Traditional Kokum juice to beat the summer heat

We might not like the summers due to the heat but we all do love the fruits that we get in this season, don’t we? This season, the nature gifts us with most of our favourite fruits like mango, jamun, watermelon, muskmelon, bael fruit, kokum, to name a few. So when the summers are hottest and draining what do we do? Use one of these super fruits to cool down our body. Here is one such recipe that is healthy, cooling and tangy+tasty and so it can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike.

In our group we often discuss about various holistic ways to maintain good health. Thus, it is important to replace tamarind in our kitchen with naturally grown kokum to balance various doshas in the body.

Learn why it is important to replace tamarind from kitchen to Kokum by clicking on the below link.

https://youtu.be/pXuPszQnSKM

Here I share the recipe of Kokum juice. I have prepared thick syrup of Kokum that can be consumed by diluting in water as juice whenever thirsty. This can also be stored in the refrigerator for over 2 months.

Ingredients:

1. Traditionally grown Kokum from Konkan belt (as a trusted source we recommend (https://www.hlp.world/store/healthy-food/spices-masalas/kokum-tamarind) – 1 large cup
2. Natural black pepper – 1/2 teaspoon
3. Himalayan pink salt – 2 teaspoon
4. Jeera – 1 teaspoon.
5. Natural sugar/brown sugar/palm sugar – 500 gms – 750 gms depending on the sweetness of the sugar.
6. Water – 2 cup

Recipe:

• Wash and soak the Kokum for 3-4 hours in 3/4 cup of warm water.

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• Grind the soaked Kokum into fine smooth paste. The consistency of the paste must be thick and not watery.

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• Now, into the paste add pepper, salt and jeera and grind it smooth.

• Take 1 cup of water in a vessel, add sugar and the ground Kokum paste and boil it on a stove.

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• Boil the mixture for about 10-15 mins until the syrup turns thick.

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• You can test the consistency of the syrup by taking a drop of the syrup between thumb and index finger as shown in the picture below. The syrup consistency must be of one thread.

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• Turn the flame off and let the Kokum syrup cool down.
• Now sieve the syrup well to obtain a thick liquid syrup.

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• The kokum concentrate is ready for use.

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• To make Kokum juice, add 2-3 tablespoons of Kokum syrup in a glass and add cold water (best is the water cooled in an earthen pot)

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• Serve in earthen cup for the extra rustic touch.

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Important tips while preparing the juice:

• If the Kokum syrup/juice turns out to be too sour, add a bit more salt to it to reduce the sourness
• You can add more sugar if the juice turns out to be less sweet. Usually the traditional sugar will be less sweet compared to white sugar (we don’t recommend using white sugar as it is unhealthy).
• After sieving the Kokum syrup, don’t throw the solids away. You can reuse it when you prepare Sambar/Rasam. Just add the Kokum solids instead of tamarind.
• You can also use the Kokum syrup to make red tangy chutneys that is used in chaats or other tangy snacks like Aloo tikki etc.

Do try the recipe and share your views.