Jal-Jeera / Jaljeera / Jaljira–Spiced Indian Drink

Today I am bringing a delicious and tongue tickling drink.. It is Jal-Jeera.. Jal means water and jeera is cumin seeds.. This is a very popular flavored drink in India and I got this recipe from here and changed very little.. All of us enjoyed this drink and it was so refreshing and energetic

Grape Juice–Summer Recipes

One of the easiest and quickest way to get fruits into us is in the form of juice. But when we use the store bought ones, it has the obvious issues of not being fresh, contains preservatives etc.. I always prefer grapes with seed but the issue is the process is longer than the seedless ones.. It is very important to use the skin of the grapes here to get the maximum benefit. I have used honey here, but you can use all sugar also.. This stays good as a concentrate for about a week.. Did not try for longer period as it got over by then…

Carrot Kheer–Summer Drinks

Today's recipe is a delicious and refreshing kheer made with carrots.. The method is quite simple. You can serve this hot or chilled.. Serve this for this hot summer and get the goodness of carrots and milk along with honey

Mango Lassi - Summer Recipes - Drinks

Mango is the king of fruits and there are very few people who do not like it.. Actually I am not a big fan of mangoes as they are too sweet, but I love it in Lassi. Today’s recipe is a very famous Punjabi refreshing drink made with curd and mangoes..

Nutella Milkshake - Nutella Recipes - Summer Drinks

Starting this week’s BM with Summer Special. Here comes a way to deliciously chill your summer… What is your favorite milk shake? Mine is chocolate.. I saw the recipe here and wanted to try it immediately.. All of us loved it.. It makes a refreshing drink in a jiffy with the ingredients at home..

Shikanji / Shikanjvi - Madhya Pradesh

Today we are visiting the state of Central India. Madhya means middle and pradesh is place and I believe that the story behind the name of the state - Madhya Pradesh. This is a very refreshing and delicious drink. It is scotching summer here and what a better way to beat the heat other than a refreshing juice.. So chilling!!! I got this recipe from here. Shikanji is also popular in the neighboring states of Maharashtra, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh also.. Since it is a simple post, I have shared some tricks of serving the juices in my post..

Sukku Coffee / Sukku Kappi

Have body pain, sore throat or feeling tired… Here is a remedy… A perfect soothing and very refreshing kaapi. Sukku is dry ginger and has a very distinct and nice aroma and taste… It is also very healthy and has numerous health benefits. I got this recipe from here and made few changes!!

Strawberry Oats Milkshake (no sugar added)

Strawberry Oats Milkshake is a quick and healthy drink. It can be made in less than 5 minutes, but tastes better chilled, so refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. This will serve 3 – 4. Just before serving give it a good mix. Love this for breakfast and makes a great start to the day!! I am choosing this delicious milk shake for the Potluck Party and Kid's delight - Summer Special

Paanagam

Paanagam is a very tasty and soothing drink. It is perfect for hot summers and tastes so yummy. Today (20.4.2013) is Rama Navami this year and it is made on this day. It is a quick one and can be done in less than 10 minutes. It tastes best when served cold..

Neer Moru (நீர் மோர்)

Neer Moru is a very tasty and soothing drink. It is made on Rama Navami which falls on 20.4.2013 this year. It is a quick one and can be done in less than 10 minutes. It tastes best when served cold.. It is very healthy and is a body coolant. It is generally served during summer.

Milk Masala Powder

Some recipes are bookmarked and are on the “to-do” forever and some get done in a few weeks. Very rarely do I get to make something the day I bookmark it. This is one such recipe where I am doing it on the same day I am bookmarking it. Simple, quick, healthy, tasty – all in one and I had all the ingredients on hand and could not postpone this. The flavor and aroma was fantastic and it was fun doing. Just my thought about – “how much home made food is better than the store bought” kept coming to my mind. This lasted about 3 days and it got over, so not sure how long is its shelf life!!!. I got this one from here and it is surely a keeper

Ingredients
Almonds - 2 table spoons
Cashew - 2 table spoons
Pistachio - 1 table spoon
Cardamom - 6
Raw Sugar - 4 table spoons
Saffron - 1/8 tea spoon
Nutmeg - 1/4
Turmeric Powder - 1/8 tea spoon

Method
In a pan on very low heat, dry roast almonds, cashew, pistachio for around 4 to 5 minutes. A nice aroma will start to come. You need to keep stirring it to ensure that it does not burn. Come on only 5 minutes:)
Around 4 minutes, add the cardamom, nutmeg and continue to stir and roast
At the end add saffron and remove from heat after a minute
Allow it to cool completely
Transfer to a blender, add sugar and pulse until it becomes a powder. Leave time gap between few pulses to ensure that it does not become a paste. The nuts contain a lot of oil and if they are processed continuously, oil may be released and you will get a paste and not powder.
Mix in the turmeric powder and store in an airtight container.
To serve - add 2 spoons in 1/4 cup warm milk and mix well to avoid any lumps. Add more milk to serve!

