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Move over Aam Panna, meet the new kids on the block

This summer, these new entrants are vying for a place in this cool clique.

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My childhood memories of summer vacations take me back to my grandmother’s home, sipping on chilled glasses of shikanji (sweet and salty lime water) or mango squash, which was her way of treating us during our holidays. Another favourite was aam panna, a slickly sweet drink made of raw mango with that unmistakable sourness, and the rose hue of Roohafza that called out to you. For years, these drinks have been go-to summer coolers, served in homes, restaurants and even on at street corners. This season, however, new entrants are vying for a place in this cool clique.

Enjoy a chilled glass of kokum chaas


 

 

Ingredients like wood apple, commonly known as bael, jaggery, kokum, rhododendron have caught the fascination of chefs across the capital who are innovating with these to muddle a refreshing drink. The idea is to break away from the staid concoctions of lemonade, iced tea, watermelon juice, etc. For instance, Brew Buddy in Gurgaon has used wild cilantro, green chillies and wild bees honey to make Wild Cilantro Berries. Best served chilled, it also has berries, tomato dust, Italian lemon and soda to add an unusual punch to it. Famous coastal restaurant Sana-di-ge has infused kokum with coconut milk in its creation — Kokum Curry. Poured over cubes of ice, the brew is made from kokum, curry leaves, green chillies, mustard seeds, fresh coconut milk, garlic, cumin seeds, and sugar to balance the tartness of kokum. Habitat World in India Habitat Centre, on the other hand, has Kokum Chaas on its menu. “It’s an interesting combination of two elements bearing similar properties of being cool and light for summer,” shares Pawan Uppal, executive chef, Habitat World.

Panakam replaces watermelon juice




Chef Sohan Rawat of Marine Drivve in Rajouri Garden says, “Gone are the days when customers would order the regular options. With beverages like shikanji and watermelon coolers becoming monotonous, the crowd is open to experimenting and experiencing something new. Besides this, now is the era of fusion and it completely makes sense to embrace the trend and strive to offer the customer a fresh idea every time.” Rawat’s Panakam — a lip-smacking drink prepared with panakam (a cooling drink from South India made with jaggery, ginger, lemon juice, cardamon powder and black pepper, mango, green apple and a dash of chaat masala) is a hit with patrons. 
 

There’s mango in my buttermilk
 

Mattha is also big this summer, along with bael. The humble buttermilk is getting star status with varied infusions like mango, while the latter also stands out on its own for the health benefits it possesses. Mango Mattha Cooler and Bael Bedstead at BED in GK-I are the two popular thirst quenchers. Mango puree, lime juice, mattha and kaffir lime leaf is perfect to beat the heat. Bel Bedstead is a mixture of fresh bel juice, orange juice, lime juice and peach puree. Another outlet, Molecule has experimented with mattha, paan and thandai, combining the summer goodness of buttermilk with cooling ingredients of paan and sweetness of thandai.  Meanwhile, one can relish spicy mattha and rhododendron squash at WD House, GK-II. Both the beverages retain their original taste as they are in their purest form. Talking about healthy drinking to prevent heat stroke, Anand Pawar, executive pastry chef at Roseate Hotels and Resorts recommends chikoo lassi which comes loaded with curd, honey and ice.

Cool down with a falsa kulfi sorbet


 

Narangi and falsa are popular summer favourites at home have paved their way into restaurant’s kitchens. Indian Accent’s special summer drink Hazara Narangi as the name suggests is all about tangerine, while falsa has become fanciful as a sorbet in Falsa Churan Kulfi.  Manish Mehrotra, corporate chef, Indian Accent Restaurants says, “Hazara Narangi has hit our bar this summer with our new summer menu. It is an interesting mishmash of tangerines and soda drink, which works really well with our summer delicacies. Also, this year we have initiated to bring one of our traditional fruits found easily across the country — falsa. We have combined it with churan to create a sorbet kulfi — Falsa Churan Kulfi.” 

Clearly, hyper-local is a no longer just a buzzword, with many local ingredients being used in innovative ways to keep you cool this season.

 

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