Chais and Fries Pakora recipes for the monsoons

Chai and Pakoras, the perfect monsoon comfort food? Image courtesy Soam Restaurant Babulnath

Yaaayyyy It rained! I was waiting to post this to celebrate the first shower of the monsoons.

Oh, I know that soon we will soon tire of the rains and crib about those days of damp when clothes don't dry, hair is damp and even the air is damp! (and redolent with the moldy smell of wildlife flourishing in sun deprived corners...). But monsoons in Mumbai bring their own magic.

Life as we know it is affected, the rush-rush-rush, run-run-run and stop-to-breathe-only-on-Sunday often comes to a standstill as the railway system that connects the city ---- comes to halt. Everywhere there is an air of resolution, "we cannot change it so let us make the best of it..." Slum dwellers will matter-of-factly elevate all their possessions from floor level as they leave for work in anticipation of flooding. Housewives will tuck in their saris and prepare for days when there will be no maids/vegetables/electricity or sometimes all of those together and make arrangements for the comfort of their families through the season. A season of unexpected guests knocking at your door dripping wet, stranded by rain. A season of budgets going out of the window (have to take a cab/ fix that leaking ceiling...)

But look on the bright side lucky people who have not left for work settle down to enjoy a sudden guilt free holidays with their families. Ever so often one will see urchins cavorting in the rain or a paper boat sailing by. Barriers will come down as people are forced to accept a helping hand from total strangers. And romance (like in the movies) wwill flourish under unbrellas all over.

The monsoons in Mumbai bring out the best and the worst in its citizens (cabbies that play on the misfortunes of commuters and double their fares). But .... Yeh mumbai hai ... (That’s Mumbai) and I would not want to be anywhere else.  And if all else fails, there are still Pakoras!

 

Something about the word fritters is there that does not do justice to Pakoras. "fritters' brings to mind insipid UFOs (Unidentifiable fried objects) whereas say "pakoras" and it brings to mind chunky, crispy, spicy .... I could go on and on .... But I have to go make some Pakoras, because my husband is home early from work thanks to the lure of Pakoras and Chai.

Some of my all time favourite Pakora recipes....

All the ingredients for Pakoras - the spiced batter, sliced onions, potatoes, and palak leaves

Dip the veges in the batter and drop them into hot oil.

Some Potatoes and some cauliflower go in.

Let them fry!

Remove as they are done.

Transfer to plate

Dip Palak, (spinach) leaves in batter and add to oil.

let them fry!

Here is the recipe for the simple Pakora (Recommended tea match Masala Chai)

Serves: 4; Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

500 ml oil for deep frying

1/2 kg gram flour

1 c each onions, sliced, potato sliced, cauliflower florets

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. red chili powder

1 tsp. whole coriander

2 green chilies, fresh (chopped)

2 tsp. chopped coriander leaves

1 tsp. chopped mint leaves

Some water for making paste

 

Method:

In a bowl placed all the ingredients (except the oil for frying  and sliced vegetables) add some water and mix to a smooth paste. Dip sliced of vegetables into batter and drop into hot into oil, cook till golden brown and risen to top. Drain on tissue paper and serve hot with ketchup or chutney.

Kand Pattice at Soam

Vatana Patice (Potato casing stuffed with spicy pea filling) at Soam

Mixed greens Pakoras

Mixed greens pakoras (recommended tea match Suleimani Chai)

1/4 bunch Spinach (Finely Chopped)
1/4 bunch Dill (Finely Chopped)
1/4 bunch Methi(Finely Chopped)
1/4 bunch Spinach (Finely Chopped)
1 green onion (Finely Chopped)
6 stms green garlic (chopped)
1/2 cup Gram Flour (besan)
1 tsp.fresh turmeric grated
1 tsp.green chilli paste
1 tsp. salt.
1/2 tsp Sugar.
Oil for frying

Method:

Mix thoroughly all the chopped greens and spices, besan, salt and sugar in a bowl. Leave for a few minutes so the salt and sugar draw out the moisture from the vegetables. The batter should be thick and sticky so if required add 1 or two tablespoon of water but avoid adding excess water. Heat oil in a deep pan. Shape small dumpling with fingers or a spoon and drop  in  hot oil. Deep fry them until golden brown in medium flame. Serve with a Spicy tomato Salsa (this will make them colorfull and the tomato will help the body absorb the nutrition of the greens.) Drain out excess oil and keep it in a tissue paperin order  to soak the excess oil.

