Beat The Heat With Kokum; 3 Interesting Recipes To Relish This Summer

Come summers are we try to find all various ways to keep ourselves cold and hydrated. Be it Bael, Kokum or any such summer coolant fruit, they act perfect and also have amazing health benefits. 

This purple-coloured berry, kokum is much indigenous to the western coast of the country and is mostly used in cooking across Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa and few southern states. This berry is always halved and dried before use but at times it’s used fresh too. When used to make a juice or any drink it adds a nice subtle red colour along with that sweet-and-sour tangy taste to dishes.

Apart from preventing dehydration and sunstroke, kokum is also known for its medicinal properties. It’s anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory, the fruit is rich in B-complex vitamins, Kokum juice is excellent to boost digestion, preventing bloating. 

Let’s explore these interesting Kokum recipes as we all set to welcome the harsh summers. 

Solkadi (Indian Kokum and Coconut Drink)

Ingredients

•    8 pieces dried kokum (¼ oz.)

•    2 cups fresh or thawed frozen grated coconut

•    8 medium garlic cloves, peeled

•    1 green chilly, stemmed and finely chopped, plus a bit more for garnish

•    Cilantro leaves, for serving

Method

•    In a small bowl, cover the kokum with ½ cup cold water. Set aside at room temperature for 3 hours.

•    In a blender, mix the coconut, garlic, half green chilly along with 1 cup cold water. Blend until the mixture is very smooth.

•    Strain the juice very finely so that it’s lump free. Press the pulp through the strainer so that you extract as much liquid as possible. Put the pulp back to the blender and add the rest half cup of water and blend again. Repeat the straining process again so that the pulp again to extract as much coconut milk as possible.

•    Now remove the kokum and squeeze the extract as much juice as possible. Stir the kokum water in the coconut liquid, then chill well. 

•    Once it’s perfectly chilled serve the solkadi and garnish each cilantro leaves.

Maharashtrian Kokum Saar

•    3 tablespoon Kokum (Malabar Tamarind) ,

•    2-1/4 cup Water

•    3 tablespoon grated Jaggery 

•    1 tablespoon Ghee

•    2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)

•    2-3 Dry Red Chillies , 

•    1/2 teaspoon Asafoetida (hing)

•    5-6 Curry leaves

•    2 teaspoon chopped Coriander

•    Salt, as required

Method

•    To make Maharashtrian Kokum Saar Recipe, add Kokum juice, water and jaggery in a saucepan. Add salt if using unsalted juice.

•    Keep the flame low till the jaggery dissolves. Don’t boil. 

•    Keep it on low flame while the seasoning is prepared.

•    Heat ghee in a small tadka pan and then add the hing, cumin seeds, curry leaves, chillies and mix. Once it crackle, take off the heat and pour it over the Kokum Saar.

•    Take it off the heat, garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately. 

•    The Maharashtrian Kokum Saar is served along with Matki Chi Rassa Bhaji , Steamed Rice and Kachumber Salad for your everyday meal.

Kokum Juice

Ingredients

•    1 cup kokum fruits, fresh or dry kokums

•    2 cups water

•    2 cups sugar

•    5-6 cardamoms, powdered 

•    1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder

•    1-2 pinch of black salt or salt

Method

•    Rinse the kokum fruits in water. 

•    Chop the kokum fruits and remove the seeds.

•    Keep the pulp and the outer cover.

•    Grind the fruit and pulp with little water

•    Strain the whole kokum mixture.

•    Boil the sugar and water until the syrup becomes a little thick.

•    Cool the sugar syrup and then add the strained kokum mixture to it.

•    Add the roasted cumin powder and powdered cardamom.

•    Mix well. Store kokum juice in a jar or bottle and refrigerate

•    When serving, dissolve 1 or 2 tbsp of the kokum juice in one glass of water.

•    Add ice cubes and serve chilled kokum juice.