Tri-color refresher - Happy Independence Day

Kesar Sharbat

Ingredients-

·        Saffron (kesar) -  1/2 tea spoon

·        Pepper – 25 pieces

·        Green cardamom – 30 pieces

·        Sugar - 4 cups

·        Citric acid - a pinch

·        Water – 3 cups

·        Orange fruit color – a pinch

·        KMS (Preservative) -  a pinch

·        Rose Water – 2 tsp (optional)

Method-

·        Grind cardamom and black peeper

·        Roast saffron and grind it; as an alternative, you can deep freeze it and then grind it.

·        Dissolve saffron in 2 tsp rose water; if rose water is not available, use regular drinking water instead  

·        Mix sugar, water and citric acid and boil for 7 to 10 minute.

·        Add crushed cardamom and peeper to the above liquid and boil for 4 to 5 minute more

·        Add saffron syrup and further boil for 5 minute

·        Keep it aside for 1 hour and allow cooling.

·        Filter this syrup through a fine sieve.

·        Add orange color and preservative to the syrup.

·        Fill in sterilized bottle and keep in fridge; it will last for around a month.

·        To serve, dilute with chilled water or milk.

Badam sharbat

Ingredients-

·        Almonds - 40 pieces

·        Melon seeds - 30 gm

·        Sugar - 750 gm

·        Cardamom - 10 piece

Method-

·        Soak almonds in water for one night; then remove almond skin.

·        Soak melon seeds and cardamom in little water for 5 to 6 hour in a cool place.

·        Grind above ingredients in a fine paste and filter this paste through very fine sieve or cloth.

·        The coarser mixture which does not get sieved through must be grind once again and filtered again through the same sieve/cloth.

·        Keep the sieved through contents (almonds milk) separately.

·        Prepare sugar syrup by adding 1 cup water to 750 gm sugar; boil for around 5 min; sugar will get dissolved in water and a slightly thick sugar syrup will emerge (1 string sugar syrup).

·        Cool the sugar syrup down to room temperature.

·        Add almonds milk to it.

·        Fill in sterilized bottle and store in fridge as there is no preservative in it. It will last for 15 days.

·        To serve, dilute with water or milk.

Mint squash

Ingredients-

·        Finely chopped fresh mint leaves - 2 cup

·        Sugar - 2 cup

·        Citric acid - a pinch

·        Water- 1+1/2 cup

·        Green (fruit)color – a pinch

·        KMS (preservative) - a pinch

·        Lemon juice – of 5 to 6 lemon

Method-

·        Clean wash and chop mint; sprinkle 2 tea spoon sugar on chopped mint

·        Add sugar in water and boil for 5 minutes; then add citric acid and boil again  for 3 to 4 minute

·        Add chopped mint leaves, then cover with plate and remove the vessel from fire.

·        Keep it aside for 4 to 5 hours and allow cooling and release of color and fragrance of mint.

·        Filter this syrup through very fine sieve or cloth.

·        Dissolve color and preservative to 1 tsp water.

·        Add this to the syrup.

·        Fill this syrup in sterilized bottle and keep in fridge. It will last for around a month.

·        To serve, dilute with chilled water.