Andhra style Pakoras

Surprise stuffed Arancini

Surprise stuffed Arancini (Serves 8; Time 40 mins) This is my spicy, surprising take on a Sicilian Italian classic. In it I us a spicy pepperoni or even a chorizo in place of traditional ham. Ingredients For the arancini 1 box Arborio rice, cooked 1 c white onion, finely chopped 1 c mozzarella cheese, grated 1 c fire spice cheese, grated 1/2 c parmiggiano reggiano cheese, grated 1/2 c Italian pork spicy pepperon, finely chopped For the egg mixture 3 eggs 1/4 cup milk For the coating Flour to coat 1 pkt panko bread crumbs Directions Mix all arancini ingredients in a large bowl and divide into hand rolled even round balls. Roll each ball in flour, and then dip into egg mixture. Then roll each ball in panko, coating evenly. Fry until golden brown. Serve.

Rajashree Bhabhis Rice Pakoras

Rajashree Bhabhis Rice Pakoras Serves: 4; Time: 30 minutes

This is a recipe I picked up from my bhabhi Rajashree Dave Ghildiyal. It is a great way to use up leftover rice...

Ingredients

1 cup cooked leftover Rice

Jeera

Salt

Red chili powder

Garam masala

1-1/3 cup chana flour (besan) mix with 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/3 cup rava (fine)

1-2 chillies finely chopped

1 onion (finely chopped)

Oil for frying

To make, sprinkle little water on the rice and heat it through in the microwave. Cool. When rice has cooled add the yogurt and leave to soak up for 30 mins. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, shape into balls and deep fry. Serve with Green Chutney.  

Felafels and Hummus

Mamak Rojak

Mamak Rojak
I had the good fortune of tasting this addictive, don’t-stop-till-you’ve-licked-the-plate –clean dish with Dr. Seetoh, owner of Makansutra food website and ambassador of Singaporean cuisine. Rojak is a Malaysian term for “mixture”  and there are two kinds of Rojak, a fruit Rojak that is like a spicy peanut flavoured fruit and vegetable chaat and Mamak Rojak which is a popular  street snack that fuses Malay and Indian culinary influences. Also called Indian Rojak, this dish is made by Indian Muslims in Malaysia and Singapore and is a spicy hot mixture of fried things such as vegetables, tempeh, seafood, sausages, topped with hot chillies and served with a signature sauce or gravy that is made with sweet potato.

Ingredients
100g small prawns
100 g sausages
4 eggs
3 potatoes boiled with skins
1 tsp ground chilli paste
1/2 tsp salt
Oil for deep-frying

For Garnishing
1 cucumber, shredded
150g bean sprouts, scalded
Hard fritters
For the batter
1 1/3 cups plain flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chicken stock
1/2 tsp of pepper
1/2 cup water
1 egg
For the Fritters
1 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
120ml water
1 green chilli, chopped
1/2 an onion, chopped

For the Sauce
450g sweet potatoes
5 cups water
4 tbsp oil
1 ½ tbsp tamarind juice in water
100g sugar Salt to taste
6 shallots, pounded finely
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp chilli paste
1 tsp Chicken stock
100g toasted peanuts, pounded
1 tsp salt
A little dark soya sauce (for colour)

Method
Peel potatoes, toss with ground chilli paste and salt and then deep-fry. Cut each into wedges. Quarter the hardboiled eggs.
To make battered prawns and sausages, combine all of the ingredients except the egg, in a bowl and adding water gradually, mix them into a smooth paste. Set aside for 40 - 50 minutes. Just before using the batter add the egg and stir well till smooth. Dip prawns and sausages in and deep-fry in hot oil until golden and crispy. Cut to bite size. 

