Summer special: Try these easy-to-make mocktails at home

By: Nita Mehta

The wrath of the Indian summer has intensified in the last few days. With school holidays just around the corner, you must be looking forward to your hill station trip but what until then?

With a slew of dry days coming up over the next few weeks, we suggest beating the heat with these summer coolers that are packed with fresh fruits and Indian spices which are easily available in every Indian household or at the nearest vegetable vendor.

Packed with fresh fruit and other nutritious ingredients, these ice-cold fruity mocktails are festive and refreshing. This fruity, refreshing drink takes the edge off even the hottest summer days which can keep you rejuvenated and hydrated this summer.

Here are a few easy, delicious, and non-alcoholic latest drinks which have earned big craze sweeping the city.

Fruit Punch

1 cup of orange juice

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup mango juice

1/2 cup fresh cream

Garnish

Balls of mango and watermelon

Black grapes

Mint leaves dipped in cold water

1—Thread mango balls, grapes and watermelon balls alternating with Mint leaves on a wooden skewer and keep aside to use as the stirrer

2–Blend all ingredients of the punch together

3-Put crushed ice in a glass. Pour the punch mix on top

4-Place the prepared stirrer, in a glass. Serve with straw

Fire on ice

4 Fresh, thick green or red chilies—slit and open slightly,

4 cup of coconut water (cocojal)

2 tsp powdered sugar or sugar-free powder to taste.

2 tsp lemon juice

Pinch of salt and pepper

1 cup sprite to top (see note)

Crushed ice

1–Put ice in a tall glass. Place a chilly on the ice

2-Add coconut water, sugar-free powder, lemon juice, salt, and pepper

3–Stir well to dissolve the sugar-free powder and to add the fire of the chilies to the drink.

4-Top with Sprite. Stir once and serve

Note —-If you substitute soda for Sprite, increase the sugar and lemon juice

Paan shot

2 readymade meethe (sweet) paan (Without supari)

8 tbsp vanilla ice cream

1 cup of chilled water

1 cup crushed ice cubes

Powdered sugar as needed

1–Churn pans with little water in a mixer. Add all the other ingredients

2-Check sweetness and add some powdered sugar if needed. Pour in small narrow glasses or shot glasses and serve.

Berry blush

1 Cup cranberry juice, chilled

1 cup orange juice, Chilled

4 tsp powdered sugar

2 cups club soda, chilled

Some ice cubes

1-Put a cherry or grapes and a mint leaf in each glass. Put ice

2-Mix cranberry juice, orange juice, sugar and  club soda in a large jug

–Pour into a glass and serve

Apple infusion

2 cups apple juice

4 tsp regular or brown sugar

1 lemon –cut into tiny pieces

4 tsp kiwi crush or khus syrup or strawberry syrup

4 tsp soda to top, crushed ice

1–put lemon chunks and brown sugar in a pestle mortar.

Muddle it nicely until lemon leaves its juice

2-Add this lemon sugar mix to apple juice and mix well

Refrigerate for an hour, or more, to infuse the lemon flavour into apple juice

3-To serve, fill half the glass with crushed ice

4-Pour the apple juice along with the lemon chunks on the ice

5-Top with just a little soda

6-Squeeze a little kiwi crush on the drink. It will sink to the base forming a distinct green layer. Serve

About the author

Nita Mehta, a cooking expert or nutrition expert, is an Indian celebrity chef, author, restaurateur, and media personality, known for her cookbooks, cooking classes, etc. Mehta has authored more than 400 cookbooks of which 6 million copies have been sold worldwide. In 1999, she won the Best Asian Cookbook Award for her book Flavours of Indian Cooking at the World Cookbook Fair in Paris. Besides, she is also a celebrity judge on cooking based TV shows.

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