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Get Ahead reader Ajit Nair, 28, a senior copy editor with an Internet media company in Mumbai, shares four of his favourite beverage recipes, along with interesting nutritional nuggets.
The Multi Vit
Serves 1
This juice is teeming with multi-vitamins and is good for your hair and skin. It also helps cure stomach disorders and dandruff problems. Warning: Consuming this juice may win you lots of stares from people around. If you are ready to look that lovely, drink up.
~Ingredients
4 carrots
1 beetroot
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1 amla (gooseberry)
1/4 cup water
~Method
Blend carrots and beetroot in a mixer/blender. Add the water to smoothen the beetroot/carrot paste as it tends to stick to the sides of the mixer. If using a juicer, the water will not be required.
Mix all the ingredients in a mixer. Strain and serve.
There is no need to add sugar as pomegranate provides the necessary sweetness. The overall taste of the juice is sweet and sour.
Tip: Be careful while handling pomegranates. They stain the palms. Ideally either wear plastic gloves or smear a tiny bit of coconut oil on your hands while handling them. To get the best of a pomegranate, cut it in half and face the cut side down, tap with a spoon on the skin side. The pomegranate seeds get dislodged faster and easier. Don't forget to keep a plate below, though!
Pink lemonade
Serves 1
~Ingredients
Juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp rose syrup
Few mint leaves
Sugar or honey as per taste
Pinch of black salt
Pinch of table salt
1 cup chilled water
~Method
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Then crush the mint leaves with your palms and put in the serving glass. Top it up with the pink lemonade. The rose syrup gives a nice pink colour to the lemonade and children love the coloured look.
Note: You can substitute sugar with khadi sakhar which is a no-calorie alternative to sugar. It is usually available at all general stores
Ginger Mint Lemonade
Serves 1
~Ingredients
Juice of one lemon
Few mint leaves
2 cm of ginger, washed and unpeeled
1/4 tsp cumin seeds or jeera (roasted and cooled, if possible)
Sugar or honey as per taste
1/2 cup chilled water
Lots of ice
~Method
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Then crush the mint leaves, cumin seeds and ginger with a pestle mortar. Add to the lemonade. Place ice in the glass, strain and pour in the concentrated lemonade and serve. Instead of ice, if you top up with unchilled water, this lemonade becomes suitable for daily consumption. Great for relief from gas trouble and for those combatting weight gain.
Note: You can substitute sugar with khadi sakhar which is a no-calorie alternative to sugar. It is usually available at all general stores
Sizzling Chaas
Serves 1
~Ingredients
1/4 cup yoghurt
1 green chilly
2 spoon sugar
Pinch of black salt
Pinch of table salt
Few cubes of ice
~Method
Puree all the ingredients in a mixer. Do not filter.
Serve with a small blob of curd.
The sweet and hot taste adds FIRE to the drink!
Modification: The recipe can be modified by adding curry leaves, ginger, cumin seeds and black salt to the curd, without ice. Puree all the ingredients together. It works well as a morning rejuvenator and it also helps with stomach aliments, calcium deficiency and gas problems.
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