29 March

Pune is already sweltering at 40 degrees outside. And it is like 37 degrees in shade today and uncomfortably humid by Pune standards. But I am still thankful it is not as bad as Mumbai or Kolkata at this time of the year. I can still brave the whole summer season without an AC or a cooler. But still the fact remains that every year the summer is a little more harsh than the year before and the impact of rapid urbanization is very much visible on our fragile environment. 

For the uninitiated, Solkadi or Solkadhi or Kokum Curry is a refreshing summer drink from Maharashtra's Konkan region. It cools down your body and helps in digestion in addition to working as an appetizer. Though I am in Maharashtra for more than a decade, I had the first taste of this amazing drink after coming to Pune. The first thing that catches your fancy is the light pink color of the drink which makes it look like a strawberry milkshake and you might be deceived in believing that you are about to taste something sweet. But then the aroma of coconut and tempered spices make you curious about what this drink is all about. Eventually when you taste it you find a very interesting savory concoction of the tangy Kokum, sweet coconut milk and a hint of spiciness from chilly and ginger. Solkadi is almost a mandatory part of any fish thali you have at typical thali restaurants here in the city. And it acts as an excellent palate cleanser before you indulge yourself in the spicy fish curry rice. I think the first ever solkadi I had in Pune was at this famous restaurant called Masemari and absolutely loved it at the first sip. I think even more than the seafood I loved the drink.

There is also a  funny incident that happened once related to Solkadi. This was like 5-6 years ago. We used to frequently go out on team lunches from office and explore new eating joints. So one of our Marathi colleagues had suggested this small thali restaurant which served lovely seafood near the Peth area of Pune. Once we placed our orders the first thing we were served was this pink solkadi in small steel glasses. One of our colleagues was a south Indian guy who was a junior and didn't have much experience in Maharashtrian food. So when he was about to take a sip of this drink, the guy beside him tells, "don't drink that" and he obviously asks why so. The guy tells him, "it is a pink drink and it is only meant for ladies, guys cant drink it". He said it with such a serious face that this south Indian colleague believed him without a question and he didn't drink it! We all laughed at this but he didn't budge from his decision and actually we could not make him even taste the drink no matter how much we convinced! I think till date he believes that solkadi is only meant for ladies :D.

But my love for this drink continues and grows stronger. I actually like my solkadi a little sweet which most of the time comes form the natural sweetness of coconut milk itself. But if not, I like to add a little sweetener to balance the overall savory taste. So this time I tried converting them into these delicious popsicles which I could have instead of the store bought ice cream. You can also convert your leftover solkadis into popsicles and enjoy.

Please note that there are many ways to enhance the flavour of this coastal drink, sometimes people temper it with curry leaves or spices as well. But here I have used the very basic recipe of Solkadi for the popsicles.

Checkout other Summer Coolers from my blog:

• Mojito Popsicle
• Beetroot Rose Sorbet
• Persian Saffron Rose Milkshake
• Kokum Juice
• Beetroot Rose Granita
• Spicy Strawberry Ghol

Ingredients for garnish:

• Roasted cumin Powder

Equipment:

• Popsicle Mold
• Mixing Bowl
• Mixer
• Strainer 

Procedure: 

1.  Start by rinsing the dried kokum pods. Then soak them in a cup of hot warm water for about 30 to 45 minutes. 

2. Using your fingers mash the kokum pods in the water to extract the pulp from them. Now pass this mixture through a strainer and preserve the extracted water. Discard the remaining solids in the strainer.

Note: Color will depend on the quality of the Kokum used. It may vary from brownish to pink.

3. Take a blender jar and add chopped ginger, grated fresh coconut, chopped green chili and 1 cup of water. Blitz it to a smooth paste. 

4. Strain this mixture using a fine mesh strainer to get a thick liquid. 

5. Return the leftover pulp in the strainer back to the blender and add another cup of water. Blitz it again to get a smooth paste. Now strain this in the same bowl to get a thinner liquid this time. 

6. Add the kokum water into the bowl and mix everything well

7. Add salt and sugar as per taste.

Note: Coconut milk is already a little sweet, so if you don't want to add more sweetener you can skip the sugar. I like mine a little sweet.

8. Add water if you want a thinner consistency. Your solkadi is ready.

9. Now take the popsicle molds and pour the solkadi. Freeze it for at least 10-12 hours or overnight.

Serve the popsicles with a sprinkle of roasted cumin powder or have it as is.

2nd June

Yesterday we received a communication from office that the status quo of Work from Home will continue till September, which essentially means we need to stay put where we are. That actually made me happy. I never cribbed about not being able to go to office, work from home suited me so much better. I could sped time in between work looking at the mango orchard or the hills from my balcony, I could read about something interesting while taking breaks, plus being able to share all meals with the family - which I couldn't in the past 15 years. 

Staying at home also means you keep getting hungry in between. While in office, the cafeteria would be visited only during the stipulated hours but at home, you feel like snacking on something or the other. So during the past one year I had to try out different in between snacking options which were light and yet interesting. I developed a liking for raw peanuts, which were filling and healthy. Even 4-5 peanuts would hold me up for a good amount of time. Then there was the option of frozen desserts, at times when I felt like grabbing something sweet. Instead of polishing off a bar of dark chocolate. I trained myself to snack on these relatively less calorie sweet delights. Once you get used to them, you will start liking them a lot. Especially during the summertime, nothing beats a quick frozen snack.

On the occasion of World Milk Day I decided to make a super easy and interesting recipe. This frozen yogurt bark studded with fruit is a fun treat for kids and adults alike. It takes minutes to prepare and is ready within 2-4 hours of freezing. You can then break into pieces and store in a ziplock bag for an instant frozen snack.

You can experiment with different flavor combination. The best thing about these barks is that any flavor combination tastes good.  The recipe is so easy, you can even let your kids make these.

Checkout some other sweets and frozen dessert from my page

• Frozen Yoghurt Granola Cups

• Mojito Poscicle

• Tea Infused Caramel Custard

Ingredients :

• Rimmed Baking sheet or freezer safe tray
• Parchment Paper
• Spatula
• Mixing Bowl

Procedure: 

1.  In a medium bowl, add yogurt, red velvet emulco/flavoring and honey. Mix together to combine.

Note: Emulco is concentrated flavoring in paste form which often comes with food coloring too. It is my go to method of adding color of flavor these days. If you do not have an Emulco use flavor and color separately. You can use any flavoring of your choice in this recipe.

2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with Parchment paper.

3. Pour the yoghurt mixture on the parchment paper. Using a spatula or knife to spread the yogurt as thin as possible over the entire paper. 

4. Now sprinkle chopped pistachios, dried blueberry, granola and rose petals.

Tip: Experiment with your choice of toppings. It is always fun that way.

Cut or break into pieces and serve immediately.

How to make hung curd?

Even if you do not have a muslin cloth you can make hung curd easily with a strainer with tiny holes. Just place the strainer on a deep bowl. Now pour the curd on it and let it sit undisturbed for at least 30 minutes. The whey will collect in the bowl and the strainer will now contain the creamy thick curd devoid of any extra water.