Iftar hacks: 5 coolers to beat the heat

It’s that dreaded time of the year again, when the scorching sun mercilessly beats down on us, leading to an exponential increase in the sale of all things cool and refreshing, such as ice-cream, kulfi and juices.

Commuting to work during summers is a chore most people detest, and there’s nothing more enticing than the call of the juice wala yelling ‘Thanda Thanda Limo Pani. Sirf Panch Rupay! Please do not pay heed to them, no matter how thirsty you may be. The contents of the juice are questionable at best and you never know when, if ever, the glass was last washed. Instead, pick up some fresh produce on your way home and make one of these five lip-smacking coolers to satisfy your summer craving.

Watermelon-strawberry cooler:



Ingredients:

300 grams watermelon (just the red fleshy part)

1½ teaspoon lemon juice

4-5 strawberries (use frozen if fresh is not available)

Kiwi-lemon chiller:



Ingredients:

3 kiwis (slightly ripe)

1½ teaspoon lemon juice

2 teaspoon honey

½ cup water

Pina Colada:



Ingredients:

½ pineapple (use 4-5 slices of canned pineapple if fresh aren’t available)

½ cup of coconut water

Lime-mint mojito:



Ingredients:

½ tablespoon lime juice

4-5 mint leaves

½ tablespoon honey

1 cup water

5 Apple-pomegranate cocktail:



Ingredients:

2 apples

1 pomegranate

For all the recipes listed above, use the following method:

Put all the ingredients in a blender and mix well. If you have a juicer/extractor or a hand-blender, those would work too.

Use a fine-mesh sieve to remove the pulp from the juice; press on the pulp using a spoon to get all the juice out.

Keep juice in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

Add a handful of crushed ice before serving.

These drinks are an absolute hit at dinner parties! Remember: with great power (read: recipes), comes great responsibility!

Note: Each of the recipes listed above takes a maximum of 5 minutes to prepare and yields approximately 250ml to 300 ml – sufficient for one large or two small servings.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2016.

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