Sending this to Ammaji's Quick and Easy recipes, Siri’s Anniversary Event

Badam Milk Shake (பாதாம் மில்க் ஷேக்)

A very tasty and yummy drink.

Ingredients
Almonds – 1 cup
Water – 3 cups
Milk – ¾ cup + 2 ½ cups + 1 cup
Saffron – A heavy Pinch
Edible Camphor – A Pinch
Cardamom Powder – ¼ tea spoon
Sugar – ½ cup



Method
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and keep the almonds in water in the oven for 1 hour. Alternatively you can soak the almonds in warm water for 3 to 5 hours. Peel the almond skin and set aside. Soaking or keeping in the oven enables easy peeling.
Heat 2 ½ cups of milk in a microwave for 5 minutes or until it is almost boils. Alternatively bring 2 ½ cups of milk to a boil on the stovetop.
Grind peeled almonds with ¾ cup milk to a smooth paste and set aside.
Add milk to a pan and bring it to a boil and add the almond paste and stir continuously
Cook on medium to medium low heat for 15 minutes until the mixture thickens
Heat a ladle and add saffron to the ladle and heat for 10 seconds. Crush the saffron with mortar on the ladle and add it to the boiling milk almond mixture
Add edible camphor, sugar and cardamom powder to the milk almond mixture
Remove from heat and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes. This will thicken considerably after cooling
Now add 3 cups of cold milk and mix well and refrigerate
Garnish with charoli, crushed almonds and serve chilled!!!

Sending this to Milk Sweets, Know your Sweetness - Sugar, Jagruti's page, WTML - Sweets and Savories

Drinking Chocolate

Ever thought you could make cocoa mixes at home? How about trying it if that is super super easy to do.. This is a homemade drinking chocolate that can be drunk hot or cold depending on choice. Sieving is not required if there are no lumps, but is preferred. This one is a quick recipe too and can be made in big batches and stored in an air tight container for at least around 6 months. I got this recipe from here and reduced it by one fourth. This is much healthier than the store bought ones in which GOD knows how much preservatives and extra stuff are added!!!!

Oats Dates Almonds Shake

Tell calcium rich food and everybody will say Milk… Milk and its products are very rich in calcium. Oats is another calcium rich product. Almond is another calcium rich product. Some also say that dates are good source of calcium.. How about a dish with all these added?
That makes the dish calcium rich. This shake is a super hit in my house. Anybody I have shared this recipe with has appreciated and even better, they do it in their kitchen. It will be very filling and is a perfect breakfast. You can make this day ahead and serve chilled. So you have the morning breakfast waiting for you even before you go to bed.. How cool is that? If preferred you could not use honey and add more dates if more sweetness is required. Dry roasting the nuts is optional but it brings a lot of flavor. I got this recipe from here and made some changes.

Cucumber Mint Shake (குக்கும்பர் மின்ட் ஷேக்)

A very easy and quick to put together shake which is perfect for summer. The mint gives a very fresh flavor and this drink is a great way to beat the summer heat..
Ingredients
Cucumber – 2 cups (cut into pieces)
Asafetida – 1/8 tea spoon
Salt –½ tea spoon
Mint – 10 – 14 leaves
Green Chili – 1
Curd (thick) – ½ cup

Method
Peel the cucumber skin and cut into pieces and add it to a blender. Add mint leaves, salt, green chili and asafetida
After a few pulses add the curd and blend well until smooth.
Refrigerate and serve chilled!!

Sending this cooler to Manjula aunty’s July Summer cooler contest and also to
Serve it - Blended @ Krithi's Kitchen & Oh Taste N See, Pari's preschooler snacks, brain child of Nithu's Kitchen and Sumee's Sunny Refreshing Drinks, Healthy Shakes, Priya's page