Apple and Oats Smoothie

An Apple a day, keeps the doctor away.  I'm not here to do any research on this statement but to share a very simple recipe with apples.  Suddenly I realized that I have more than 2 dozens of apples leftover in my refrigerator, with outside temperature 40 degree Celsius, I don't even want to think about apple pie, strudels or crumbles.

 So all I dream about is just something cool and soothing like juice, milkshake or smoothie. When I think about smoothies or milkshakes with apples, the immediate thing which came to my mind was Nithya's Apple and Oats Smoothie.  After a quick glance at her blog for the recipe, I found that, Nithya has got this recipe from Priya's Blog.  So hats off to both Priya and Nithya for this yummy drink.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Apples- 2 ( peeled and chopped )
Milk- 300 ml
Oats- 1 tbsp
Sugar/ Honey- according to your taste.
Few ice cubes ( optional ).
Nuts for topping ( optional )

Method:
Add all the ingredients in a blender except nuts.  Blend it until nice and smooth.  Pour it in individual serving glasses, top it up with nuts.  Serve immediately. 

Note:
Do not store this smoothie, the colour of the smoothie will start changing due to apples which might be unappealing and not good either.

Linking this recipe with Healthy Morsels- Baby and Toddler Food, Kids Delight- Fruits,  Let's Cook With Fruits, Summer Spirits, Cool Summer Sips, Jump and Jive.

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Home made Nannari Sherbet from scratch

It's summer here in India, actually not just summer, it's ssssummmmeeer.  Why I want to stress the summer is, summer isn't much of fun here, although it's summer vacation for kids, it's like visiting friends and family, couldn't enjoy it to the most.  The Sun has started showing the heat at it's peak, couldn't help about it, since we can't fight with nature. Along with this the frequent power cuts which makes it much more worse. Now we could do nothing with nature, either the power cut.  So all we can do is just intake something to reduce the body heat, to avoid all scorching and scratching.
  After taking gallons and gallons of water, still doesn't seem to satisfy our dry and sore throat.  So we need something something else more than water to balance the heat here.  Yes, it's hot and humid here but still there are few solutions which can manage the heat to some extent and reduce the body heat.

Tender coconut water is one of the best thirst quencher, it also acts as a natural coolant for our body, apart from that melons which are available in abundance everywhere here, which is again one of the best thirst quencher.  Now coming to the hero of our story, Sherbet.  There are many different type of Sherbets and Squash are available, the one which is most common and popular here in India is Nannari Sherbet or may be only in South India.

Nannari or Sarsaparilla is a root which  acts as a natural coolant for our body.  Nannari is good for many skin infections, it also purifies the blood. Regular intake of it reduces the burning sensation in stomach.  Our ancestors have made this   syrup using nannari root, jaggery and lemon juice.  After years , jaggery is been replaced with sugar.  Although Jaggery is a better version, there are some myths that jaggery increase the body heat which may be even true.  So I made the syrup using sugar and added a bit of colour to give the traditional look of Nannari Sherbet, a bright vibrant red colour.  Nannari Sherbet which is available in markets are normally tinted with yellow, orange or red.  You can leave it without adding any colour, which would be a perfect glass of healthy drink. 
When you have a bottle of syrup ready, add a squeeze of lemon juice, some water and few ice cubes, time to chill out...

Preparation Time:5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes+ 8 hours soaking time
Makes nearly 400 ml of syrup

Ingredients:
Nannari root- 5 to 6 pieces
Water- 1/2 litre
Sugar- 5 tbsp
Lemon - juice of 4 lemon
Few drops of food colouring of your choice (optional)

Method:
Break the nannari root with the mortal and pestle.  Break the outside hard and take the inner part of the root.  Powder it in a blender.  Heat the water until it starts boiling.  Take it off from heat, add the powdered nannari.  Cover it and let it rest for 1 whole night or minimum of 8 hours.
After 8 hours, strain the liquid through a fine filter or muslin cloth.  Add the sugar to the strained liquid and heat it again.  Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves completely.  Let it boil until it reaches a sticky consistency.  Take it off from heat, add the colourin and  let it cool down completely.  Add the lemon juice and stir well and store it in a sterilized bottle.  This can be kept for upto 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

To prepare the juice:
Nannari syrup- 1 tbsp
Water- 200 ml
Lemon- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Sugar if needed
Few ice cubes
Basil seeds- 1/2 tbsp (soaked in water)

Method:
Add everything to a tall glass, give it a good stir and enjoy .

