Ice Coffee / Cold Cafe - Power Drink:)

Ice Coffee:

To have good Ice Coffee, start with quality coffee beans. Brew twice as much as you originally intended! Finish with half n half milk (tetra pack milk - India) and just enough sugar. Chill and Enjoy:) Nothing is more perfect than a cuppa of coffee for a midday mood enhancing.

Fruit Punch - A Citrusy Kick!

Fruit Punch:

Ingredients and Method:

Orange juice - freshly squeezed 1 cup
Pineapple juice 1 cup
Lemon juice few spoons
Honey few spoons
Pomegranate 1 fistful.

Mix all the above and serve chilled.

Blueberry Smoothie / Blueberry Milk Shake

Blueberries Chocolate Milk Shake:

Ingredients:

Banana 1 large
Blueberries 1 cup
Cocoa powder 1 teaspoon
Oval-tine 2-4 teaspoons
Milk 2 cups.

Method:

Blend all the above mentioned ingredients together, serve chilled as a breakfast, perfect to kick start the day.

Spinach Smoothie / Healthy Greens and Fruits Juice

Spinach Smoothie:

Ingredients:

Baby Spinach - 1 bowl full
Green apple 1
Kiwi fruit 2
Banana 1 large
Yogurts 1/4 cup
Organic whole milk 2-3 cup
Brown Sugar to taste

Method:

Blend all the ingredients together and filter the same.

Serve chilled, very energetic to kick start the day.

Vanilla Chai Tea Latte / Vanilla Chai/ Honey Vanilla White Chai

Vanilla Chai Latte:

Ingredients:

Soy Milk 2 cups/ Organic whole milk
Nutmeg - about 1/2 a nut - crushed
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Cloves - 3
Cardamom - 3 crushed
Mint leaves - 5
Green tea bag - just 1
Vanilla beans (preferably) I used essence tho'
Honey few spoons.

Method:

Boil all the spices in about 1/4 cup of water. Filter the same...now dip green tea bags in this concoction for few minutes. Add honey and vanilla to it.

Now, mix the milk and beat them vigorously for about 2 minutes. Once it comes to frothy, its done.

Serve chilled, garnish with mint leaves.

Pomegranate Lassi / Anar Lassi - Energize Yourself with Refreshing Drink!

Maadhulai Lassi:

Ingredients:

Organic Pomegranate 1
Sugar to taste
Cardamoms 3 - powdered
Fresh yogurts 4 cups - beaten
Whole milk about 1 cup.

Method:

Mix sugar with curd, then add milk, cardamom and pomegranate to it.

Serve chilled in tall glasses.

Papaya Smoothie - Simply Refreshing!

Papaali Milk Shake:

Ingredients:

Papaya - cubed 2 cups
Milk 2-4 cups
Sugar to taste
Chaat masala powder to garnish.

Method:

Puree the fruit and mix with sugar and milk. Beat them vigorously till its foamy.

Serve chilled in a tall glass. Enjoy.

Vanilla Almond Lassi

Vanilla Almond Lassi:

Vanilla Smoothie. Vanilla-Almonds Smoothie.

Ingredients:

Fresh organic yogurts 1 cup
Vanilla essence few spoons
Powdered sugar few spoons
Crushed Almonds few to garnish
Saffron few strands and Mint leaves to garnish.

Method:

Mix all the above mentioned ingredient together and leave it in the refrigerator.

Serve chilled, garnish with nuts and mint leaves.

Jal Jeera Paani - Refreshing Summer Drink

Why I like this Jaljira Paani? It has no heart breaking' calories from Sugar, yes... its salted.:) Already many are aware of health benefits of Mint, Cilantro and Ginger, so why to lecture again...let me simply conclude like this, its very refreshing for this humid-sunny weather.

Ingredients:

Mint 1 fistful
Cilantro leaves 1 fistful
Ginger 1" grated
Lemon juice few spoons
Kala namak(black salt) to taste
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Fresh Imli/Tamarind 1 teaspoon
Green chili 1 / I used jalapeno's about 1/4.

Method:

Soak tamarind and cumin.

Now, wet-grind all the above mentioned ingredients along with this soaked stuff.

Filter the same. Refrigerate them for couple of hours.

Serve chilled.

Jil Jil Jigarthanda - Madurai Special

Jigarthanda:(Regional Delicacy)

Madurai Special Jigarthanda: Jigar - means Heart, Thanda - means cold. This regional special drink is considered soothing to heart. Many ingredients present in it are natural body coolants. In a tropical climate like India, it becomes as a perfect summer drink.

