Rose and Pineapple Cooler

I can live on cool drinks all year long…😉 Being a teetotaller couple, we are constantly looking forward to trying some new flavours of mocktails and coolers…and more often than not we come across great finds👌😚

Speaking of great finds, I also find it interesting to try and make a new flavour combination right in the comfort of my kitchen! Earlier, I have shared the recipe of tropical iced tea which was a total hit! I make it every summer and we can’t get enough of it😀 I keep myself and the hubby hydrated as we sip on some of the most delicious homemade coolers. I have been told by people who have tried my Fruity Green Tea cooler, that it was one of the best ways to enjoy their green tea!

Coming to this gorgeous beauty that has gotten you all parched is my take on two amazing flavours…tropical Pineapple and the very exotic Rose. Rose, on it’s own is very cooling. I have combined it’s flavours with the sweet and slightly tangy juices of local Pineapples and added my twist to it….😁 The resulting cooler/ mocktail is a bit spicy, has the freshness of summer mint and is loaded with ice! Just the thing you need in these sweltering afternoons.

Let’s get started….

Yield: serves 2

Equipment: mortar-pestle, measuring cups/ spoons, mixing spoons, 2 glass/ bottles of your choice to serve the drink.

Ingredients:

1+1/2 cup fresh or canned pineapple juice

4 tsp rose syrup

9-10 fresh mint leaves

1/2 tsp chaat masala (Indian spice mix easily available in Indian Grocery/ Food Stores. If you can’t find chaat Masala, replace this ingredient with some salt and pepper to taste)**

1/4 tsp ginger juice (grate some ginger and squeeze the juice to add to the mocktail)

ice cubes as needed

Method:

Muddle together mint leaves, chaat Masala** and ginger juice together in the mortar-pestle.

Add two tsp rose syrup in each of the 2 serving glasses/ bottles.

Top the rose syrup up with 1-2 tsp of the mint leaves, ginger juice and chaat Masala** mixture.

Add ice cubes. Lastly, pour the Pineapple juice. The flavours will combine on their own, however, you can give them a quick stir. Garnish the drink with a sprig of mint! Enjoy!

Love,

Shreya❤️

Strawberry Iced Tea

I know I’ve been away for a few days….was just tied up with a few things….been on the road for a fair bit of time…phew! Yes….summers and traveling around isn’t the best combination but I did manage it after all. Needless to say, I did need an entire week to recoup and get back the usual routine with the blog and everything else…😁😁

Summers and this scorching heat takes out all the energy from your body…it’s very draining! I hate stepping out in the sun 😩…I just prefer sitting at home and wait for the sun to set 😂 and sip on some cool drinks…homemade fresh fruity drinks are the best way to hydrate yourself and are way healthier than those fizzy, sugar laden sodas.

Yes! My favourite fruit this summer….came to my rescue once again..they are sweet and full flavour so why not use them to make some delicious summer mocktails….I mean, most of you who’ve been regular here are aware that the husband and I, we are teetotallers. So, such fruit based drinks are our best bet against the summers 😜 Speaking of which, have a look at my take on Aam ka Panna (raw mango cooler)

Lets make some Strawberry Iced Tea….🍓🍓☺

Yield: makes 2-3 servings

Equipment: measuring cups/ spoons, a small sauce pan, a potato masher.

Ingredients:

1 +1/2 cup chopped strawberries

4 tbsp sugar (optional, avoid if the strawberries are sweet. Mine were a bit tart hence I used sugar)

3 cup water

2 nos. tea bags (I have used regular tea, no speacial flavour)

ice cubes as needed when serving

Method:

In a saucepan, boil 3 cups of water. Turn off the heat. Add the tea bags and let them steep for about 10 mins. Remove the tea bags and pour the tea from the sauce pan into a jug. Refrigerate the tea for a minimum of 1 hour.

In the meanwhile, in the same sauce pan, add the chopped strawberries along with sugar and cook them together on low heat until  the strawberries are cooked well and look mushy. Use a masher to mash them as they cook. Take them off the heat. Allow the strawberry compote to cool down completely, then using a hand blender or any other other blender, make a purée and set that too in the refrigerator until you have to serve the Iced Tea. (I don’t strain the strawberry compote, you can strain it if you prefer).

Assembling:

Add the cooled strawberry purée to the jug of chilled tea. Add some crushed ice cubes and give it a stir.

To serve:

Fill your favourite glasses/ mason jars with ice cubes and pour the ready Strawberry Iced Tea over them. Place a small strawberry on the top and serve chilled! You can even add a couple of slices of lime as a garnish ☺️ Enjoy!

