One Day At A Time

A cool thirst quencher perfect for summer.  Mattha is a spiced buttermilk drink which helps in digestion.  Buttermilk is also known as Taak (Marathi and Konkani), Chaach, Chaas, Majige (Kannada). Ingredients: Curd/Yogurt - 2 cups Green Chillies - 2 Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Ginger - 1/4 inch piece Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Jaggery or Sugar - 1/2 tsp Salt Method: Blend curd with green chillies, ginger, asafoetida, salt and jaggery till all the ingredients are mixed well.  Add 4 - 5 cups water and mix well.  Use ice cold water if you like it chilled.  Lastly add finely chopped cilantro and quick spicy Mattha is ready to slurp.   Add salt, sugar to suit your taste.  Instead of asafoetida, cumin/jeera powder can also be used.  Few (chopped) mint leaves can also be added.

A refreshing healthy lemonade, perfect for summer. Ingredients: Lemon Juice - 3 tbsp Water - 2 cups Ice Cubes - 2 Jaggery or Brown Sugar - 3 tbsp Ginger - 1/4 inch piece Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 1 pod (seeds only) Black Peppercorn/Miri - 1 Salt - 1/8 tsp How to make Panak: Grind green cardamom seeds, black peppercorn to a fine powder. I used a mortar and pestle. Crush the ginger.  Grate the jaggery/gud/gul. In a mixing bowl, add 2 cups water, lemon juice, cardamom and pepper powder, crushed ginger, pinch of salt and jaggery. Stir with a spoon till jaggery dissolves. Add more jaggery to suit your taste. You can use a strainer or sieve if required. Add ice cubes and desi Lemonade is ready.

Tempered buttermilk/chaas/taak gets ready within minutes and tastes great with steamed rice.  In Konkani, this is also called as Phanna Taak. Ingredients: Curd/Yogurt - 1 cup Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Curry Leaves/Kadhipata - a sprig Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Ginger - 1/2 inch piece Salt Oil Method: 1. Wash curry leaves and green chillies.  Pat them dry.  Crush the ginger piece. 2. Beat/Blend the curd with about 2 cups water, salt and turmeric.  Add more water if required. 3. Heat 1 - 2 tsp oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies and asafoetida. When mustard seeds pop, turn off the heat.  Alternatively, a garlic tadka can also be added. 4. Pour this tempering/tadka/phann over the curd.  Add crushed ginger, chopped cilantro and mix. 5. Serve Taaka Kadi with steamed rice or as a drink.

Kokam ( Garcinia indica ) is a round dark coloured sour fruit which looks similar to a plum.  Its dry skin is used for making Sol Kadhi .  Dry Kokum skin, called as Aamsol or Sol or Birindasol is also used as a substitute for tamarind in coconut curries.  I am not sure about its English name Purple Mangosteen.

This is what my Mom used to make for us, on a hot summer afternoon.  Muskmelon or Cantaloupe Juice with fresh coconut milk, called as Chibda Ros  in Konkani.  An Indian Muskmelon, called as Kharbuja in Hindi, Tarbuj  in Marathi and Chibad in Konkani, looks slightly different than an American Cantaloupe, but tastes just the same.