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Summer is the season of countless fruits! From melons to mangoes, we’ve got some of the most loved fruits stocked in the market. And the scorching summer heat gives us every reason to nosh on all of it. Don’t we absolutely love mango shake, watermelon cooler and so on in that sunny summer afternoon? And when we speak of summer fruits, there is one fruit that is often hardly spoken about in the middle of bigwigs like mango and watermelons- it is the tiny, blackish purple Indian berry ‘Phalsa’. If you know of it and love it like me, high five, if you don’t know of it, sad for you!
Quite an underrated Indian berry, phalsa generally makes appearance on cart vendors in the market instead of big shopping marts, between the months of April and June. Yes, just about three months to find and gorge on this sweet, tarty and more of acidic sour flavoured fruit. The fruit holds quite some health benefits! If Ayurveda is to be believed, the fruit could help manage heart and blood disorders. And as per USDA, it contains 0 fat, 5.53g fibre, 24.2mg phosphorous and 372mg potassium, 136mg calcium. Isn’t that quite nutritious! It has strong antioxidant, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, besides having low glycaemic index which makes it a treat for diabetics too.
While phalsa is best enjoyed as it with a little special masala on top, which the vendor usually sells along with the fruit. But phalse ka sharbat is one summer beverage that is perfect to not just quench your thirst but also to treat guests at home!
Here’s how you can make quick and easy phalsa sharbat at home:
Ingredients:
Phalsa- 200 gms
Sugar- 1 ½ tbsp
Lemon- 2
Chaat Masala- 2 tsp
Ice Cubes
Method:
1. Wash phalsa neatly.
2. Add it to a bowl of water with sugar, lemon and chaat masala.
3. Let it rest for a couple of hours for the flavour to seep in.
4. Blend the mixture and serve topped with ice cubes.
5. You can also garnish it with refreshing mint leaves.