The strawberry purée and the cooled tea can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

Love,

Shreya❤

 

 

 

 

Spiced Citrus Spritzer

There’s a bit of a heat in the air around here…and I just need an excuse to make a cooling, non-alcoholic drink! Besides, I am all cured of my bad bout of viral and throat infection (season’s best greetings 😂) and all ready to go back to my love for chilled things! 

I can live on chilled drinks and Popsicles and literally do every summer! I am thinking my Fizzy Orange Popsicles needs to be revisited soon🤗

Anyways, coming to the ‘drink of the day’ which was actually made yesterday, it just so happened that I some sweet limes sitting in my fruit basket…they were ridiculously sour! I mean it was more of a large lemon in all fairness. Neither of us would have it for obvious reasons…and I never add sugar to fresh fruit juices so that option goes right out of the window! What next…turn it into a drink of sorts…yes! That I love…so I thought of using some sweetened soda with the citrusy ‘sour’ sweet limes. Spiced…why..how..?…well that’s just a hint of Indian (ness) that goes into the drink! (Check the recipe below and the options for the spice that goes into it)

The result…it was love at first sip! We are going to make it more often. The reason being that despite the sourness of the sweet limes, they have different flavour from our regular lemons. Hence, I will suggest you use sweet limes and not lemons.

Let’s mix some drinks…;)

Yield: serves 2

Equipments: measuring cups/ spoons, juicer.

Ingredient:

1 cup freshly squeezed sweet lime juice

1 cup chilled sweetened soda (I used Mountain Dew as it compliments the colours, you can use any)

3/4 tsp jaljeera powder**

ice cubes as needed

mint leaves as needed to garnish

Method:

Mix soda, fresh juice with jaljeera pwd.

Place ice cubes as needed in each glass and pour the drink over it. Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve chilled!

** If you don’t have jaljeera powder (it’s easily available in most Indian grocery stores. In case you don’t find any, replace it with the following – mix together 1/4 tsp each of roasted cumin pwd, table salt, black pepper pwd & Himalayan Pink salt (kala namak). Add this to the juice & soda, mix! That’s it.

Doesn’t that look perfect! Inspired by a Masala Soda and yet so much more fruity!

Love,

Shreya💗

 

Kiwi Agua Fresca

I know that you aren’t exactly looking for a summer drink in a climate that calls for Pyaaz ki Kachori and a cup of hot, ginger tea!! But when it comes to Kiwi, I can only think of Popsicles or some healthy drink (not too cold as I am still recovering from a bout of viral 🙄 So my Kiwi Mojito Popsicles are out question) and a crisp, fruity Agua Fresca is just the answer for it! Delicious, healthy and pretty….all at the same time 😘

Also, because I am in no mood to go into making anything elaborate that’d keep in the kitchen for long..nope, not happening! Meaning, this one’s too easy 😂

So what’s an Agua Fresca you’ll ask me..well it’s Spanish for ‘fresh water’ and can be made with a variety of fruits for adding a lovely flavour to water. I have made some with watermelons last year..(never blogged that though). This time around, it’s with some juicy kiwis, mostly because I’ve about a dozen of them sitting in my refrigerator and the Mister ain’t a fan of the fruit by itself. So this drink is a good option taste wise and to bring in some colour to these drab, grey rainy days 🤗 And pairs well with some Corn & Paneer Toasties for a quick and filling snack 👌🏼

Let’s see how…

Yield: serves 2-3

Equipment: a blender, measuring cups/ spoons.

Ingredients:

2 nos. green kiwis peeled & sliced (do not de seed)

1 tbsp honey (optional)

3 cups water

Method:

Place all the above ingredients in the blender and give them a go until the fruit is blended completely. Taste for sweetness and adjust. You can add more water if you like a slightly thinner beverage.

Serve immediately and enjoy! This drink tastes best with the crunch of the seeds from the kiwi fruit so do not strain it. But that’s upto you!

You can also place a slice of kiwi and few sprigs of mint to make it all dainty…but then again that’s just me! You’d might as well have this out of the blender jar 😜..who’s to know!?