To make the fritters, combine flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and water in a bowl. Mix well and reserve covered for 30-40 minutes. Just before frying add in the chopped onion and chillies. Shape into a cylinders using flour to keep hands dry if dough is sticky and deep-fry the fritters in oil until golden brown. Cut each fritter into 4-5 bit sized pieces.

To make the sauce, boil the sweet potatoes then blend in batches with half the water. Heat oil in a saucepan and add the shallot, garlic and chilli pastes and the chicken stock. Add the sweet potato puree and the remaining water and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the tamarind juice, palm sugar and salt. Keep flame low and stir continuously for 2-3 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Add the peanuts and a few drops of dark soy sauce for colour.

To serve, arrange all the ingredients in a platter, top up with the chillies and onion and either pour over the sauce or serve on the side.

My friend Kim’s (of the blog Jhovaan)_ Prawn Bajjes (Pakodas/Fritters) Serves 3 hungry people, Makes about 40 pakodas, Time 30 mins

This was Kim’s prize winning entry for a Pakora recipe contest I had on my blog a few years ago. Kim sent it in with the note “Coming from a Coastal town, Prawn bajjes were an evening treat we relished.” I loved them from the moment I tested the recipe, and they quickly became a regular on the Ghildiyal family menu. Aman can go through a whole batch of these in one sitting!

Ingredients:

500gms shelled prawns (any size) cleaned & deveined

1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

half a lemon (or 1 teaspoon vinegar)

1 medium size onion

4-5 green chillies

10-14 sprigs corriander (cilantro) leaves

250gms besan (chickpea flour) - moderate the quantity as needed.

1 tsp finely chopped ginger (or 1/2 tsp ginger paste)

pinch of soda bicarbonate

salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Clean and devein the prawns thoroughly. Coat them with the turmeric powder and juice from half a lemon and keep for a while. This helps get rid of the strong fishy smell. Add some salt to the prawns to flavour them. Finely chop the onions, chillies, ginger and coriander leaves. You can use less or more chillies depending on your love for spice. Mix all these chopped ingredients into the prawns and mix well. Slowly add spoons of besan to the prawn mixture and moderate the water to get a batter of dropping consistency. Add a pinch of soda bicarb to give the pakodas a bit of crispness. You can add some salt at this stage too, in case you haven't added too much salt to the prawns. Heat oil in a pan (at least 1 inch of oil in the pan). Since the oil is going to be constantly heated at a high temperature, use an oil which does not go bad on long exposure to high heat. Corn oil or sunflower oil are good options. Form the mixture into balls with your hand. (For those not familiar with this Indian technique, you can use the 2 spoons technique used for choux pastry: Take a tablespoon of the mixture, and using another tablespoons, spoon it from one to the other to tighten the ingredients and drop it in the hot oil). Fry them for a minute or so before turning them over. Fry on the other side for a minute so till they turn deep brown. Take them out of the pan with a slotted spoon and drain them. Serve hot with a spicy and sour green chutney.

Tip: Sometimes there may be a bit of batter and chopped non-prawn stuff left in your vessel. Cut a slice of bread diagonally in half. Dip the bread into that batter and deep fry in the same oil.

Icli Kofte (recommended tea pairing Turkish (Cay) or Tea or Oregano tea)

Ingedients 700 g minced meat 300 g fine bulgur (cracked wheat) or Daliya Salt and pepper to taste 1 egg 50 g crushed walnuts 1 tsp cumin 20 g pine nuts 1 tsp cayenne pepper 20 g currants 1 bunch parsley 3 onions 20 grams margarine 220 grams vegetable oil

Method:

Boil bulgur in plenty of water until soft. Drain and set aside. Melt margarine and lightly brown chopped onions and pine nuts. Add 350 grams of meat and saute until juices evaporate. Remove from heat. Add pepper, salt, cumin, crushed walnuts, currants and chopped parsley. Mix. In a large bowl, combine the remainder of meat with the bulgur. Add cayenne pepper and egg. Mix and knead well. Take a large walnut sized piece of mixture and roll into a ball. With index finger, make a hole and push the inside, making a large cavity. Stuff the cavity with the meat mixture,press hole with fingers to close. Lightly press meatball in palm of hand to shape like an egg. Repeat procedure, making as many meatballs as possible. Add meatballs to salted boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. Remove and drain on absorbent paper. Heat oil in frying pan and lightly fry meatballs until golden brown. Drain and serve.

Japanese Tempura (recommended tea match Japanese Sencha from Chado tea)

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 cup ice water

1 cup all purpose flour

Vegetable oil to deep fry

Assorted vegetables cut into batons and/or seafood like shrimp or prawns

Method:

Beat an egg in a bowl. Add ice water in the bowl. Be sure to use very cold water. Add sifted flour in the bowl and mix lightly. Be careful not to over mix the batter. Heat oil in a wok. Lightly dip the vegetables/seafood in the batter and deep fry immediately till crisp. Drain on kitchen towel. Serve hot with salt or a light dipping sauce.

Silken Tofu Fritters (Recommended tea match – Japanese tea from Chado)

Ingredients:
1 block Silken tofu
Mix of plain flour and cornflour in the ratio of 1:1
Sichuan Pepper & Salt
Oil to fry
Spring onion leaves

Method:
Drain tofu and wash well. Cut into cubes and coat with flour. Meanwhile heat oil in a pan. Deep fry Tofu chunks untill golden brown. Remove and drain on paper. Sprinkle with crushed Sichuan pepper and salt. Garnish with spring onion leaves.

For Dipping sauce – Combine Soya sauce, Plim sauce and toasted sesame oil with finely sliced spring onion greens and crushed pepper.

Greek Domatokeftethes (Tomato Fritters) (typically served with Sideritis (Greek Mountain or Shepherd tea a.k.a Ironwart but I recommend Tulsi (Holy Basil tea)

Ingredients:

4 ripe medium tomatoes, finely chopped

2 medium zucchini, grated

1 medium onion, grated

1 1/2 - 2 cups of self-rising flour

1/2 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/2 bunch fresh mint or fresh basil, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

oil for frying

Method:

Combine all ingredients except flour in a bowl. Add enough flour to make a thick batter.

Heat 1/2 to 3/4 inch of oil in a nonstick frying pan. When the oil is hot, drop the batter by tablespoonfuls into the oil and fry until browned. Turn once to brown on both sides.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper towels.

Boneless Butter Chicken AKA Murgh Makhani (Rushina's replies to a recipe request)

Boneless Butter Chicken/ Murgh makhani picture courtesy Bharat Bhirangi and Mrigan Sharma.

Akanksha Malhotra of Delhi who has attended one of my cooking workshops at Natures Basket wrote in to on Facebook "I really need your help. I am looking for authentic boneless butter chicken recipe for a family dinner. If you could please help me with it. Would be great !" I replied to Akanksha, on Facebook but I thought I would post the recipe here as well because this is an evergreen recipe that can be handy to have lying around! 

I learnt this recipe from a Punjabi neighbour Sharma aunty who lived next door to the first home I lived in after we married. In fact putting the recipe down brought back some long forgotten memories. I remember how tough that first year was for me. Not only did I have to learn to manage a home and kitchen, I also had to get used to a 3 hour commute to and from work. So on days when i got home late, it was a boon when Sharma aunty would pop her head out of her door as I unlocked my house and hand me a casserole of some hearty rajma, mah dal or butter chicken. I am not sure how ‘authentic’ this recipe is, but it is the one I use, But nobody that’s eaten it has ever complained. In fact there are rarely leftovers! As a shortcut you can use ready tandoori chicken in a pinch as well.

