Ice Apple Cucumber Lemonade.

“Ice Apple Cucumber Lemonade” ….. sip on to this Thand Thanda Cool Cool coolant to beat the rising heat ...  Ice Apple also known as Irolu/ Ice Fruit/ Palm fruit/ Nungu/ Tadgola that's a jelly like fruit which has immense health benefits … available in plenty during summer month ... try this one and enjoy it served chilled with your family and friends ... Yummilicious ... 

** The mere mention of summer reminds only heat to my mind. Hot weather has a gnarly side effect too, the intense heat and humidity make it impossible to sit comfortably, let alone sleep through the nights. The obvious solution for remaining cool is, yes sleeping is an air conditioner. But what when there is no electricity or you have got to got out of the house/ office … Yeah ... So the only way out is, you have got to find ways to keep the body heat at bay from within drinking plenty of fluids.

** Consume Ice Apples in plenty to keep the body heat at bay from within. Irolu as is reffered in Konkani is also known as Ice Fruit/ Palm fruit/ Nungu/ Tadgola/ Ice Apple in other languages. It is an apt summer fruit, high in vitamin B12, boosts immune system and good for digestion issues too. It alleviates acidity, rashes and prickly heat and the juice prevents the body from dehydration. Addition of cucumber and lime increases the coolant properties making it fit and cool drink to be enjoyed.

** This is how I prepared “Ice Apple Cucumber Lemonade” ... my style .... 

** Roughly chop roughly 3-4 Irolu/ ice apple after peeling off their outer skin and put them in a mixer grinder. Add 2-3 cups of sugar (individual preference) and 3-4 cups of water and grind to a thick smooth paste. Remove in a vessel and add in some more water (say about another 4-6 cups), till you get a juice textured quality. Add in freshly squeezed juice of 2-3 lemons, a large pinch of cardamom powder along with 1/8 tsp of saffron strands and ¼ tsp of kala namak / rock salt or any salt and mix well.

** Wash and wipe clean one small sized cucumber. Slice the sides of the cucumber with skin, taking care to see that you do not include the seeds. Finely chop them into 2-inch thin strips. Also finely chop one Irolu/ Ice apple into thin strips. Cut some lemon rings too. Add both cucumber and irolu/ ice apple strips and the lemon rings to the prepared juice. You can also add in some mint leaves if desired, tastes great. Keep in fridge to be chilled before serving. Serve chilled topped with some Ice cubes.