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Sunday
, July 7, 2002
Article

Bid aerated drinks a goodbye, taste the goodness of thandai
Ankur Batra

THE summer season sees the cola war getting hot...and hotter as the main soft drink companies engage in all sorts of gimmicks to promote their ‘’co.....ool’’ drinks. In this virtual onslaught of aerated drinks on our taste buds, the casualties have been none other than those centuries old, home-made summer concoctions.

The summer drink that Punjab is most famous for is the lassi, which is known as neer in the south and buttermilk in the western states. But there are other drinks which are not as commonly available, yet have similar thirst-quenching and cooling properties as the lassi.

Thandai is not only cool but nourishing also as it is made of almonds. It is made by mixing khas khas, few crushed almonds and rose petals together, adding some water and sugar to them and blending them together. Add a dash of musk melon seeds, keep the mixture for some time and then sieve it. Serve it with ice.

 


Mango panna is
another summer concoction with tremendous cooling properties. It can be made by peeling raw mangoes, cutting them into pieces and boiling them. Keep them aside till cool. Then blend them in a mixie and store the pulp in a bottle. Before serving, add water and a dash of black salt.

Satoo is a familiar drink in the interiors of Punjab. It can be made either with wheat or barley and it also acts as a hunger reliever. Clean jaun thoroughly and keep it in water for at least four hours, then dry it. After it has dried, roast it and grind it and the satoo is ready. If it is to be made of wheat, macerate the wheat, grind it and add some water. Serve chilled.

Bel ka sharbat is made of a fruit called bel pattar To make it, clean the whole fruit and take out its pulp, mix it with water and add sugar. Boil the mixture and sieve it. Keep it in the fridge for a day before serving. It is also helpful in curing some diseases.

Sandal ka sharbat is quite unpopular but has a lot of advantages. Sandal is easily available in kiryana shops. Soak it in water overnight and in the morning boil it. Make sugar syrup and add the sandal, water and some ice.

Neera is made of date tree water and is white in colour. Neera is actually the sap of the date tree which is collected in pitchers at a particular time of day. It is served in its natural form without any additive.

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