It is end of April, and summer in India has just begun to get hotter. April and May are hottest months in India. This year in Pune mercury has already soared past 40°C and if one has to go by historical records, month of May is not going to bring any respite, on the contrary it is going to get more unpleasant.
I think instead of cursing weather, we must see the silver lining. I like summers as it presents a unique opportunity of consuming cool summer foods, Ice-creams, Lemonades, Juices, and similar recipes that we would not make in other seasons.In these two months, I personally cut down on food solids in my daily diet and start consuming more and more liquids in form of juices, buttermilk, fruits, salads and even Veg Raita. However, it is important for me to ensure that my family does not get bored of same menu every evening, so I keep exploring recipes for juices, lemonades that I can make and keep the summer menu more interesting. This week we made cucumber-mint lemonade and everybody liked it.
Cucumber is my personal favorite, and there are days, when I can totally skip my lunch or dinner if I have 2-3 cucumbers in my vegetable tray. I would peel them, wash them and cut there edges and gobble them up and not bother to slice them or cut them in cubes. In Mumbai and Pune, during summers you would see numerous vendors selling cucumbers on their cart, albeit a different variety. I am referring to cucumbers that are pale green, slender, curling serpent like. These are known as snake cucumber (serpent cucumber or Armenian cucumber). These are hugely popular in summers and are available in plenty. The outer skin is very tender and need not be peeled off. I still make it a point that whenever I and Pranay go out for our shopping, we do stop by these vendors and buy these serpent cucumbers almost half a dozen neatly sliced with salt and chili applied to them. You must be wondering why I am going gaga over just a simple summer food, friends you must eat these to experience the joy of this simple vegetable. Cucumbers have high water content and help to maintain the hydration level of the body.
Mint is synonymous to garnishing in Indian cooking, but apart from its dressing and seasoning value it has got numerous health benefits. It aids in digestion, helps to keep skin acne free, and gives a natural glow, boosts immunity, breath freshener (no need to rely on mint flavored chewing gums, directly pluck some mint leaves kept in your refrigerator and eat them directly). To make the lemonade healthier, I have added dried ginger powder that is easily available in any grocery store. Ginger powder has plethora of health benefits and is best suited for summer drinks.
Make cucumber-mint lemonade this summer, and enjoy the season with your family. Let us know your idea of enjoying summer by posting in the comments section below.
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
- 2 cucumbers cut in small cubes
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves
- 2 lemon Juice
- 2 tsp dried ginger powder
- 1 tsp sugar free
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup water
- Soda water
- Take all the ingredients except soda water in a blender jar and blend them all nicely.
- Strain the blended mixture in a bowl using a strainer.
- Refrigerate the strained juice for 15 minutes.
- After 15 mins, we will serve the lemonade in 2 glasses.
- Fill the glasses till half the capacity.
- Now add soda water until the glass is ¾th full.
- Garnish the lemonade using sliced lemon wedges.
Click here to watch recipe video
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