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Jil Jil Jigarthanda

Jil Jil Jigarthanda is a cool drink,known to be originated from Madurai, Tamil Nadu state of India.  Although this is a popular drink in Madurai,  this can be found allover Tamil Nadu. I have also come across different flavours in different places.  Some have a malai taste along with jelly and ice cream.  The common one must be with rose flavour,badam pisin  and ice cream.

Badam pisin is a type of edible gum which looks like a little stone or rock.  This is known to be a natural coolant for our body.  This is consumed a lot during summer here in India.  Badam pisin, the jelly like substace is generally used along with Nannari sherbet,jigarthanda or any other cool drink.

Ingredients:
Milk-1/2 litre
Sugar- 3 tbsp
Rose syrup- 3 to 4 drops
Badam pisin- 3 to 4 pieces
Ice cream- 4 scoops( vanilla or kulfi flavours)

Method:

Soak the badam pisin in a glass of water for overnight.  Badam pisin absorbs all the water and it looks like a jelly .  |Add some  more water to it and leave it in the refrigerator until you use it.
Now boil the milk along with 1/4 litre water, continue boiling it until reduces to half.  Take off from heat.  Let it cool down completely.  Add rose syrup and sugar,mix it well until the sugar dissolves completely. Refrigerate for minimum of 4 to 5 hours before serving.  Just before serving, take a tall glass, add a spoonful of badampisin in the bottom, pour the rosemilk,stir well and top it up with the ice cream.

Note:
Increase or decrease the amount of sugar according to your taste.  Please don't add the badam pisin along with the milk and store it in the refrigerator, badam pisin will absorb all the liquid.

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Nongu Paal (Palm Fruit Drink)

If it's different type of colourful berries in the west for summer, here in India we have plenty of tropical fruits like mangoes, jackfruit etc...  Among fruits if you ask me which is the best, I definitely can't.  Each fruit is unique and has it's own goodness.

 Yes you have unbearable heat in summer when it comes to tropical countries like India, but God  has also blessed them with abundant amount of fruits which cools down their body. The recipe which I made here is using palm fruit.  I'm sure atleast people from South India will be familiar with this fruit.   In summer people just crave for this fruit.  One thing which amazes me about this fruit is, palm tree is grown in extreme hot climate and the place where the tree grows is totally dry and looks like a dessert, actually not like a desert, it is a desert.   As you know palm tree grows in most of the dry desert regions, but  the fruit inside is high in water content and it also cools down your body, by which I'm amazed by this fruit.

When you go for a drive or walk in 40 degree C and come back home no matter how much bottle of water or juices you drink will not satisfy you.  But a glass of chilled palm fruit drink is a perfect thirst quencher.

  This recipe was strongly suggested by mom in law to publish in my blog but I made it in my mom's place and publishing it now.  Almost everyday  in summer this is a must in our mom in law's place and yeah I got the exact recipe from her.  Ever since I named my blog as Taste Of Pearl City, I never published any recipe to represent my home town and now I'm more than happy to publish the real Taste Of Pearl City , from Pearl City i.e my home town.

Recipe source: Mom-in-law and Mom
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes( Chilling time for 3 to 4 hours)
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Milk- 1/2 litre
Sugar or honey- according to your taste you can add to sweeten the milk
Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp
Rose water- 1/2 tsp
Palm fruit- 10
Pomegranate seeds- 1 tbsp( optional)
Rose- 1 ( optional)

Method:
Boil the milk along with cardamom powder and let it cool down completely.  Peel the palm fruit.  Blend 5 of the fruit in a blender and chop the remaining into small pieces. Add the pureed and chopped palm fruit, sugar or honey, rose water to the cooled milk and mix well until the sugar dissolves.
Pour the milk in a container and place it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours.  Just before serving add some ice cubes and top it with pomegranate seeds and rose petals.
If you are not a big fan of pomegranate seeds and rose petals, you can omit it.  It taste absolutely perfect just on it's own.

Note:
I haven't mentioned the amount of sugar or honey, since different people use different amount of sweetness, you can vary it according to your taste.