Boneless Butter Chicken /Murgh Makhani (Time : 4 hours prep +45 mins cooking time; Serves – 4)

Ingredients

800 g Chicken breast pieces, boneless

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Butter

For the marinade

1 c Yogurt

Salt to taste

½ tsp Garlic paste

½ tsp Garam masala powder

1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

2 tbsp Ginger paste

2 tbsp Lemon juice

2 tbsp Mustard oil

For the Makhni Gravy

50g Butter

1 tbsp Ginger paste

5-6 Green chillies, chopped

1 tbsp Red chilli powder

Salt to taste

½ tsp Dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) toasted lighly on a tava /griddle for a minute or so to crisp it up

1 tbsp whole garam masala

1 tbsp garlic paste

400g Tomato puree

½ tsp Garam masala powder

2 tbsp Honey/sugar

1 c Cream

Method

Hang yogurt in a muslin cloth for fifteen to twenty minutes to remove extra water (I find using ready yoghurt means there is less water  - in fact I love Danone natural yogurt and no I am not plugging it, it really is beautifully thick. Abroad I recommend Greek Yoghurt. Meanwhile halve the chicken breasts (Butter chicken is a hearty dish so aim for 1-2 nice big chunks per diner, nothing smaller) and make incisions with a sharp knife on chicken them. In a small bowl combine the red chilli powder, lemon juice and salt and apply on the chicken breasts, rubbing in well. Reserve for half an hour. Then combine red chilli powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, garam masala powder and mustard oil and apply marinade to chicken. Refrigerate for three to four hours. At this point remove from fridge and thread marinated chicken onto a skewer. Cook in a moderately hot tandoor or preheated oven (200°C) for 10 -12 minutes until the chicken is almost but not completely cooked. Pull out baste with a little butter and return to oven. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove and reserve. To make the gravy, heat butter in a pan. Add green cardamoms, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon and sauté for 2 minutes, then add ginger-garlic paste and the chopped green chillies and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the tomato puree, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and one cup of water and bring the whole thing to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. Stir in the sugar or honey and crumble in the kasoori methi. Add the cooked chicken pieces and simmer for 5 minutes. Swirl over the fresh cream and serve hot with naan or roomali rotis.

A NOTE on a new genre of posts.

I am revamping my blogs slowly as you might have noted. One of the mig requests I have is for recipes so I have already started a section called Rushina recipes where I put selections of recipes based on an ingredient, dics or cuisine. Requests for recipes and questions on cooking have also been on the rise so I am also going to be adding a section called Rushina repliesso my replies can benifit everyone. You can look forward to replies on Five spice powder, sichuan peppercorns, zaresht berries and star anise. And if you have a question on cooking or an ingredient or  even  a recipe request you can leave it as a comment and I will address it as soon as I can.

Summer Drinks

A gourmet 'gola' made with Moet at Ziya at the Oberoi.

Temperatures have skyrocketed, summer is definitely here and those winter cravings for steaming hot soup have been forgotten as on longs for a long cool cool something to cosy up to!  I am writing this as I sip slowly on a glass of Litchi squash made at home by my Ma-in-law from litchis from our own tree.

And the options are endless. India has an amazing variety of traditional drinks, that are appropriate in terms of health, nutrition, ecology, season and of course cost. However we are in danger of losing this diversity with the propensity we are developing toward aerated drinks. Not only do housewives prefer the convenience of the fizzy sugar loaded drinks to serve their guests (SHUDDER!), but our traditional beverages seem to be acquiring a status of old-fashioned and boring. A sad turn of events when we still follow the other traditions of Indian Cuisine which subscribe to the philosophy of a seasonal diet food that give importance to seasonal ingredients —tender tamarind leaves, gongura leaves, kokum and tamarind, lighter masalas and desserts based on cooling fruits like tender coconut and litchis in the summer and in keeping with this general philosophy a cornucopia of specific drinks to combat the vagaries of the summer months.  

