingredients :

Ripe Mango - 2
Milk - 1 cup
Honey/sugar - 1 tbsp (more or less to taste)
Crushed Ice - little

Method :

Peel and chop ripe mango into pieces, place in blender with crushed ice, water and sugar OR honey . Blend to a smooth consistency.

Pour into glasses and serve chilled....

Sending this to Indrani's "Spotlight :  Summer Cooler" event, The Pumpkin farm's "Mango Mania 99" event, Srav's "Splash into Summer" event, Divya's "SHOWCASE- Fun in the Sun" event, Anu's "Only Mango" event,
Jyoti's "Cool Summer Sips " event and Preeti's "Jump' N Jive @ Icypritz" event



Watermelon Juice

watermelon juice is the best way to beat the summer heat.  The sweetness, fleshy texture and juicy pulp of watermelons make them a hot favorite for dessert and salad dishes. Watermelons contain more water and less sugar or sodium, besides being excellent sources of vitamins.

Ingredients ~

Watermelon - 1 cup (Remove the skin and chop it)
Mint leaves - 5-6
Sugar to taste
Lime juice - 2 tbsp
Ice cubes - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup

Method ~

Peel the water melon skin & remove the seeds within it.

Cut and keep the pieces in the mixier. Add sugar, mint leaves and lime juice, blend it.

Filter the juice and serve it cool.

Sending this recipe Nupur's "Kids Delight ~~ Fruits" event, Tomato Blue's "Summer Spirits" event, Preeti's "Jump' N Jive @ Icypritz" event