This recipe goes to the following event,
Bookmarked recipes by Priya and Aipi,  Serve it chilled by Oh Taste N See, Kid's Delight - Cool Comfort by Seduce your Taste Buds originally started by Srivalli, Only Coolers and Mocktails by Simply Food started by Foodelicious, Fun N Sun by Tickling Palates, Seasonal Indulgence- Series Summer Coolers by Saffron Streaks  and What's Everyone having for Iftar

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Cherry MilkShake

There is abundance of cherries in market and i have a lot in my kitchen too, so everything goes cherry. The addition of cherries is not just healthy and sweet, it also gives a lovely pink colour,which my girlie girls love to have. This is yet again a simple milkshake with cherries and banana, you can also replace cherries with berries, mango, peach, pineapple or even papaya.
Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients:
Cherries fresh or frozen- 1 cup( If using fresh remove the seeds inside)
Banana-1
Milk- 700 ml
Vanilla Ice cream- 1 scoop
Few crushed Ice cubes
Method:
Peel and chop the banana, add all the ingredients in a blender, blend it to smooth. Serve immediately in a tall glass with few more crushed ice cubes on top.

This recipe goes to Sizzling Summer Contest.

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Summer Fruit Drink

With the addition of  all  healthy summer fruits with freshly squeezed  orange juice , makes it very light and keep you satisfied. One 250 ml glass of juice contains 2 of your 5 a day.

Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients:
Freshly squeezed orange juice- 1 litre
Mixed frozen summer fruits( berries, peach, pineapple, kiwi, mango etc)-1 cup
Method:
Blend together all the ingredients in a blender. Pour it in a tall serving glass and serve with some crushed ice cubes.

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Melberry Cooler

Melberry  is not a new fruit, i just made it short for watermelon and strawberry. Here  we have to say it's summer, summer so that feel like summer but sunshine very rarely , yet we started getting all summer fruits in markets. Watermelon is the best summer cooler than any other fruits, it's full of water packed with nutrients.
Coming to the recipe.

Serves 2 large glasses
Ingredients:
Watermelon- 2 cups chopped without skin and seeds
Strawberry- about 8, stalks removed, washed and chopped
Few crushed ice cubes
Method:
Combine all the ingredients together in a blender and whizz it up, pour it in tall glasses and serve with extra ice cubes if required.

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Neapolitan

The mixed flavours starting from vanilla, passing through the chocolate banana mixed with berries is a real treat.

Makes 300 ml

Ingredients:
Strawberries or mixed berries-75 g
Banana-1/2 small
Chocolate ice cream-2 scoops
Vanilla ice cream-2 scoops
Vanilla extract- a few drops
Semi skimmed milk-125 ml
Milk powder-1 tbsp
Fresh cherries to decorate on top
Method:
Wash the strawberries, chop into small pieces. Put in a blender and whizz until smooth and thick, pour it in a glass and set aside. Peel and roughly chop the banana and put it in a clean blender, add the chocolate ice cream and blend until smooth and thick. Carefully spoon over the strawberry puree.
In a clean blender, blend the vanilla ice cream with the vanilla extract, the milk and milk powder and then carefully spoon over the chocolate layer. Keep some fresh cherries on top, serve immediately.

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Energy Giving Green

After a long day running around with my kids, when i sat down to enjoy a glass of fruit juice, relaxes and brings my energy back for the rest of the day. Avocado is an execellent fruit for high energy drink. If you have any doubt about avocado in fruit juices,forget  it, it taste really good. The sweetness of  the melon combined with the creamy texture of the avocado, now that's a perfect  way  to relax and gain your energy back.
I haven't added any sugar to this juice,but you can add any sweetner according to your taste.

Serves 2 to 3
Ingredients:
1 Whole Galia Melon
1 Avocado
2 Kiwi
Juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime
Crushed few ice cubes if required
Method:
Cut the melon into half, remove the seeds. Scoop out the melon into the blender. Cut the avocado into half, remove the seed, scoop out the flesh part into the blender, add juice of 1/2 a lemon. Peel and chop the kiwi fruit, add it to the blender. Add few crushed ice cubes, blend all the ingredients together without adding any water. Serve it in a glass immediately. Since you have added avocado it's better to serve as soon as possible.

