Badam Milk/Powdered-Almond Milk

A healthy summer drink with no artificial flavors, good for kids too.

Ingredients:
1. Milk Powder- 3 tbsp
2. Badam/Almonds- 6-7
3. Sugar- 2 tbsp
4. Cardamom-1
5. Saffron-a pinch
6. Milk- 1 Cup

Preparation Method:
1. Peel off the almond/badam skin. You can do this easily by soaking the almonds in water for 2 hours and then peel off the skin easily. Dry them without a trace of water, by tossing them onto a paper towel and keeping open for sometime.
2. Grate the badam using a grater and keep aside.
3. In a dry blender, take sugar, cardamom without its shell and grated almonds. When its finely powdered, add milk powder.
4. Blend it without any trace of water for a minute.When everything is finely powdered and mixed together,transfer them into a dry bowl. Mix in the saffron and keep aside. This can be kept in a closed air-tight box for months under room temperature.
5. Mix 2- 2 1/2 tbsps of almond powder into 1 cup of milk. Adjust sugar by adding sugar crystals if desired.
6. Serve cold.

Mango Shake

A soothing milk shake which has the richness of mango pulp and milk, easily made at home.

Ingredients:
1. Thick Mango pulp- 1 cup
Instant Mango pulp can be used or If it is Mango Season,I usually puree the mango by slicing and pureeing in a blender. Or You can juice instant mango juice which is a little thick without water content like Frooty mango pulp or Meera brand.

2. Sugar- 3 tbsp
3. Milk 1/2 cup
4. Vanilla Icecream(optional)- 1 scoop
5. Cardamom Powder(optional), to garnish

Preparation Method:
1. In a bowl mix together mango pulp, milk and sugar together.
2. Add the ice cream and mix.Do not let the ice cream melt completely.

3. Serve by garnishing with some cardamom powder on top.

Fig Milk Shake

This is my signature dish. We usually buy fig on a regular basis as it is very good for our health. Rich in potassium,rich in dietary fiber and many more nutritional values as I have mentioned below. It promotes the over-all well being of an individual.
One fine day, I had some dried-figs in a packet and didn't feel like eating for some days. Thought of making something out of them like a sweet or pudding and just checked for the things i have in my refrigerator. An idea clicked inside me to make some drink out of it as I was serving pulao for lunch that day. So took the ingredients I thought would go good with this and made a drink out of it. It came out really well, really refreshing. My husband loved it and wanted to make more. Try it out, its a really soothing drink and children also would definitely love this.

Ingredients
1. Fig- 10-12
2. Milk- 1 1/2 cup
3. Sugar- 3 tbsp
4. Milk-maid- 1/4 tin


Preparation Method:
1. Mostly, dried fig are available in the market. So wash them well under running water and soak them in water or the milk for 2 hours.

2. Remove the stem like part at the bottom of the fig, when it becomes soft.
3. Cut the fig into small pieces.
3. In a blender, blend together all the ingredients for two minutes.
4. Serve in a glass with a piece of fig for garnish.
Sugar and milk can be adjusted to the taste and consistency.
While served for children, better sieve it and serve, because there will be small particles of fig and its seeds inside which is grind into fine particles. Children may find it difficult to drink and there are chances of them to stick in the throat.

Nutritional Value of Dried Figs-Amount of nutrients present in 100g of dried figs:

Carbohydrates - 64 g
Sugars - 48 g
Dietary Fiber -10 g
Fat - 1 g
Protein - 3 g
Energy - 250 kcal / 1040 kJ


Consuming figs help to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Calcium and potassium present in figs prevent bone thinning and help to promote bone density. Tryptophan, present in figs, induces good sleep and helps get rid of sleeping disorders like insomnia.Eating figs relieves fatigue and boosts memory power.
Drinking fig juice helps to soothe irritated bronchial passages.
Consumption of figs with milk cures illness like anemia.
Due to their laxative effect, figs are helpful for treating chronic constipation.
Daily consumption of soaked figs (2-3) is an effective remedy for curing hemorrhoids or piles.
The soluble fiber, called pectin, in figs helps in reducing blood cholesterol.
When applied on skin, baked figs can cure inflammations like abscesses and boils.
Due to their high water content, mashed figs act as a very good skin cleanser and help in preventing and curing acnes and pimples.
Figs are rich in calcium and are excellent calcium alternatives for people who are allergic to dairy products.
Consuming figs also helps in aiding digestion and taming various stomach and bowel-related problems.

Watermelon Punch

Watermelon juice with a splash of lime-juice adds an extra kick.Something very special. This drink reminds me of the cold store infront of my college which serves both sliced melons as well as the juice with an extra kick of lime juice during the hot-summer, which had a lot of cooling effect on us after the hectic walk down the lane. So this recipe and its credit entirely belongs to thatperson who used to serve this for us in that bakery. Thanks to that chettan.

Ingredients

1. Watermelon cut into small cubes- 3 cups

2. Lime juice- 2 tsps

3. Ice Cubes- 1 cup

4. Sugar- 1/2 a cup.

Preparation Method:

1. Blend together all the ingredients except lime juice.

2. add lime juice into it after all the ingredients are blend together.

3. Pour into a wine glass and serve chilled.

Pinacolada

Ingredients

1. Coconut Cream (available in store)- 1 cup

2. Fresh Thick Pineapple Juice or Store-bought pineapple pulp- 2 cups

3. Sugar- 1/2 cup

4. Ice Cubes- 10-12

5. A slice of pineapple (to decorate).

Preparation Method:

1. In a blender, beat together all the ingredients for a minute.

2. Pour into a wine glass and decorate with the pineapple slice.

3. Serve chilled.