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11 Min Read Coolers and spritzers are all the rage on the internet and the ongoing heatwave seems to do wonders for all the thirsty boys and girls out there. We’ve all made iced tea by the gallon—and drank it too—without batting an eye lid. But how about mixing it up a little? Variety is the spice of life, after all. Here are five quintessential Indian classics you can make with your regular pantry ingredients. As for the ’gram, we’ve noticed anything with a citrus slice wedged on the rim seems to do the trick.
Jaljeera
It would be blasphemous to not start with this household classic. While a lot of us might be used to making this summer blend with the trusty ol’ MDH powder, the drink is just as easy to whip up au natural. Simply mix some dry mint powder (4 tsp), roasted cumin powder (4 tsp), black pepper (1/2 tsp), chaat masala (2 tsp), ginger powder (1 tsp), hing (1/4 tsp), salt (2 tsp), black salt (2 tsp), sugar (1 tsp) and dry mango powder (2 tsp) together to make your own jaljeera blend. Add a teaspoon of the blend to a glass of cold water, top it off with a squeeze of lime and voila!
Jamun Panna
We’re all enchanted by the summery goodness of aam panna, but why not give the classic a little twist? Imagine if the tangy sweetness of ripe jamuns rolled in some salt was a drink. Well, we’ve got you covered. Boil some ripe jamuns with as much sugar as your conscience will allow over medium heat until the flesh is falling off the seeds. Remove the seeds and let the mixture cool and macerate in the fridge. Blend your sweetened jamun mix and pass it through a sieve to get rid of any pulp, and some additional water depending on how concentrated you’d like your panna. Add a pinch of salt, cumin powder, and a dash of lemon juice and drink up till your tongue turns blue!
Sattu Sharbat
Sattu, or roasted gram flour, is high in protein and soluble fibres, and the drink is the perfect detox for whenever you need one. It aids in digestion and is also rumoured to help in weight loss. But most surprising of all is how easy it is to make. Just stir a few tablespoons of sattu in water to make a homogenous mixture and add some mint, salt, cumin powder, black pepper, black salt, and lemon to taste. Yes, it’s that easy. Feel free to experiment with making a sweet variation of the drink, or whatever suits your palate!
Shikanji
It’s lemonade with a kick of spice, what could go wrong? Make your regular old lemonade with sugar and salt just the way you like it, and add a pinch of roasted cumin powder and a few crushed mint leaves in it. Mix well, and top it off with a couple of ice cubes and some black salt for an added kick. Don’t forget to garnish with a lemon slice!
Thandai
This is the sober version, calm down. And no, you don’t just drink thandai for holi, you can have it any time you want. Who would have thought, right? Grab all the seeds and nuts lying around your house like cashews, almonds, poppy seeds or melon seeds and soak them in water for about 5-6 hours. Add some cardamom pods, raisins, peppercorns, fennel seeds and blend the mixture until smooth. Heat some milk and add the paste to it until the milk is nice and aromatic, and then strain the mixture. Add sugar, along saffron and rose water, and leave the thandai to cool. Serve chilled.
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