Chill with these cool summer drinks

Is the sweltering heat of summer tiring you out?

Then it's time to chill with these drinks that are both therapeutic and cooling.

Xarope de brindão (sha-rop the brin-da-on)

In Goa, we prepare a delicious squash using kokum fruit. This beverage is also available readymade in the market.

Kokum squash, apart from having cooling properties, is also a digestive, an anti-bilious agent (prevents belching) and an anti-allergic agent (in case of hives).

This recipe should help you make about three litres of squash. Make and store in your fridge.

• Wash and deseed about 100 kokums, squeezing out all the pulp that sticks to the seed.
• Boil the flesh until it becomes soft and mushy.
• Grind it in a mixer until it becomes a fine pulp. Add boiled and cooled water if required.
• Strain the juice and measure it.
• Take sugar approximately double the quantity of the juice (eg, for 1 litre juice add 2 kg sugar) and prepare a sugar syrup with 750 millilitres to one litre of water. Sugar acts as a preservative and neutralises the kokum's sour taste.
• Cool the syrup. When lukewarm, add the kokum juice and mix well. Allow the squash to cool completely before bottling.

Mango Panna

• For two glasses of panna, take one large raw mango and boil in water until it becomes very soft.
• Drain the water and remove the skin.
• Squeeze out the pulp from the seed and strain.
• Add cold water to the pulp until you obtain a thin consistency.
• Add sugar and elaichi powder to taste. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
• Pour into glasses and serve.

Mango Fol

This is my late grandmother's recipe.

• For two glasses, take one big semi-ripe mango.
• Wash well and boil until soft.
• Remove the peel and squeeze the pulp from the seed by hand.
• Discard the seed.
• Add cold milk and sugar to taste.
• Stir and pour into glasses. 
• Add ice if desired.

Sip this on a hot humid day for a cooling effect.

Coconut water

Coconut water is the best summer cooler available at any roadside corner.

It contains lots of vitamins and minerals particularly potassium which helps lower blood pressure.

Ginger lime drink

Instead of having plain lime juice or lime juice with soda, try adding a teaspoon of ginger juice (grind ginger with water and strain) per glass for a refreshing ginger-lime beverage.

More summer drinks

Lassi, buttermilk (chhaas), jaljeera and commercially available herbal sherbets such as Rooh Afza should be preferred to aerated soft drinks, which only offers empty calories. Jaljeera works as a very good digestive.

To avoid dehydration

~ The scorching heat of the sun can leave us dehydrated; this poses a health risk if left untreated.

Share your favourite summer recipes with us. The best recipes will be featured on rediff.com 

A fluid based diet is the best way to combat heat. Drink plenty of water and other beverages mentioned below.

~ Avoid going out in the sun between 11 am and 3 pm, as the sun's rays are hottest during this time.

~ Drink a glass or two of water before stepping out of your house to avoid that parched feeling. Carry a bottle of water if going to be out for a long time.

Next: Diet dos 'n' don'ts for summer

Rohini Cardoso e Diniz is a consultant dietician with Naomi's Fitness Centre and manages a private practice in Goa.