Plum Juice

My two year old loves shopping fruits...He runs around and picks/grabs  things that he sees..He puts them in a cover and drops it in the cart..So we would be running behind him to see that he doesn't run into other carts or bring any damage to his dads pocket by damaging stuffs around..:)
In this whole process I get a little chance to see to things thats in the cart..To check for its freshness and ripeness.Though I do it, it never goes to the ultimate check ending up with some over ripe fruits at home.
As for plum..we enjoy it when its firm and not over ripe..But last time we ended up with many over ripe fruits that had to be used in some way...

Thus this drink was made..
Loved the color and taste of it..

Plum-2 nos.
Water-1 cup
Sugar-4 tbsp

Method of preparation:
1. Wash, pit and chop the plum to small pieces with skin on.
2. Boil the water and sugar and when sugar disolves add the plum and cook for 5 to 8 mins.
3. Slightly mash the plum pieces to extract juice from it.
4. Turn of the heat and sieve the mixture using a fine mesh.Strain such that there is no flesh in the strained juice.
5. Add about a cup of chilled water to the drink.Serve chilled.

Notes:
1. Plum skin add the sourness to this juice.If you need more tangy taste to the drink add a spoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
2. Add sugar according to taste.

Mango Lemonade

Summer is coming to an end with slight cold breeze at nights...No longer would the heat of sun be enjoyed here with cold and refreshing drinks.....Sooner the days will be short and nights long...With strong winds that will strip the tree off its beautiful leaves leaving behind shadows of its existence..So before all this starts I need to put some more drinks that I have tried this summer..Got this drink recipe from a recipe card while shopping..

Mango -1(1 small mango-I used champagne mangoes)
Lemon juice-1/4 cup
Sugar-1/4cup/to taste(add according to the sweetness required)
Water-2 cups

Method of Preparation:
1. Heat 1 glass water and dissolve sugar in it.Let cool.
2. Blend mango, lemon juice and 1/2 cup water to smooth liquid. Strain and mix it with the sugar mixture.Add more water if needed.Chill and serve.

Spiced Buttermilk/Sambharam

The simple and effective drink for summer.Spiced buttermilk is a famous drink during the summer seasons in Kerala. Earlier days sambharam was the first drink offered to guests who visited during summer seasons in order to cool their body and to refresh them.Even now people prefer them over other drinks.Slightly tangy, bit hot by chilies and ginger and flavorful with curry leaves they still are my all time faves during summer and not to mention the easiness to put together...

Yogurt- 1cup
Water- 2 to 3 cup
Curry leaves-5 to 8 leaves
Green chilies- 2 no
Ginger- 1/2 inch piece
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation:
1. Blend the yogurt with little water and mix with salt and remaining water to form thin liquid.
2. Chop all other things and crush them using a motor and pestle(or hand/ pulse in a blender).
3. Add the crushed ingredients to the yogurt and mix well and keep aside for 5 mins for flavors to infuse.
4. Chill and drink.

Notes:
1. Mint, coriander, small piece of onion, Lime leaves, cumin a pinch can be added to flavor this.
2. You can add yogurt and water in a jar with a tight lid and shake vigorously to mix them instead of using a blender.

Pineapple Orange Agua Fresca

A perfect drink for a hot sunny day...

Pineapple chunks-1 cup
Orange-2 medium(juiced)
Sugar-4tbsp
Water-1/2 cup

Method of Preparation:
1.Grind the pineapple chunks with orange juice and sugar. Strain juice using a strainer and add water to it. Add more sugar if needed.
2. Serve with ice cubes and orange slices.

Notes:
1. Add sugar according to your fruits sweetness.

Cherry Limeade

Love this color of the drink...perfect cooler for summer with lots of cherries around..

Cherry-25 nos
Lime juice-1-1/2 tbsp
Water-1 cup
Sugar-3 tbsp

Method of Preparation:
1. Pit the cherries and blend it with sugar and 1/4 cup water.Strain the juice and add lime juice to it.
2. Mix well add remaining water and serve on ice.

