Monsoon Magic (Ramadan special drink)

Ramazan is the ninth month of the Islamic calender and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief. This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillers of Islam (source : Wikipedia)
So when I saw my fellow blogger friend Shaheen Ali from Spoonforkandfood Ramzan special post I fell in love with the rituals performed during this holy month.....fasting from dawn until sunset, performing prayers together, discipline, self control, charity and everything that makes you a better human being :)
And that inspired me to do a Ramazan special post ( heartfelt thanks to Muzammil Shaikh for answering all my queries patiently:) )
So these long fasting hours especially during Indian Summers dehydrates your body, and the need of having plenty of liquids, drinks and juices at the time of Sehri and Iftari becomes all the more important.
Here's my Monsoon Magic.....when the tanginess of mangoes blend with the sweetness of litchi, it certainly creates a magic :) A perfect thirst quencher and ideal during fasting days.

Special thanks to my friends Manot Kaur and Sumeet Verma for the beautiful images :)
Ingredients:

• 3-4 Raw mangoes
• 2-3 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 2 tsp black salt
• Back pepper powder to taste
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup Sugar or to taste
• 15-20 crushed mint leaves
• 2 cups water

Other ingredients:

• 3 packs of litchi juice
• 2-3 Tbsp soaked basil seeds
• Few mint leaves
• Lemon slices

Preparation time: 15-20 mins
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Kitchen equipments required: Pressure cooker, sauce pan, mixing spoons
Yields: 5 servings.

Directions:

• Wash mangoes and pressure cook till 2-3 whistles.
• Remove the peel and take out the pulp
• In a saucepan add water, mango pulp and cook along with sugar and spices for 5-6 minutes.
• Add mint leaves and switch off the flame.
• Let the mixture cool.( This is a basic Aam panna recipe, if you want to be more experimental with flavours do check my Aam panna and Kala khatta granita recipe here)

Assembling:
Add 2-3 tbsp of panna concentrate in a glass, next add a tbsp of soaked basil seeds and fill the glass with some litchi juice,stir well and add some ice cubes.
Garnish with mint leaves and a lemon slice.
Serve chilled.

Indian Masala tea

If you are cold, tea will warm you; if you are too heated, it will cool you; if you are depressed, it will cheer you; if you are excited it will calm you. ~William Ewart Gladstone

One of the life's simple pleasures lies in sipping a hot cup of freshly brewed tea leaves with fragrant spices and condiments and biting a spicy VADA PAV , KACHORI OR FRITTERS on a cold winter day.

Sharing today traditional Indian masala chai recipe.

Ingredients:

• 20-25 green cardamom
• 1/4 th cup ground dry ginger powder/sounth
• 20-25 black pepper corn
• 10 -12 cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 star anise(optional)
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds(optional)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder(optional)

Directions:

• Grind all the  spices mentioned above in a blender to a fine powder.
• Store in an air tight bottle.
  

For making masala tea:

• 3/4th cup of water
• Sugar to taste
• 1 tsp tea leaves
• 1 tsp chai masala
• A small piece ginger (crushed)
• 2-3 basil leaves(optional)
• 1/4th cup milk

Directions:
Boil water in a pan, add sugar, tea leaves, chai masala powder  along with crushed ginger and basil  leaves. Boil it for 3-4 minutes on low flame, add milk and boil for another 3-4 minutes.
Serve hot. 

For iced tea lovers  try  these refreshing flavours orange spiced tea or Earl grey & rose iced tea or Peach & apple iced tea

Peach & Apple Iced green tea

Kick start your day with this refreshing Iced green tea infused with peaches and apples and flavoured with ginger juice.......

Green tea is made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis. It is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients and dietary fibre that are helpful in curing many ailments.

Adding fresh fruits to it enhances its taste and nutrient value of the tea.
I have shared Earl grey & rose iced tea and Orange spiced iced tea some time back with you.

This time it is cold brewed refreshing fresh fruit infused iced green tea to beat the heat!!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cold water
• 3  bags green tea
• 1  bag black tea
• 3 medium sized peaches sliced
• 1 big apple sliced
• 1/2 tbsp ginger juice
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Honey as per taste
• Ice cubes
  

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Total time : 8 hours refrigeration plus 30 minutes
Yields : 4 servings

Directions:

• Add 4 cups of filtered cold water in a pitcher, drop tea bags cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Slightly mash the fruits using a spoon or muddler 
• Add fruits and ginger juice into the brewed tea and let it rest for 30-40 minutes.
• Fill the glasses with ice cubes and pour the tea over the ice.
• Stir in some honey and lemon juice.
• Serve chilled.

Fruity Caramel Sauce Milkshake

Caramel is sugar that has been taken just to the edge of burning and the colour varies from beige to golden brown

                                                Image Source : Wikipedia

Making caramel sauce at home is not at all difficult, and I personally prefer homemade over store bought. Just few ingredients and your sweet buttery yummylicious caramel sauce is ready.

Here is the list of ingredients you need:

For Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 can Condensed Milk
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method:

• Combine sugar and water in a heavy-duty saucepan. 
• Cook over medium-high heat, until mixture comes to a boil. 
• Continue to boil, without stirring, for 10 to 14 minutes, tilting pan occasionally to keep colour even until mixture turns a deep amber colour. 
• Remove from heat stir in condensed milk (mixture will foam up) do not scrape sides of pan. Add 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, one tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition. 
• Stir in remaining butter and vanilla extract until smooth.

For Milkshake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Caramel Sauce
• 1 large ripe banana
• 1/2 apple peeled
• 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 cup milk

Method:

Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Serve and top with additional Caramel Sauce, if desired.

Notes:

• Monitoring the heat and constantly stirring when adding condensed milk and butter will give you just the right consistency.
• Caramel sauce does not take much time to cook, but make sure it is completely cool before you use it in your shake or any other dessert.