And coming to the recipe, no body knows completely till today...as it remains as a trade secret! One could see Jigarthanda being sold all round the city (at Madurai) during peak summer. Though it is very popular among the push-cart sellers, now a days even hotels and restaruants provide this kind of refreshments. I got introduced to this drink through several Tamil movies, where the story revolves around the city and the characters simply rave about this drink! Ever since, I wanted to fix this at home for myself. I had been to Madurai only twice, during my school days(education tour)!! All I thought is..its much like Falooda, with some variation.

However, when I said to my Dad that I wanted to recreate it at home...he generously offered me many tips and pointers. Since, he has been to Madurai several times and enjoyed this drink, he tweaked my recipe a lot. Well, edible Sea algae(China Grass), Indian Sarsaparilla Syrup and Takhmaria Seeds(resembles like basil seeds) happens to be main ingredients. Besides, they also use pretty much a wide range of secret syrups and concoctions, which makes it highly delightful. Anyhow...I had hard time finding those ingredients here. Somehow managed to bring a decent drink today. Here you go...

For more Delighful Beverages using more or less same ingredients, take a look here:

Falooda
Nannari Sorbeth
Rose Milk

Ingredients:

Edible sea algae/Agar Agar(china grass) 1 fistful
Rose syrup - 1 table spoon
Sarsaparilla syrup(Nannari syrup)) - 1 table spoon
Basil seeds (Takmaria/Sabja)
Sugar syrup(I didn't use any, as rose syrup had enough of sugar in it)
Milk 4 cups - reduced into half of its original content
Fresh cream 4-6 spoons
Vanilla ice cream 2 scoops.

Method:

Soak china grass, in warm sugar syrup. I used rose syrup to soak the algae, today. Once it consolidates into jelly, slice them down, set aside.

Soak the takhamaria seeds in water or milk. Once it bulges beautifully, set aside.

Now mix all the above mentioned ingredients together and leave this set-up in the refrigerator.

Chill and serve as a refreshment.

Thandai / Indian Bhang - Holi Festival Special Bhang Drink

Thandai:(Re posting)

Ingredients:

Milk 4 cups
Cashew nuts 10
Almonds 10
Poppy seeds 1 spoon
Pumpkin seeds 1 spoon
Peppercorns
Rose petals few/rose water few spoons
Cardamom pods 3
Cinnamon sticks 2
Sugar to taste
Saffron few strands.

Method:

Soak the nuts in warm milk for couple of hours. Wet grind these to thick paste.

Now mix the paste to the remaining milk, add the spices...boil this set-up over medium heat for long time, Maybe till the milk reduces into half.

Filter the same, chill this completely.

Serve cold, garnish with rose petals. Enjoy as bedtime drink.

Paantash => Panakkam => Fruit Punch - Ancient Indian Drink

Panakkam:

Fruit punch has became a necessary drink at every garden parties, today! How about looking into, bit of its history? The word 'Punch' comes from the word 'Panch'. In Indian language (both Sanskrit and Hindi), the word 'panch' means 'five'. The original recipe had five ingredients like, spirit, spices, fruit juice, palm sugar and water. To be specific, the authentic Indian punch is called 'Paantsch' by locals. There is an other hypothesis, claims it comes from the Parsi word 'Panj', which also means the same 'five'. However, the root is ultimately traced to Sanskrit word!

During British Raj, recipe was soon adopted by every Anglo-Indian families and employees of East India company. They carried the recipe, back home. It is said that European countries started enjoying this drink as early as 17th century. Well, the term 'punch' was also recorded in British documents, it dates back to 1632, it was an alcoholic drink. Non-alcoholic fruit punch was developed in later years for the occasions, where alcohol was prohibited.

This classic Indian drink's specialty is, their mixing bowls! The punch bowls could be of silver, ceramic or glass but definitely an elaborately decorated piece of article. Although 'punch bowl' concept is very modern invention in India, probably British donation! The whole ethnic set of punch bowls, serving cups, ladles and stirring spoons comes in decorative silver, copper and bronze!