Love,

Shreya💗

Adapted from Averie Cooks

Fruity Green Tea Cooler

Summers have arrived and how!? The heat kills me and all I want to do is sip on something chilled. But my hubby & I, we are both teetotallers, so I  try to make some healthy, non-alcoholic drinks when at home..😍 

Last summer too, I had shared some easy to do mocktail recipes over at Summer Siesta.  You may even find some of the most delicious ice creams there! 👌

As I have said above, that we are a teetotaller couple….well that’s not entirely true because…I don’t even drink tea or coffee!! Yes, that’s right, I DON’T! Never have needed the kick from caffeine to wake me up every morning or to get rid of a bad headache. When most people learn this fact about me, they are surprised and try to convince me otherwise and stuff…LOL!! Makes no difference to me 😝

But I always make a large mug of tea and that’s just for my hubby…who loves his ‘chai’, proper with ginger and lots of milk! To be honest, he’s the one who taught me how to make a ‘decent cup of tea’. I’d never be told to make any at Mom’s as I never drank any so nobody trusted me to make it well! Hahahah…and I never complained😹😹

So coming on to my Fruity Green Tea Cooler, it’s delicious with a hint of grassy flavour that it gets from the green tea…but it’s dominated by the fruitiness it gets from one of my favourite fruits! 😋 Besides, it’s too easy to make and will compliment everything summery…🍹🍹🍹

Let’s see how….

Serves: 2

Equipment: a blender, a saucepan, measuring cups/ spoons.

Ingredients:

2 cup chilled de seeded & chopped watermelon

1 nos. green tea bag (I used Lemon & Honey)

1 + 1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp lemon juice

honey to taste

ice cubes as needed to serve

Method:

Brew the green tea with warm water. Let cool down completely. Then chill this green tea for about 30 mins.

 

Once this is chilled, add the green to the blender along with lemon juice, chopped watermelon & honey. Blend all these for a minute until everything is blended well. That’s it, add ice cubes if you like & enjoy!

Now, doesn’t that look absolutely charming! I guess having something as healthy as this is much better than grabbing a can or two of cola!!

Love,

Shreya❤️

Adapted from The Busy Baker

Aam Panna | Indian Mango Cooler

Aam Panna is synonymous with summers in most Indian homes. Heaps of raw mangoes are washed, wiped dry, boiled and turned into this yummy sweet, salty & spicy concoction. Although, it is very common, but every household has some variation in the recipe which makes this drink so famous and irresistible!

Aam Panna is famous for it’s heat-resistant properties besides being delicious! My Mom says it’s great for digestion and insists we have it daily.

It is served as an appetiser too during summers which tastes best when served chilled! I usually don’t add ice cubes as it dilutes the flavour and the tartness of the drink but stick to using chilled water.

I follow my Mom’s recipe, which goes like this….

Yield: 3/4 th litre of concentrate

Equipment: pressure cooker, measuring cups/ spoons, a large bowl, blender (handheld will do too), a clean & dry bottle to store the concentrate.

Ingredients:

6-7 nos. raw mango/ kairi (I used Totapurri)

1+1/2 cup sugar (adjust it as per preference)

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt (kala namak)

2 tbsp roasted cumin pwd

a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

salt to taste

2-3 cup Water to boil the mangoes

Method:

Wash the raw kairi & wipe them dry. Pressure cook them with 2-3 cups of water without peeling them for about 2 whistles. Let the steam release on its own. Then, once the boiled kairis have cooled, squeeze out the pulp from the peels and the seeds. Add some water in which the kairis were boiled to the pulp but not too much. About 1/2 a cup is enough to make the correct consistency.

Then add all the above mentioned ingredients to the pulp. Purée them all together in a blender or using a hand blender. Taste the mixture and correct the salt or sugar to your liking. Store this concentrate in a bottle in the refrigerator for upto 2-3 weeks. Mix 1 part of chilled water with 1 part of the concentrate, stir and serve!

Absolutely delicious and it’s the best thirst quencher…beats a Cola for me!

Love,

Shreya❤️

Summer Siesta!

I love summers …I hate summers.. Don’t really know which is true. I hate it because everything is so hot and humid. It really kills me. 😰😰 But I have more and better reasons to love the summers! 

The drinks…the ice-creams…sorbets..popsicles! The “not so traditional” twist on the desi favourites!

I have done all this and more on PolkaPuffs! this summer…I like to call the Summer Siesta! 

Strawberry Panna cotta..

The name itself sounds so exotic , seductive and not to forget romantic 😍 I love the silken texture and the smoothness! And I am rather good at making them. 😉💃

Strawberry Panna cotta !

Spiced Mango Popsicle!

I have used some exciting flavours to give these popsicles a bit of warmth that will take you by surprise between icy cool licks!! ☺️

Spiced Mango Popsicles

Iced Green Tea Limeade!

This delicious twist on the popular lemonade results in a sweet, slightly tart & refreshing drink!

I’ve spiked it with a bit of fennel seeds (saunf) and the taste is amazing!