Think back and you will surely remember some of the delicious cooling drinks our grandmothers served us. I remember the drinks my grandmother always had waiting for me in the summer, when I came home from school, melon juices; chilled ruby red watermelon full of chunks of the juicy fruit, velvety chilled Sugar melon juice that slid down the throat, milkshakes flavored with fruits or Rooh Afza, tangy Aam 
Panna made of sour green mangoes and in the years when our Coconut tree yielded fruit we would OD on tender coconut water and gorge on the silky flesh and a collection of squashes that would rival any “golawalla’s” lineup of jewel colored bottles; Lemon, Malta Orange, bel (wood-apple), Amla, Jamoon, and even Sandalwood have been trapped into bottles full of savor over the years because of their extremely beneficial effect on the body in hot weather. They maintain the digestive tract, tone up the system and keep it cool.

Much later in life, I discovered the delicious coolers of regional Indian Communities, like the time a friend brought me a bottle of tangy, purple concentrate that made a delicious drink. “It’s Kokum squash” she said. Kokum! Now I have often picked Kokkum out of my dal and discarded it but I never thought it could make a drink! KOKUM is a sour fruit that has no English name, because it is native to India, in fact even in India it is relatively unknown outside the Konkan region and parts of Gujarat - which is surprising, because it makes extremely cooling drink that is popularly served to combat heaty foods in the cuisines of South and West India. Besides Kokum squash it is also used to make Sol Kadhi in which it I soaked in warm water, he resulting liquor of which is mixed with coconut milk and drunk with heaty dishes.
At my first holi after I married, I discovered a savory, punchy drink called Kanji. Kanji is a traditional north Indian drink made from black carrots and mustard powder, a dark ruby almost magenta in color it is sold from huge glass flasks and ‘matkas’ in seaon but it is also made at home the process of making Kanji takes about three weeks. It has an overall cooling effect on the body and refreshes the mind due to the use of mustard. Another traditional drink popular in the north and especially in Punjab and Hryana is ‘Sattoo’ (powdered barley) that is served chilled sweetend with a sugar syrup. It is valued for the cooling effect it has on the body and its ability as a thirst quencher.  

My favourite part of my childhood was being amidst the ladies of the house on one of the squash making days helping with prepping ingredients immersed in the tradition – listening to the stories that accompanied every recipe, the subtleties of preparation that I learnt by watching alone and  that special banter that is only found between women in the kitchen! Start your own traditions, get your children involved, kids love feeling like they are important, they can help peel and prepare fruit and measure out ingredients and the attraction of something they have helped make might even get them to stop consuming all those dangerous aerated drinks. In fact let them go wild making their own ‘mocktails’ using these!

Remember the barricade of colored bottles that are displayed all around the Golavallas carts? Well there is nothing stopping you from rivaling that display! Take time out of your schedule to prepare for the coming hot season, bottle concentrates, sherbets and syrups and put then away while you can, so you can enjoy the freshness of fruit far into the summer when the fruit are long gone. What will you do with so many?  Think Golas doused in a salty sweet sour Kalakhatta or an icy mint Sorbet, just the thought of such treats brings relief to the heat addled brain! Your Syrups and squashes will come in handy to flavour Golas, Sorbets, Ice creams, Ice teas and Slushes right through the Summer.ANd do share your recipes for Squashes and syrups! What was your favourite childhood drink! 

With so much on offer we really have no reason to down sugar filled artificially flavoured aerated waters by the glassful, that do not benefit us in any way. Find new favourites for the coming summer months from recipes carefully nurtured over the centuries and do yourself a favour! No really! Let your imagination go wild! Here are a few favourite recipes to get you started - some inherited from my grandmother and some created by me.

Raw Mango Squash (Time: 30 minutes Makes: 750 ml. concentrate (approx.) Shelflife: 6 months or more)

Inspired by the Aam panna, this squash incorporates the cooling properties of Rock salt, Green mangoes and Cumin

Ingredients

1 c thick peeled raw mango pulp

2 ½ c sugar

1 1/2 c water

½ tsp Cumin powder

2 tbsk Rock salt

1/4 tsp. citric acid

Method

Place sugar and water in a deep vessel and bring to a boil. Simmer till syrup is sticky but not one thread. Add citric acid, stir till dissolved and remove from flame. Cool and add to mango pulp. Add Cumin powder rock salt and stir well. Transfer to sterilised bottles and store in the fridge.  

