Homemade Peach Lemonade

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

With the Summer months fast approaching nothing beats sipping on an ice cold lemonade, homemade ofcourse! Unfortunately I have an allergy to some fruits, which limits what fruit in can have, however cooked the fruit or poach and its not a problem. I absolutely love peaches, sadly it is one of my 'forbidden' fruits. I sit and watch others eating juicy fruits and I have to say I do feel it's tad bit unfair. So in order to beat this I try to add the fruit I am allergic to, into cooked dishes or desserts, i know its not the same as having them raw and most probably kills off many nutrients, but for me there is no choice. 

Anyway leaving that aside, I decided to make a Peach Lemonade, this drink is super easy and you can get the children involved in helping you. Serve this to your guests as a pre-dinner drink. Guaranteed they wont be disappointed. 

Fruity, refreshing and delicious, give this a try and taste the Summer!

Peach Lemonade

 Ingredients

6 riped peaches

1 cup of fresh lemon juice

1 cup of sugar

3 cups of water

zest of 2 lemons

1 sprig of mint

1 bottle of peach flavoured sparkling water, you can use plain sparkling or any soda of choice.

Method

1. Cut peaches into small pieces and add to a pan along with the sugar water and lemon zest.

2. Heat on medium till sugar melts and syrup begins to thicken.

 

3. When Peaches soften mash with potato masher.

 

4. Add the mint leaves and leave to simmer for a few minutes more. Then turn off heat.

5. Once cooled strain through a sieve.

This is the pulp that remains, now as you know I don't like to waste and I most certainly didn't want to waste all this goodness, so I had a change of plan! I decided to add the pulp to a blender along with the juice and whizz up all together.

6. When all done it looks different in colour than before (see pic below). But taste definitely intensifies.

7. Add the lemon juice and mix well, pour half into a glass pitcher, depending on size of pitcher. Then pour the sparkling peach water to the top.

8. Pour into glasses add ice cubes and garnish with mint leaves, then sit back and enjoy the sunny days sipping on  cooling peach lemonade. :)

Enjoy!

Kashmiri Sabaz Chai (Pink Tea)

بِسْمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Kashmiri Sabaz Chai

Kashmiri Sabaz Chai (also known as Pink tea or Salt Tea) is a pink milky tea with that is consumed at special occasions such as weddings, and drank during the winter months. It is a very soothing chai and my mother usually makes this for us after we have had an indulgent rich meal. It really is a treat. Once again the ingredients vary from family to family. Baking soda is usually added to enhance the colour of the tea. 

I will show you how my mother makes it for us with only variation being I decided to add Star Anise to add that extra alluring potency. Star Anise has a earthy headiness about it with sweet subtle undertones. I find it really compliments the cardamoms in this chai.

Oh! Lastly I would just like to add that this tea take up to an hour to make! 

So here is what you will need.

Ingredients

2 Tspn Kashmiri chai leaves. ( You can buy this in Asian grocery stores, if still hard to find you can use black tea or green tea)
4 Cups of water
8 cups of cold water (4 to use for boiling in beginning, 3 for later)
2 Cups of milk
6 Green Cardamom Pods
1 Cinnamom stick
1 star anise
1 tspn of Salt
3 tbsns of sugar or to your taste

Method

1. Add 4 cups if cold water to a pan and bring to boil.
2. Add the tea leaves and cardamoms, star anise and salt, bring to a boil and then turn down heat and allow it to simmer for 25- 30 minutes.

3. Then add 2 cups of cold water. Adding the cold water will release the pink colour of the tea. You will see the colour intensify.
 

4. Mix well and bring to the boil again, and then turn down low and allow to simmer for around 10 minutes.
5. As it is simmering whisk from time to time till it froths us. Or in the traditional way pour from jug to jug.
6. Now add 1 more cup of cold water and again bring to boil, once boiling turn heat down and simmer for 5 mins whisking away gently.

See how the colour intensifies.

7. Next add your 2 cups of milk, ensure you whisk whilst pouring.

8. Add Sugar and cook for another 10 minutes.
9. Turn off and pour into cups and sprinkle with chopped Pistachios. Enjoy :)

Bil-hana wa ash shifa'a!

Watermelon Slushy

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

A beautiful refreshing summers drink, that uses minimal yet simple ingredients.
Just add more or less as taste requires.

Ingredients:

Watermelon

Fresh lemon juice x 2

Lemonade ( if needed )

fresh bunch of mint.

Method:

Cut up watermelon into chunks and freeze overnight.

Take out enough to fill half of the blender. Add juice of 2 lemons and chopped sprigs of mint.

Blitz in blender until it turns to sluch. If needed add a few glugs of lemonade to loosen up consistency if too thick. Serve in tall glasses and decorate with mint leaves. :)

Watermelon slushy