1,000 Indian Recipes (330 page)

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

1
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⁄
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cups (or more, to taste) sparkling water or club soda

2 to 3 teaspoons sugar

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⁄
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teaspoon black salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Crushed ice or ice cubes

1.
In a blender, blend together all the ingredients (except the ice) until smooth.

2.
Serve as is or add more sparkling water and adjust seasonings to taste, and serve over ice.

Spicy Pomegranate Juice

Masaladar Anaar ka Rassa

Makes 2 servings

This is best made with fresh pomegranate juice and orange juice. Preparing both is labor-intensive and time-consuming, so look for pomegranate juice at a farmers' market or health food store. Buy fresh orange juice, too.

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)

1
¹
⁄
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cups fresh pomegranate juice

²
⁄
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cup fresh orange juice

¹
⁄
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cup plain yogurt (any kind)

2 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

6 fresh mint leaves

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⁄
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teaspoon ground black salt (optional)

Crushed ice or ice cubes

Fresh mint sprigs

1.
Prepare the masala. Then, in a blender, blend together both the juices, yogurt, ginger, mint leaves, chaat masala, and black salt until smooth and frothy.

2.
Put crushed ice in 2 glasses, pour the drink into each glass, and garnish with the mint sprigs.

Variation:
This recipe can also be made as a smoothie, with chopped mixed fruits, berries, boiled beets, and other vegetables. I often throw in some sprouted beans for texture and added health benefits.

Fire-Roasted Green Mango Cooler

Ammbi-Panna

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ammbi is the Hindi name for small, unripe mangoes. This drink is traditionally made by roasting the ammbis over direct coals (or in the dying ashes of a coal-burning stove) until the pulp inside turns soft and mushy and takes on an enticing sweet, smoky flavor as the sugars inside caramelize lightly. The mangoes can also be baked, boiled, or softened in the microwave. Whatever method you choose, your beverage will be delicious, with sweet, sour, and savory flavors. Select the hardest green mangoes you can find.

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, dry-roasted and coarsely ground (
Dry-Roasting Spices
)

2 medium green unripe mangoes (about 12 ounces each)

3 cups water

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cup sugar

5 to 7 fresh mint leaves

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

¹
⁄
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teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
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teaspoon ground black salt

Crushed ice or ice cubes

Fresh mint leaves

1.
Prepare the cumin seeds. Then, preheat the grill. Place the mangoes on the grill, turning as needed, until they are charred on the outside and very soft inside, about 30 minutes. (Check with the back of a spoon.) Alternately, preheat the oven to 425°F. Wrap the mangoes in aluminum foil and bake in the center of the oven until they are very soft inside, 35 to 40 minutes.

2.
Let cool, then peel off the skin and separate the pulp from the center seeds. Transfer the pulp to a blender, mix in 2 cups water, sugar, mint leaves, cumin, black pepper, salt, and black salt, and blend until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Let cool.

3.
Serve as is, or dilute with more water, adjust the seasonings, and pour over crushed ice or ice cubes. Garnish each glass with mint leaves and serve. Keeps refrigerated up to 5 days.

Spicy Tamarind Water with Mint and Roasted Cumin

Imli-paani

Makes 2 servings

Also known as jal-jeera or jeera-paani, this tangy and spicy-hot water is served at all roadside eateries, where it is served alongside
Crispy Puffs with Spicy Tamarind Water
. It is also a much-beloved summer beverage, because tamarind is considered to have a cooling effect on the body. Serve as prelude to a holiday brunch with fresh fruits, or present it with any of the chaat snacks or salads. Tamarind pulp can be purchased from Indian, Asian, and Mexican markets.

2 ounces seedless tamarind pulp

2 to 3 cups water

4 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh whole mint leaves, + 1 tablespoon minced

2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

1
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⁄
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teaspoons ground cumin

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⁄
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teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

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⁄
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teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 teaspoon ground black salt

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to 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 to 2 tablespoons sugar

1.
Soak the tamarind pulp in 1 cup water until softened, about 2 hours. Rub with clean fingers to release the pulp from the fibers and pass through a fine-mesh strainer or a food mill. Mix another cup water with the pulp in the strainer and extract some more pulp. Discard the fiber. Transfer the pulp to a jar.

2.
In a small spice grinder or processor, grind together the ginger, green chile peppers, and whole mint leaves. Transfer to a small bowl and mix well with lime (or lemon) juice to make a paste. Mix into the tamarind pulp.

3.
Place the cumin, cayenne pepper, and asafoetida in a small cast-iron skillet, and roast the spices over medium heat, stirring and shaking the skillet, until the spices are highly fragrant are a few shades darker, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately mix into the tamarind pulp.

4.
Add the remaining water, black salt, salt, and sugar, and mix well. Taste, adjust the seasonings, and chill at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to develop. When ready, mix in the minced mint leaves and serve.

Variation:
A quick version can be made by mixing 2 to 3 tablespoons
Minty Cumin-Water Masala
into a glass of chilled water.

Savory Carrot Cooler