Spicy Pineapple Squash (time: 20 minutes Makes: 450 - 500 ml. squash Shelflife: 4 - 5 months)

Ingredients

1 c pure fresh pineapple juice

2 c sugar

1 c water

2 tbsp chilli flakes

1 tsp. citric acid (optional)

1/8 tsp. KMS (optional)

Method

Bring sugar and water to boil in a deep vessel. Simmer to make a sticky syrup, which is not one thread. Add dissolved citric acid, take off fire. Cool and add juice, dissolved KMS. Stir till well blended. Pour into sterilised bottles, seal. Refrigerate opened bottle.

Quickly done Infused and Simple Syrups (Yield: 1 1/3 cups.)

Simple syrup is a commonly used ingredient in many cocktails and other drink recipes. It's easy to make and handy to have ready in the summer. You can flavour simple syrup with just about anything, spices, like Cardamom and anise, herbs like lemongrass and mint even orange and lemon peel.

1 c white sugar

1 c water

Method

In a medium saucepan combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool.

MAKE AHEAD The syrup can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

To make Lemongrass Syrup take 10 lemongrass stalks, 6 stalks crushed and finely chopped, 2 stalks halved lengthwise, then crosswise. Prepare the as directed above, adding lemongrass, before bringing it to a boil. Remove from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain into a bottle and keep refrigerate for upto three weeks.

Mogra Sherbet

Mogra or Jasmine flowers are associated with romance in India. They bloom at night during the hot summer months releasing their heavy fragrance into the humid night air, cooling and perfuming it. This traditional drink traps the magic of the Mogra into a glass and makes an unusual cooling drink.

8 c water
750 g sugar
100 gms fresh mogra blossoms

Dissolve the sugar in the water and boil until you have a syrup of one string consistency. Allow to cool for a while, add the mogra blossoms, cover and leave to steep until syrup is completely cool. Stain, mashing flowers against the strainer as you go and then bottle. To serve mix into chilled water.

Kokum Squash (time: 20 minutes Makes: 500 gms. approx. Shelflife: 6 months or more)

The kokum is native to the western coastal regions of southern India and is rarely seen beyond this area. Even in India it is used only in the regional cuisines of Gujarat Maharashrta and several southern states where large glasses of kokum sherbet are downed during parched summer months. In this region the sweltering heat demands refrigerant (cooling) ingredients in food and drink. Kokum is well known to counteract the heat. The fruits are steeped in sugar syrup to make amrutkokum which is drunk to relieve sunstroke.

Ingredients

1 cup thick juice of kokum

2 cups sugar

3/4 tsp. citric acid

1/4 tsp. sodium benzoate

Method:

Place juice and sugar in a deep vessel and heat, stirring gently until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, simmer for 2-3 minutes remove from flame and cool. Add sodium benzoate and mix well. Pour into sterilized sauce bottles, seal and remember to refrigerate after a bottle is opened.

For a quick drink stir 2 tbsp. juice into 200 ml water with a pinch of salt, plop in a few ice cubes and serve or make a slush. Make a stronger solution of Kokum squash, a pinch of salt, and water pour into a Tupperware glass and freeze.      

Use squashes fto make Golas!

Hygienically Golas are available on the menu at Soam restaurant in Babulnath 

Basic Ice tea

Makes: 1 glass iced tea.

Ingredients:

1 c water

1 ½ tsp. tea leaves

simple sugar syrup or flavoured syrup to taste

1 round slice lemon with peel

Method:

Bring water to boil. Add tea leaves cover and stand for 5-7 minutes. Stir well, strain and cool. Add 4-5 cubes crushed ice and syrup and cooled decoction Garnish with lemon slice and serve chilled. 