Orange Popsicles....

Hi,
Hope everyone had a lovely weekend.I did and am still in the hang over of it...
Nothing special in my kitchen these days...So updating it with something that is real easy and quick...but a real aid for summer..

Oranges...Love the tangy sweet taste and the aroma it gives when peeled..I am sure most of you like it..Have you ever tried eating oranges with pepper and salt over it...if not try it..you will fall in love with it..Here is it..

Ok..What about pops...Everyone will be having  childhood memories about pops, how you run with a coin to the man on the cycle who rings the bell when near your house, how you tried to make a rasna/ milk pop at home...How you and ur sister/brother would wait for the cyclewala at the balcony during the hot sun to run to get a pop..How you would cry to ur mom to get them regularly from the cyclewala....I did all theseI still hold these memories and still smile alone thinking about them and sure will do it throughout my life...How hectic and busy it may be..You guys do it...right?
Here are some orange pops you can lick or bite(my son does it) into and ya refresh your childhood memories too..

Method Of Preparation:
1. Get the juice from the orange using a juicer.Add sugar and water, mix and pour to a Popsicle mould.Freeze it for 2 hours and then insert sticks and continue freezing for atleast four hours or overnight.

Notes:
Add more sugar if needed to the juice.

Passion Fruit Chiller

As a kid passion fruit was something that I loved to have with sugar sprinkled on it...Sourness of it would make the teeth tingle but  2 to 3 ripe fruit from the tree would easily go into my tummy..hey salt with pinch of chilli powder also goes well...;)
Here I have made a quick drink...

Passion Fruit-5 nos
Ginger-small piece(cut to thin strips)
Mint-3 to 4 leaves
Water-1 cup
Sugar-1 tbsp

1. Remove the pulp from passion fruit and pulse it to get the juice.See that u don't pulse it hard and crush the seeds.Else you can use a strainer and spoon to extract juice by pressing the pulp with spoon in the strainer.Add little water and do this 2 or 3 times.
2. Add water and mix the juice with sugar.
3. Now in a bowl mix the ginger and mint leaves.Crush it slightly with a spoon and mix with the juice.
4. Chill it and serve...

Notes:
1. Add sugar and water as needed.
2. Back at home mom makes it just with sugar and passion fruit juice with little water.

Avocado shake

Hi...

Back after a months break..This shake was made before the vacation...

Avocado-1 ripe
Milk-2 to 3cups(chilled)
Sugar-2 tsp or as needed.

Mix all the ingredients in a mixer to thick shake and serve.

Elaneer shake/Tender coconut shake...

Being from Gods Own country, Tender coconuts have always been something  that has attracted me with its sweet  taste and cooling nature..Back at home tender coconuts where cut directly from the tree when the man would come to put coconuts...without any delay it would be cut and gulped by me and my sis...after reaching US when I first saw them in a store I immediately took 2 with me..Came home...before changing dress went and cut it and took the first sip...OMG awful... It tasted so much of chlorine ...cut the flesh...same taste...threw it..Then after long time I saw it in Indian grocery store...bought it...same taste for the water...but flesh was good...so ended up with this shake..

Tender coconut-1 no(flesh alone)
Chilled Milk-1 cup
Sugar if required
Cardamom seeds from 1 pod(optional)

Method Of Preparation:
Cut the coconut flesh to small pieces and add suga( if needed)r, cardamom seeds(if using).Grind it to smooth form using little amount of milk at a time to form a medium thick consistency.Serve immediately.

2. There is another form of making juice with tender coconut.Just scrap the flesh and add the tender coconut water to a mixer and blend it for 2 minutes.See that there are few pieces of coconut after blending.Chill it and serve..Just perfect for hot weather...

Sending this and  Tapioca salad to Kerala kitchen hosted by Kaveri at Palakad Chamayal