3 drinks to cool off the summer with

There were days when the only cool drink we had was the good old nimbu pani(indian lemonade), or paanaka(a sweet drink from Southern India made with jaggery) or the tradtional lassi or banana milkshake made by mom. Aereated drinks were never a part of the grocery list and was limited to an occasional party. But that, when we were growing up.
Thanks to  the internet and globalisation there is no limit to variety of drinks we have now. We still try to stay away from aerated drinks as far as possible.

 I try to incorporate a smoothie or a milkshake into breakfast these days. These 3 drinks have some kind of fruit or vegetable in them.

The Carrot milkshake is the only way my little boy eats his carrots. I steam them before pureering them because I believe it gives a creamier texture. The hint of caradmom in it reminds me of gajar ka halwa(carrot pudding)!





The blueberry lassi is the easiest, no cooking, boiling what so ever. Just plain blueberries, yoghurt and sugar.

   





I love salted caramel. I can eat it right out of the jar. Anything with caramel is a winner for me.
Last autumn I had made an apple tart with salted caramel glaze from here. This milkshake is inspired by that. The salted caramel sauce did take a few attempts to get it right. The important part is to not stir the mixture while it is caramelising and not to leave it on the heat for more than the prescribed time. Else we might end up with burnt sugar. This one is loosely adapted from David Lebovitz` s recipe.

Blueberry Lassi

Makes 1 tall glass

Things you need -

half a glass blueberries
3/4 glass yoghurt + 1/4 glass water (or use 1 glass of buttermilk instead)
sugar as per liking

How its done -

1. Put all ingredients into a blender and whizz for a few minutes.
2. Serve with ice cubes.

Carrot Milkshake

Makes 1 tall glass

Things you need -

2 medium sized carrots, cut steamed or boiled in water for 2-3 minutes *
half a tsp cardamom powder
sugar as required
3/4 glass , about 180 ml cold milk **

How its done -

1. Puree the carrots in a blender.
2. Add milk, cardamom, sugar to the puree and whizz in the blender for a few seconds.
Notes -
* Steaming or boiling them makes the consistency creamier and smooth. You can also eliminate this step.
** This drink can also be had warm. Just replace cold milk with warm milk.

Salted caramel and apple milkshake

Makes 1 tall glass

Things you need -

1 medium apple, cleaned, cored and cut
2 tbsp salted caramel sauce + extra for garnish ( store bought or home made. See recipe below)
3/4 glass or 180 ml milk
few ice cubes ***

How its done -

1. Blanch the apple pieces in boiling water for a minute or 2. Drain and keep aside.
2. Puree the apple and add milk, ice cubes and 1 tbsp of salted caramel sauce. Whizz in the blender and serve with more ice cubes and drizzle with salted caramel sauce.

For the salted caramel sauce -

Makes about 200 ml

Things you need -

1 cup or 180 gms brown or regular sugar
half stick or 4 tbsp or 55 gms of salted butter *
a pinch of salt . (Sea salt or fleur de sel is better)
150 ml single cream ****

How its done -

1.In a heavy bottomed vessel or saucepan place the sugar, butter, salt and a quarter of the cream on high heat and stir well until a smooth mixture forms and butter has melted.
2. Leave the mixture to caramelise. This will take 5-8 minutes. be patient. Do not stir.
3.Once the mixture starts to caramelise or starts turning into an amber colour, swirl it if required. i.e to facilitate even caramelisation. Do not stir.
4. Reduce heat to low and allow it to simmer for 2 minutes. Switch off heat and add the rest of the cream.
5. Allow it to cool before using. Store in a clean jar. To use the sauce, reheat in a microwave for a few seconds or place the jar in hot water for a few minutes or reheat in a saucepan on low heat to loosen the consistency. **

Notes -

* You can substitute for salted butter with unsalted butter and half tsp of salt. Do not use rock salt. It leaves a salty residue in the sauce.
** The measurements for the sauce makes more than what is required for a glass of milkshake. You can use the sauce over ice creams, cakes or cookies to add pizzazz.
*** This drink can also be had warm. Skip the ice cubes and use warm milk instead.
****Heavy cream is used to make salted caramel sauce. I used single cream and it still came out fine. If you wish, you could use heavy cream.

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