Basic Sorbet with any Squash

Ingredients:
4 c fruit

2 tbsp. Fruit juice that compliments syrup you are using

1 cup simple or flavoured syrup

Method:

Run cleaned fruit in a blender with the orange juice, till smooth. Sieve if required and stir in sugar syrup.  Set mixture in lidded container in freezer A (Tupperware glass is great for this) till softly set. Remove from freezer, beat till smooth, but do not allow to melt, return to container, refreeze. Beat again, and return to freezer, till well set. Serve in scoops, garnished with sprigs of mint and slices of fruit.

Mocha Mojo serves their drinks very innovatively in Little jam and Mason jars!

A Slush shot with a bit of vodka can be a great ice breaker!

Play with strawberry and Kiwi or other colors and flavours for vibrant Mixer slushies!

Black Grape squash (time: 20 minutes Makes: 500 gms. approx. Shelflife: 6 months or more)

Ingredients

1 cup thick juice of black grapes

2 cups sugar

3/4 tsp. citric acid

1/4 tsp. sodium benzoate

Method:

Put juice and sugar in a deep vessel. Heat and stir gently till sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, simmer for 2-3 minutes. Take off fire and cool. Add sodium benzoate and mix well. Pour into sterilized sauce bottles, and seal. Refrigerate after a bottle is opened.

Jamoon Squash (time: 20 minutes, Makes: 500 gms. approx. Shelflife: 6 months or more)

Ingredients

1 cup thick juice of jamoon

2 cups sugar

3/4 tsp. citric acid

1/4 tsp. sodium benzoate

Method

Put juice and sugar in a deep vessel. Heat and stir gently till sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, simmer for 2-3 minutes. Take off fire and cool. Add sodium benzoate and mix well. Pour into sterilized sauce bottles, and seal. Refrigerate after a bottle is opened.

Rim glasses for Black grape or Jamoon with kala namak!

Shaved ice concoctions; Golas and Snow cones

Rainbows - Try using two to four different colored syrups on your shaved ice to create a unique colorful rainbow effect.  Pour syrups in a straight line, one at a time, starting from one side of your shaved ice cup to the other.  Mixers – Similar to Rainbows but usually made with only 2 or 3 flavors. Combine flavors for a unique treat.  Some of the most popular mixers are listed below:

Milk and Cream Flavors – Give your favorite shaved ice syrup a creamy flavor and texture with the addition of Evaporated Milk.  In a separate container, combine 7 ounces of flavored syrup to 1 ounce of evaporated milk.  Stir well and pour the mix on top of your shaved ice to give it a rich, creamy texture.  Works best if the creamy mix is chilled before use.  This recipe is often used with Vanilla, Banana, Peach, Strawberry, Pina Colada, Coconut and Almond. Test your favorite syrup with evaporated milk!  To make a quart of cream flavor combine 28 ounces of your favorite flavored syrup with 4 ounces of Evaporated Milk.  Once evaporated milk is added be sure to keep the mix refrigerated.  The mixture will usually will last 5 to 7 days.

Snow Shakes – Instead of a milkshake try a snow shake!  Fill a 16 ounce cup full of shaved ice.  Add 3 to 4 ounces of your favorite shaved ice syrup along with 3 to 4 ounces of evaporated milk.  Stir or blend well!  Add more ice for thicker snow shakes.  Snow shakes are a great treat year round!

Dipped Delights – These shaved ice treats are very popular at neighborhood stands across the country.  Simply add a scoop of your favorite ice cream to the bottom of any cup, add shaved ice and top off with your favorite shaved ice syrup.  Eating the shaved ice and ice cream at the same time is great!   Try one and you will be hooked!

Gyan, Links and notes

Preservatives and flavours

To store for longer periods preservatives like Sodium Benzonate or potassium metabisulphite (KMS) are required. They should be used only in specified quantities. Otherwise they will spoil the texture of the drink, and also affect health if used in large quantities. You can leave them out but refrigerate your squashes in that case.