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Berry melody

As we are approaching towards summer we can find lots of berries in market. Most of the berries are rich in beta carotene and vitaminC.I have used a mixed selection of berries,you can use mixed or just one berry,either way good to have it.

Nutritional Value:
Melons:
Melons are high in beta carotene,vitamin B complex and little vitaminC. Melons give a calming effect on the digestive system with a mild stimulating action on the kidney.Melons are also good for the immune system.
Strawberry:
Strawberry are rich in vitaminC and folic acid.A good cleanser for the whole body.
Raspberry:
Raspberries are also good source of vitaminC and folic acid.Excellent uplifting properties and good for convalescence.
Cranberry:
Cranberries are a good source of beta carotene,B complex vitamins,vitaminC and folic acid.A natural diuretic and urinary tract cleanser.
Blueberry:
The skin contains high concentration of compounds that can destroy harmful bacteria in the gut and keep it healthy.
Blackcurrant:
The skin contains compounds that have the ability to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria.The high vitaminC content gives powerful antioxidant properties.
The above information is from the book 'Good Housekeeping'.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
Mixed Berries-1 cup
Apple juice-1 cup
Melon-1 cup chopped
Sugar is optional according to your taste.
Method:
Blend the chopped melon without adding any water,keep it separately.Blend the berries and apple juice together.
To serve: In two separate glasses,pour the berry juice first,then top it up with the melon juice. Add crushed ice cubes if  required.

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Summer in a glass

Smoothies and juices are must in everyday diet to maintain your system healthy.I was really excited when i saw Divya's 'Show me your smoothie' event.This recipe is my entry for the event.

This smoothie is the one normally i used to make almost every week.The combination oranges,pineapple,mango and kiwi is my all time favourite.
Oranges are rich in vitamin C and folic acid,they also have the highest amount of beta carotene.Oranges help to cleanse and improve the digestive system.It also helps to maintain a good  healthy skin.
Kiwi is also excellent source of vitaminC and good source of beta carotene and minerals potassium,calcium,magnesium and phosphorous.It's also good for circulation,digestion and skin.
Mangoes are excellent for energy,vitality and promoting healhy skin.
Pineapple contains enzyme bromelain,which aids the digestion of protein and therefore is excellent for digestive problems.
The above information about the fruits is from the book Good House Keeping Smoothies and Juices.
Ingredients:
Pineapple-2 tbsp chopped
Kiwi-2 fruits chopped
Mango pulp-1 tbsp
Orange freshly squeezed-2 cups
Crushed ice cubes-3 to 4 ice cubes
I  haven't  added  any  sugar  to  the  juice ,the  natural  sweet  from  the  fruits  should  be  sufficient  ,if  you  wish  you could  add  some  sugar  or  honey.
Method:
Put all the ingredients together in a blender,and blend well until nice and smooth.Pour it in a serving glass,top with some extra ice cubes if required. 

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Melon Surprise

Melon Surprise is made with two types of melon like honeydew and water melon. When i talk about watermelon,it remainds me of summer in India. In a hot summer when you feel so thirsty you can see lots of water melon on the road side shop.One slice of melon cools you immediately.
There is a interesting information which i read about water melon today, most of us avoid the inner white part of the melon, which is edible,it also contains many hidden nutrients.To read more click here.

Ingredients:
Honey dew melon-1 cup( without any seeds or rind)
Water melon-1 cup(sliced without any seeds)
Milk-1 cup
Honey-1 tbsp
Method:
Blend the honeydew melon separately with 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 tbsp honey.
Blend the water melon separately with remaining milk and honey.
To Serve:
Take a long glass, pour the honeydew melon juice first,then pour the water melon juice and serve.

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Mango Surprise

Mango Surprise is a drink made with fresh mango and orange juice,the surprise here is the melon.Melon in the middle of mango and orange is a real delight.
Ingredients:
Mango-1
Orange Juice-1 cup
Melon-1/2 a melon
Method:
Peel and chop the mango into slices. Blend the mango and orange juice separately to a nice smooth consistency.
Juice the melon separately without any seeds or skin.
To Serve: Take a long glass, pour the melon juice first, then pour the mango juice ,they don't mix together,leave it like that and serve.

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