Chill Out!

Food and drinks are a passion with Shailaja Abhyankar. A passion that she loves to share with others through her various best-selling cook books including Dawat-e-Hyderabad, Chinese Cooking for Indian Homes in English and Sugrun and Chopsticks in Marathi. Now that the heat is on what better time than this to ask the expert about how to keep your cool. As any thirsty soul will testify, a tall, chilly drink is the best thing to fix frayed tempers and that sinking feeling. 8220;After coming in from the scorching summer sun, a cool refreshing drink is welcome. It helps cool your body and replenish that much needed energy. There is an array of traditional Maharashtrian drinks made from seasonal fruits.8221; 8220;Panha, made from raw mangoes kairi which are roasted before their juice is extracted. Jaggery is added just as much as a sweetener as for its nutritive value. Mattha which is buttermilk seasoned with ground coriander, jeera, salt, pepper with a piece of ginger isa great way to stay cool. You could also try lassi either spiced or sweetened. With the heat of summer some people tend to lose their appetite. A glass of jeera pani could make you rush to the dining table again. Kokam sharbat is also known for its cooling properties. Piyush is another refreshing concoction that combines the goodness of mangoes with the tanginess of lassi.

The natural goodness of seasonal fruits like watermelons, oranges, sweet lime, chikoos, strawberry and mangoes can be extracted in the form of juice. With garnishings of cherries, sprigs of mint and lemon wedges, these juices are ideal pick-me-ups. A delightful fruit punch could be just the drink to enliven a party if you want to stay away from the spirits. To add flavour you can add weak tea, gingerade, lemonade or soda water. If you want something filling, milk shakes with seasonal fruits would be the answer, but can be a little heavy. Health freaks can also make juices of vegetables, chopped and passed through the blender. Carrot juice can be used as a base for juices of cabbages or spinach and seasoned with salt and pepper. Tomato and carrot juices sweetened with honey or sugar also make for pleasant drinks. Wedges of the same vegetable can be used to garnish the drink.8221;

Date8217; with papaya
Here8217;s one of Shailaja8217;s favourite recipes 8212;
Ingredients: 400 gms ripe papaya diced
8 dates, deseeded and soaked in milk
1 banana/ juice of 1 mango
Sugar to taste optional Chilled milk as required
Crushed ice

Method:
Combine papaya, dates, banana /mango, and sugar. Pass the mixture through a blender and then a sieve. Fill half of the papaya mixture in a glass and add two tablespoons of crushed ice. Fill the glass with chilled milk. Add a dash of elaichi powder and serve chilled.