It is summer. The raging sun is literally draining you of all the fluids in the body and I am already putting up with two fussy twin boys who do not want to eat anything! All they want is water. In the quest to keep my boys hydrated and also ensuring that the drinks were healthy, I did a bit of research in the web and came out with this list:
1. Badam ( Almond) Milk: Most of the supermarkets have pre mixed powders that you just need to add in the milk. You can use this for hot as well as cold milk. Just mix the desired amount of the powder in the milk and serve. Almonds are also good for the health, so yes, this particular drink kind of tops my list. You know this drink is easy to make at home too. All you need to do is boil a handful of almonds and coarsely grind them in the blender with roughly seeds of 5 green cardamoms and sugar as desired ( for this quantity, I take about 2 tablespoons of sugar). Mix this powder with hot or cold milk or you could also use this to make a badam milk shake. I can assure you that it also a very refreshing drink!
- Panha :This was another drink that my mom would make when I was a child. We used to have these huge mango trees in the backyard where my dad was posted and we would pluck the raw mangoes for my mom to make this drink. This drink is very famous in Maharashtra. You need about 3 medium sizes raw mangoes that have been peeled and grated. Add to this about a cup and a half of sugar. Add two cups of water to this and place in heavy bottomed dish in which it can boil till it is cooked. Let it cool and blend this to a very smooth paste. Cook this paste for another 10 minutes. Add half a teaspoon of black salt ( optional). Cool and store in a bottle. Mix one portion with three portions of water.
3. Cold Coffee: This is one drink that is probably a hit with the young and the old alike. Instead of spending obscene amounts of money at some swanky place, make your own cold coffee. Take two glasses of chilled milk, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of your favourite coffee ( I use Kenco, one my very fav coffees), half a glass of crushed ice. Blend all of this in the mixer for two minutes and you have some yummy cold coffee ready!
Want some indulgence? Add some coffee ice cream when you are blending or add a scoop on the cold coffee. Add a dash of cream and sprinkle come shavings of a chocolate.
4. Mango Lassi: Come summer and it is the season for the king of fruits! The mango. The national fruit of India and the national drink of Punjab make a deathly combo to beat the summer heat. Take 2 portions of yogurt. The best way to measure it is use the glass in which you would serve the lassi as the measure. Take a cup of chopped mangoes. Add sugar as per your taste and half a cupof crushed ice. Blend all of this in a mixer till is smooth and the mango lassi is ready! Omit the curd and add chilled milk, you have mango milkshake.
5. Nimbu Paani: This is perhaps the most preferred drink of the summner. Refreshes you all the time! Take the juice of two lemons. Add two teaspoons of honey or sugar. Add a pinch of black salt and two pinches of salt. Add chilled water. top it up with ice cubes and your drink is ready.
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