Iced Green Tea Limeade

No Churn Orange Ice Cream ! 😀

It’s summertime! It’s ice cream time! Who doesn’t crave ice creams in summers!? I know I do…
Why not start with a no – fail recipe, which requires just under 15 mins of prepping! 😋

No Churn Orange Ice Cream!

Mint & Kiwi Sorbet!

I adore Sorbets! They are so incredibly fresh and flavourful without being too loaded with calories! For those who haven’t yet tried it so far or heard much about it, Sorbet is a frozen dessert made with mildly sweet water flavoured with puréed fruits or liqueurs…whatever one prefers.. 😊 And it’s really a boon to know that it’s super easy to make these…🍧

Mint & Kiwi Sorbet!

Tropical Iced Tea!

Summers for me, call for a cooling and refreshing drink! Something healthy and easy to do !
Today I bring to you another of my homemade, easy and delicious drink that will leave you feeling refreshed! It’s my Tropical Iced Tea!

As the name suggests, it obviously has a strong flavour of tea…but what brings a twist to these beauties are the sunny tropical notes it’s sweet and tangy! Chilled and loaded with ice cubes! What more could one ask for on a hot summer day?!

Tropical Iced Tea

Thandaai Mousse!

My twisted take on everyone’s favourite! ☺️

Thandaai Mousse!

Dahi Wadas on a Skewer!

I gave our good, old Dahi Wadas a bit of swagger! 😉😉 check these babies out..!

Dahi Wadas on a Skewer!

Minty Pomegranate Mock Mojitos! 

So…it’s getting hotter here in Mumbai for the last couple of days..and my lemony, minty, zingy pomegranate mock Mojitos are perfect to beat the heat! They are super easy to make and total party pleasers!!

https://polkapuffs.wordpress.com/2015/02/24/minty-pomegranate-mock-mojitos-%f0%9f%8d-%b9%f0%9f%8d/?preview_id=102

I hope you guys will enjoy each of these soon… These are too good to let go!

Love,

Shreya ❤️

Iced Green Tea Limeade

I believe in keeping myself hydrated ..especially in these relentless summers! I keep on drinking water and somehow I end up feeling even more thirsty. I am sure it happens to all of us out there. 

So, we, meaning my hubby and myself choose healthy drinks over aerated ones. Not that we don’t like them..it’s just that we tend to avoid the sugar laden drinks. I believe in sipping on some coconut water, Jaljeera or a glass or chilled Kokom Sherbet is healthy as well as delicious! 😀 You’ll know what I mean when you have a look at my Minty Pomegranate Mock Mojitos or Tropical Iced Tea… These drinks are easy make and total party pleasers!❤️

Green Tea is a regular feature in my household…its loaded with health benefits..keeps you energetic while it flushes out all the toxins! What better could one ask for?! 👌I am no dietitian…so I don’t exactly know how much does it help in weight loss..but have heard people saying it aids weight loss. We usually have a cup or two in a day..not more as we have it as a refreshing drink.

So, yesterday was a hot day as usual.. And I wanted to make some chilled & refreshing drink for my hubby to have once he’s back from work 💕 hence thought of doing something easy and quick with Green Tea. I know he’d like it even before he’d taste it!  It goes like this…

Yield: 4 servings

Equipment: a sauce pan, a strainer, a stirrer, measuring cups / spoons, a knife, a grater.

Ingredients:

4 cups water

2 tbsp fresh mint leaves

1 tsp freshly crushed fennel seeds (saunf)

honey to taste to sweeten the tea (sugar can be used as well instead of honey as per your taste)

zest of 1 lemon

4 Green Tea bags (I used Tetley)

Juice of 2 lemons (add more if you wish to but the lemons I used were very sour hence didn’t need anymore)

Method:

In the saucepan, boil water, mint leaves, crushed fennel seeds & lemon zest (use the grater to zest the lemons) and sugar (if using) until the sugar dissolves. If you are not using sugar, then boil the water with all the other ingredients for 5-7 mins and remove from heat. Dip the tea bags into the water for 10-12 mins. Remove the tea bags. Let the warm concoction sit until it comes to room temperature. Strain the concoction into a jug or a large bowl to eliminate the residue from the mint leaves, fennel seeds & the lemon zest, add the honey to taste and the lemon juice. Stir well. Chill the tea for 2-3 hours. It’s done! Simply pour over ice cubes in your favourite glasses and serve!!

Shelf life: the tea keeps well for a day in refrigerator…not that it will last that long 😛

Love,

Shreya 💖