To Make Summers Refreshing, Try these Desi Beverages!

Summers are ablaze with extreme heat waves and unusually high temperatures. To make the most of summer, we discovered or rather rediscovered the wonders of the cool summer drinks or the traditional summer drinks. Taking a stroll down memory lane, let's reminisce about past summers with a list of Indian summer drinks, alphabetically arranged.

1. A for Aam ka Panna

It is a typical Indian tangy pulpy drink made with raw mangoes which is generally consumed by Northern and Western India. You just have to boil the green mangoes and add salt, and jeera to it add an appropriate quantity of water and serve chill with ice to savour this timeless drink. While pre-mix is also available, nothing is as good as a homemade experience, despite the inevitable mess. Traditional Indian eateries like Haldirams and Bikanerwalas also serve this refreshing beverage.

2.  B for Bel ka Rass

This is a unique and fairly regional drink served in summer. Bel ka Rass is mostly consumed by the people from North India, especially in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It is a hard fruit with a sweet pulpy core in an orangish-yellow colour. Simply break it open, scoop out the pulp, and mix it generously with water to create a drinkable consistency. Add sugar or jaggery along with lemon juice. Serve it chilled for a refreshing and enjoyable treat. This traditional drink helps to stay hydrated in the summer.

3. J for Jaljeera

Jaljeera is everyone's favourite, a slurry flavoured with mint and green coriander mixed with lemon juice salt and masala added to taste. Primarily sold on the streets of North India, you can spot them through their trademark red cloth-covered matkas (clay pots). Jaljeera is usually chilled either with water or soda. Jaljeera powder is readily available at grocery stores, you can add lemon juice with water or soda, top it up with some mint leaves and ice and you have a refreshing drink ready. You can also add ginger for the flavour.

4. K for Kacchi Keri ka Sharbat

You must have recognised this from the TV show 'Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah', where it's been featured. This beverage is similar to aam ka panna but the variation is the colour and has a sweet taste. It's wonderful in terms of its green colour its rich and tempting. Just need to boil the raw mangoes and grind them thin with a generous amount of water set them at a drinkable consistency add black pepper, pink salt, and sugar syrup and serve it chill. You'll love the flavour and the taste.

5. K for Khas-Khas ka Sharbat

This dark green coloured khas sharbat is made of khas-khas or poppy seeds. Like other fruit drinks, this is also available in concentrate form in bottles, from various brands. You can just add water and ice and it is ready to drink. The taste is sweet, and I like it all by itself and have never tried adding anything else to it.

6. L for Lassi

Lassi the all-time favourite is called Punjab's signature beverage but it is loved worldwide. Thick dahi blended with ice-chilled water and sugar gives a thick and rich texture to the drink. This sweet beverage depicts royalness as it is topped with full-fat cream and nuts. Served in a huge glass if your appetite is good you must try the authentic lassi served on the streets in a matka and also the authentic Punjabi restaurants. Various fusions of flavours are available like kesar, rose, mango and many more.

7. M for Masala Chaas

The summer saviour masala chaas is on its way there are no second thoughts that are a variation of Lassi. It is a thin slurry of dahi and water with a punch of mint and flavourful chaas masala with roasted jeera and salt. The sour taste is amazing and refreshing. You can also try the tadke wali chaas, you just have to crackle jeera, rai, kadipatta, green chillies and hing in hot desi ghee add tadka and serve it.

8. N for Nimbu Shikanji

Call it nimbu shikanji, this is the most common drink served in summer. Be it the streets, fancy restaurants or your homes you'll find it everywhere. You just have to take a few lemons and squeeze them in the water add pink salt, normal salt, ginger, roasted jeera powder and sugar top it with mint leaves and you can also skip sugar as per your preference. Serve it chill and you can also substitute water with chilled soda.

9. S for Sattu ka Sharbat

This desi drink is so desi that its evident in its name. Originated in Bihar this drink is gaining popularity. The widespread availability of sattu in places like the NCR and across India reflects a form of internal globalization, allowing us to experience the diverse flavours of our own country. Sattu comes primarily in two varieties: chana (black gram) and jaun (maize), though there are other types as well. While it can be made at home from whole grains, it's commonly found in powder form in grocery stores for convenience. Mix it with water and flavour it with salt and lemon, sugar, or gur (jaggery) for a delicious and refreshing drink.

10. V for Variyali ka sharbat

We are talking about desi summer drinks of course we will add the flavour of variyali or saunf (fennel) to it. Variyali or saunf ka sharbat is usually made in Gujarat and Rajasthan. It has a really good refreshing taste and flavour. The sweet taste and flavour of saunf in total are truly amazing the variyali powder is a mix of two types of fennel seeds, black raisins and sendha namak soak the mixer in water till it is fluffy, then separate the paste and all the whole ingredients, grind well, add water and lemon juice to it and serve it chill. This can be also served with milk, make sure to avoid the lemon juice.