In South India, there is still a tradition of offering 'panakkam' (drink) at the weddings and temples. Probably, this is one of the ancient living recipe of 'fruit punch' (paantasch). The term 'Panakkam', literally means 'drink'. Interestingly this living recipe has exactly the same five ingredients in it. Citrus fruit juice, palm sugar, peppercorns, spirit and water. The drink is still popular in the villages. It is an excellant body coolant, offered widely by villagers and city dwellers during peak summer. Panakkam is prepared for special occasions like Ugadi(Telugu New Year) and at the Tamil Weddings. Generally accepted as refreshing drink.

Ancient Paantash

Ingredients

Peppercorns 1 teaspoon
Green and black cardamoms 3-6 crushed
Ginger powder
Jaggery/Brown sugar ¼ cup
Lemon juice ¼ cup
Water 2 cups.

Method

Heat quarter cup of water in a kettle, add the spices (first three ingredients) and filter the same.

Now to this concoction, add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Chill and serve to beat the heat.

Honey & Nuts Milk Shake

Nuts and Honey Milk Shake:

Honey Milk Shake, Nuts Milk Shake.

Honey is truly an insect product. It has high nutritive value, loaded with vitamins. However the food value of honey may be estimated by the presence of sugar in it, approximately 80% of sugar. One should not be confused with honey is a direct plant product because of the nectar, pollen and cane-sugar being secretions of flowers!! As they are all digested by honey bees, get mixed with their saliva and undergo certain chemical changes due to enzyme action. At this stage sucrose (sucrose) is converted into dextrose and levulose (invert sugar). At this very same time, some of the ingredients of honeybees are also added to the mixture and the water content gets reduced (so honey thickens). The whole mixture is then collected into the crop of honeybees...until the bees reaches the hive. As the bees reaches the hive, this compound is regurgitated into the hive cell and now it is officially known as 'Honey'.

Ingredients:

Dry figs 3
Dates 6 ( de seed)
Almonds 5
Cashew nuts 5
Pistachios 5
Walnuts 5
Piyal seeds (sarai paruppu)few spoons
Banana 1 large
Honey 3-4 teaspoons
Organic whole milk 4 cups.

Method:

Blend all the above mentioned ingredients together till smooth.

Serve chilled in a tall glass. Makes a healthy choice for breakfast.

Nuts Kheer

Raw Nuts Kheer: (Version 2)

I don't know how many of you'll are going to agree with me! I believe that 'raw nuts' holds up that potent energy...than that of well cooked ones! Yeah, if you're following that fibre rich diet, then please try to eat 'raw nuts' to zap your energy. It is said that, chewing for a long period crushes that sturdy cells of the fibre and releases the nutients which are readily absorbed. Whereas when we cook these nuts...chewing part is cut down into half, and the unsaturated fatty acids tend to pass down the digestive track without being absorbed! Moreover cooking depletes lot of nutrients too!

So, how does that sound to you? Yes, its good to have them 'un cooked' isn't! So, there you go, I prepared this 'raw kheer' to maximize the energy. You still wanna know the authentic 'Nuts Kheer', then follow the link.

Ingredients:

Almonds 10
Cashew nuts 10
Sugar to taste
Whole milk 1-2 cups
Saffron few
Nuts to garnish.

Method:

Leave the almonds in warm water for about 20 minutes or so.

Then peel of its skin. (Again skin has more vitamins, anyway).

Now soak them (almonds, cashew nuts) in luke warm milk for an hour.

Puree these nuts. Mix them with sugar syrup (hope you will find how to make the syrup?!)

Just chill them, serve in a small bowl (high in calorie, alright).

Garnish with silvered nuts and saffron or as you wish.

Falooda

After a long break, I am back. India trip was rather good, Mom and Dad are fine. Thanks for the concern and lovely enquiries girls, it really means so much.

Ingredients:

Extra fine vermicelli 1 cup
Basil seeds / takhmaria seeds 1-2 teaspoons
Roof Afsa (rose syrup) 1 table spoon
Vanilla icecream
Whole milk 4-6 cups
Sugar as per taste
Pistachios 10 crushed
Almonds sliced
Sarai Paruppu(no idea about its English name?!)2 spoons.

Method

Cook vermicelli for a brief 2 minutes and then rinse them in cold water. Set aside

Soak basil seeds in water or preferably milk for a about 10-20 minutes, once they bulge and give a nice appearance...its ready.

Now combine, vermecelli, soaked basil seeds, milk, sugar and rose syrup. Mix them well.

Serve them ina tall glass, add a scoop of vanila ice cream on the top...garnish with nuts.