Kokam Juice - Detox Drink

 

3rd October

We are finally into October! Mahalaya is just around the corner which means its time for Durga Puja! And Durga Puja definitely means grabbing on a lot of good food. So to prepare yourself for this festive season it is always recommended to keep a healthy detox drink as part of your regular diet plan. 

Hence I am starting October on a healthy note by sharing a favorite detox drink - Kokam juice. This tarty and citrusy fruit is a  favorite among the Konkans and is widely available in the Malabar regions of India. You can find many dishes like dal and curries being made with Kokum in Maharashtra.

My tryst with Kokum started with Sol kadi - a flavorful concoction of Kokum, water, coconut milt, ginger and green chili. Its a lovely summer drink here in Maharashtra and I absolutely love it with a fish curry thali specifically. Slowly I started exploring and knowing more amount this amazing fruit and what all you can do with this little wonder fruit. 

Kokum comes with an array of known health benefits. The presence of vitamin C helps boost immunity,  the garcinol it contains has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergenic properties. But what has brought kokum into the spotlight is the presence of hydroxyl citric acid (HCA) in it, which is said to shrink appetite and reduce fat in the body, further helping you lose weight, the healthy way. It has become a new fad to include Kokum juice in your regular diet for healthy weight loss. You must have also heard some Bollywood celebs taking about Kokum drink as their preferred post workout drink.

Kokum juice or kokum sharbat will not only cool you down your body but also help detoxify your body. You can include this in your early morning routine and it will work wonders for you. The recipe is also very simple, you can just create the Kokum Juice paste in advance and use it to prepare your detox drink anytime you want. I am sharing two recipes with Kokum below. Check them out below.

Soaking Time: 1-2 Hr

Preparation Time : 5 minutes 

Cooking Time : 5 minutes

Serves - 3 glasses

Ingredients :

• Dry Kokum - 1/2 cup
• Water - 1 cup
• Ground Roasted Whole Jeera (Cumin) - 1 tsp
• Black Salt/ Rock salt - 1/2 tsp 
• Sugar - 4 tbsp ( adjust as per taste)

Equipment:

• Vessel
• Strainer
• Masher

Kokum Juice : Method

1. Soak some kokum in water and remove the seeds.

2. After 1-2 hours of soaking, strain the water and keep aside the water.

3. Now in a mixer grinder, take the soaked kokum and add half of the water. Make a smooth paste.

4.  Dry roast some cumin seeds. Roughly pound the roasted cumin seeds it in a mortar pestle. Keep this ground roasted cumin seed aside.

4. Take a pan, add the remaining kokum water and add the sugar. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes till the sugar melts. 

5. Now add the Kokum paste to this water. Give it a good stir. Cook for 5 more minutes and bring it to a boil.

6. Now let the mixture cool. Once the mixture has cooled strain it. 

7. Now add the roasted cumin seed powder and salt to this and give a nice stir. Your Kokum juice paste is ready. Store it in a jar. You can refrigerate it for a week.

To make the juice, take 2 tbsp of the pulp and add chilled water to it and give a nice stir. Add a few ice cubes and a sprinkle of ground roasted cumin seeds. It is best served chilled.

Kokum Water : Method

1. Soak a handful of kokum in water overnight. Strain out the water next morning and drink it by warming up a bit. Add a little seasoning of your choice. You can store this water for later usage as well. 

Note: You can use the soaked Kokums to prepare the Juice paste as detailed above.