The extension of the lockdown to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, across India through the end of May has indeed proven to be a disappointment for people of all ages. Many kids were looking forward to going out to the parks and beaches to play with their friends, youngsters were hoping to party with their gang, while adults were longing for a short vacation before their normal routines resumed and life became the usual kind of hectic once again.

Nevertheless, besides big plans, even the simple pleasures of life were being taken away. For most of you, summer season heralded not only long, hot days, sweating constantly and seeking comfort in an air-conditioned environment, but also enjoying the chilling, refreshing drinks the local shopkeeper would churn out in chunks, which were easily one of the best solutions to beat the heat.

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Agreed, fruit juices of harvest bounty, such as mango, orange, papaya and watermelon, are truly reinvigorating and provide that much-needed boost of energy in the immense heat. However, some traditional desi recipes such as Masala Chaas, a popular spiced yoghurt drink in North India and Nannari Sarbath, a favourite cool drink made from Sarsaparilla or Anantmul roots in the Southern states are also savoured while taking a stroll in the streets in the blazing hot weather. Also Read: Buttermilk, lifeline in the summer

Well, you don’t have to miss out on these drinks anymore. We bring you simple recipes of masala chaas and nannari sarbath that you can quickly make at home and relish with friends and family.

Nannari Sarbath

Ingredients:

4 tbsp Nannari root

5 cups of water

1 cup of sugar

1 tsp salt

¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

5 - 7 ice cubes

Method:

Break open the nannari root by pounding, to remove the white inner stalk and discard the white part.

Wash the dark bark of the root in running water to remove all dirt.

Grind to a coarse powder in a blender on high speed.

Transfer the ground nannari root mixture, water, sugar and salt to a cooker.

Pressure cook for 5 minutes on medium flame.

Filter out this cooked concoction to obtain the pure liquid.

In a pan, heat the sweetened nannari mix on medium flame and stir continuously until a thick consistency is obtained.

Allow it to cool and store this nannari concentrate in the refrigerator, which can be used up to one month.

In a tall glass, add the nannari syrup, lemon juice, ice cubes and some water.

Serve this nannari Sarbath chilled and enjoy this popular summertime drink with family and friends.

Nutrition:

Nannari is the Tamil name of the Indian Sarsaparilla or Anantmul, a powerful medicinal herb. Its roots possess significant cooling properties and work wonders in lowering body heat. Moreover, nannari also facilitates smooth digestion and relieves constipation and acidity, thereby detoxifying the system. Lemon juice is a rich source of vitamin C, for boosting immunity and enriching skin texture, besides rectifying kidney stones and promoting renal health. Also Read: Excessive Body Heat: 7 Simple Ways To Bring It Down

Masala Chaas

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh curd

2 cups cold water

1 green chilli, finely chopped

Salt, as per taste

1 tsp black salt/kala namak

1 tsp cumin powder

Some crushed ice

A few mint leaves

A bunch of coriander leaves

Method:

Whisk the fresh curd, adding a little water, into a fine consistency.

In a mixer, add the whisked curd along with the green chillies, salt, cumin powder and kala namak.

Blend this mixture to obtain a homogenous liquid.

Pour this spiced buttermilk into tall glasses.

Add some crushed ice and top off the drink with fresh, finely cut mint leaves and coriander leaves.

Enjoy the masala chaas in the sweltering hot weather for a wonderful cooling effect.

Nutrition:

Curd contains ample amounts of proteins and healthy fats, that assist in proper growth and development of muscles and tissues in the body. Green chilli is loaded with capsaicin antioxidants, which prevent the occurrence of cancer. Mint leaves are a natural solution for easing gut problems and coriander leaves offer plenty of vitamin A, for enhanced eyesight.