Homemade icy relishes to beat the heat

Cooking involves a lot of creativity to bring out a delicious dish with whatever is available. As the summers are in, it’s time to say goodbye to heavy warm wintery foods and welcome some icy moments. Whether it is party time at your place or a surprise for your loved ones, these recipes are a sure shot way to woo them. So don on your MasterChef hat and join us to create magical frozen moments.

This freezing journey promises to take you through a flavourful and exotic world of popsicles, crushers and frozen yoghurt. Whether you are a nouveau or an amateur, these cooling and nutritious recipes are easy to follow and make. These recipes have ingredients that are common and picked off the shelf. They also offer a unique twist to otherwise boring desserts.

Recipes for popsicles/icicles

Orange and coconut popsicle

Cook time: 5 mins plus freezing time (approx. 4 – 5 hours)

Serves: 4 per

Type: Dessert

Ingredients:

• Orange juice (paperboat santra juice): 2 cups
• Fresh coconut scrapings: ¼ cup
• Sugar: ½ cup (you can adjust it to your taste)

Method:

1. Take a bowl and mix orange juice and sugar.
2. Stir well till sugar completely dissolves.
3. Sprinkle coconut scrapings and mix well.
4. Pour the mixture into a popsicle mould and put it into the freezer to set.
5. Once set take out the moulds from the freezer and dip it in warm water and serve immediately.

Suggestions:

1. You can set the popsicle in a kulfi mould too. When half set, stick in a popsicle stick on each mould and leave it in the freezer to set completely.
2. You can use finely chopped fresh coconut.
3. You can leave the popsicles to set overnight for a good frozen popsicle.

Watermelon and cucumber popsicle

Cook time: 5 mins plus freezing time (approx. 4 – 5 hours)

Serves: 4 per

Type: Dessert

Ingredients:

• Watermelon: 3 cups (deseeded and chopped)
• Cucumber: 1 medium sized
• Sugar: ½ cup (you can adjust it to your taste)
• Kaffir lime juice: 2 tbsps.
• Mint: 3-4 leaves (finely chopped)

Method:

1. Peel, deseed and chop cucumber.
2. In a blender make a smooth puree of watermelon and cucumber.
3. Pour out the puree and add sugar. Mix well till sugar dissolves.
4. Add lime juice and mint leaves.
5. Stir well and pour the mixture into a popsicle mould and put it into the freezer to set.
6. Once set take out the moulds from the freezer and dip it in warm water and serve immediately.

Pomegranate and blueberry popsicle

Cook time: 5 mins plus freezing time (approx. 4 – 5 hours)

Serves: 4 per

Type: Dessert

Ingredients:

• Pomegranate juice: 2 cups
• Blueberries: A handful (cut into 2)
• Sugar: ¼ cup (you can adjust it to your taste)

Method:

1. Take a bowl and mix pomegranate juice and sugar.
2. Stir well till sugar completely dissolves.
3. Add blueberries and stir well.
4. Pour the mixture into a popsicle mould ensuring nearly equal quantity of blueberries in each mould.
5. Set in the freezer for 4-5 hours or overnight.

Recipes for crushers

Cranberry crusher

Cook time: 5 mins plus resting time (1 hour minimum)

Serves: 5 per

Type: Drink

Ingredients:

• Cranberry juice: 1 litre
• Apple: 2 nos (diced)
• Star anise: 1 no
• Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
• Salt: a pinch

Method:

1. Take a large pitcher and pour in the cranberry juice.
2. Add apples, spices and salt.
3. Leave it to rest for an hour or more.
4. Stir the pitcher and pour in glasses which are filled with ¾ crushed ice.

Virgin Sangria

Cook time: 5 mins plus resting time (1 hour minimum)

Serves: 5 per

Type: Drink

Ingredients:

• Tea leaves: 1 tbsp.
• Sugar: ¼ cup (adjust according to your taste)
• Star anise: 2 no
• Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
• Orange juice: 180ml
• Apple: 2 nos (diced)
• Orange: 1 (segmented, deseeded and chopped roughly)

Method:

1. Take a litre of water and add tea leaves, sugar and spices. Brew a black tea.
2. Let the tea cool.
3. Add orange juice and the fruits into the cooled black tea. Taste and adjust sugar.
4. To serve, stir the pitcher and pour in glasses which are filled with ¾ crushed ice.

Suggestion:

1. You can use tea bags.
2. Brew the spices well before adding the tea leaves/bags. The longer the tea leaves/bags are brewed the bitter the taste.

Recipes for frozen yoghurt

Mango and coconut froyo

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 10 mins plus freezing time (approx. 4 – 5 hours)

Serves: 4 per

Type: Dessert

Ingredients:

• Homemade curd: ½ litre
• Ripe mango: 2
• Sugar: ¼ cup (adjust according to your taste)
• Saffron: a pinch
• Fresh coconut: ½ cup

Method:

1. Hang curd in a muslin cloth to drain out the whey completely.
2. Scoop out mango pulp and chop them roughly.
3. Soak saffron in 1 tbsp of milk.
4. In a blender churn in the mango, sugar and saffron into a nice puree.
5. Add the soft cheesy hung curd into the blender and blend well.
6. Transfer in a bowl and mix fresh coconut well into it.
7. Set the froyo in the freezer.

Chocolate and cookie froyo

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 10 mins plus freezing time (approx. 4 – 5 hours)

Serves: 4 per

Ingredients:

• Homemade curd: ½ litre
• Chocolate syrup: ¼ cup.
• Sugar: ¼ cup (adjust according to your taste)
• Oreo biscuit: 50 g

Method:

1. Hang curd in a muslin cloth to drain out the whey completely.
2. Take the soft cheesy hung curd and blend in chocolate syrup and sugar in the blender.
3. Break Oreo biscuits into tiny pieces and mix well with the curd.
4. Set the froyo in the freezer.

Banana and strawberry froyo

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 10 mins plus freezing time (approx. 4 – 5 hours)

Serves: 4 per

Type: Dessert

Ingredients:

1. Homemade curd: ½ litre
2. Ripe Banana: 4nos
3. Strawberry: 5-6 nos
4. Sugar: ¼ cup (adjust according to your taste)

Method:

1. Hang curd in a muslin cloth to drain out the whey completely.
2. In a blender churn in bananas and sugar to a fine puree.
3. Mix in the hung curd.
4. Add roughly chopped strawberries into the mixture and freeze till well set.

A complete array of fruits, spices and juices offer an opportunity to produce delicious desserts and drinks. So beat up the summers and add a colourful and fruity splash to your life.