Mango season is almost coming to a close as Neelam variety of Mango has now landed in the markets . It is said that when the Neelam variety Mango shows up,it means the Mango season is almost over .

Summer is the time to rejoice delicious and juicy mangoes and jackfruit along with the other seasonal summer fruits.  

Mango is a fruit loved by one and all and there will hardly be any haters for Mango.  In the recent years , I am seeing a surge in restaurants hosting a Mango Meal special with a wide menu of 18 to 20 items made from ripe mango as well as raw mangoes .

Vegan Mango shake was on my mind ever since I made the Mango coconut Barfi in the microwave, and it became a super hit with my friends and family .

This year, I was determined to make and blog this vegan Mango shake before the season  ends . As always, I have used the Aaapus variety but Badami or Imampasand variety also give a nice taste. 

Store bought coconut milk can be used or home pressed fresh coconut milk. You can add sugar based on the sweetness from the mango . Most of the times,  sugar isn't needed as the Alphonso or Badami mangoes are very sweet. 

Adding a pinch of cardamom powder and saffron strands is my personal liking as it gives a nice refreshing taste to the mango shake .

Mango Specials from my blog

Mango Barfi

Mango mastani

Mango Lassi 

Aam Ras 

Ingredients 

Method 

 Karpooravalli / Omavalli / Ajwain patha /Indian Borage - are you hearing these names for the first time ? 

Well, this is a very traditional and medicinal herb used in Indian Cooking especially in the South.  This herb belongs to the mint family, but has a pungent and strong flavor resembling that off Thyme /Ajwain/ Omam.

A perennial plant and can be grown easily at home without any effort . The leaves are used in herbal drinks to treat indigestion, cold ,cough and also to boost overall immunity. 

Due to the pungent taste and the anti microbial properties possessed by Karpooravalli it is very effective to treat sore throat and sinusitis .

Also a mild diuretic , it helps in flushing out the toxins from the body and maintains good kidney health ,there by managing the body metabolism. 

As a kid ,I remember my mom would make me chew a small leaf especially in monsoon to keep me away from seasonal flu and stomach issues due to weather change . It is always good to incorporate such healthy and natural food in our day to diet to keep us safe and healthy.

When I found some fresh karpooravalli, I was intrigued to try Preethi's recipe of making karpooravalli Buttermilk/Neer Mor using this magical herb.

Preethi has used dried powder form of karpooravalli while I have used fresh leaves since I had an access to these . My friend's mom has it growing on her home garden and aunty was kind enough to get me some fresh and tender leaves .

Summer ,winter or monsoon buttermilk is a part of daily diet in our home and I keep experimenting with different flavors . If you also like buttermilk in various taste then you must try some of it 

Pudina Chaas 

Neer Mor  - Ramanavmi Special 

Vazhaithandu Mor (banana stem) 

Masala Chaas 

Ingredients 

Method 

• In a small blender ,blend the ginger ,karpooravalli leaves with little salt into a coarse paste.
• Whisk the curd using an electric beater or manual whisk till it appears creamy.  
• Add the ground paste, salt , black salt ,jeera powder and chilled water and whisk it again until it appears nice and frothy. Adjust salt based on your need.
• Pour into glasses and enjoy with your meal or keep it refrigerated until your lunch time.

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 Strawberry lemon soda is a very refreshing mocktail drink that can be served at any party.

Made from fresh strawberries ,flavored with fresh lemon juice and spiked up with either club soda or sprite ,this drink gives a nice zing with every sip. If using plain club soda we will need to add some sugar or sugar syrup to give the sweetness while we don't need extra sweetener if using sprite or 7Up. 

Preparing Strawberry Lemon Soda is actually a child's play as there is not much complexity involved.  Though at home we are a huge fan of Strawberry Milk shake , this refreshing mocktail was a welcome change and we all simply loved it . I have used sprite in my recipe, hence no extra sweetener added .

If serving for a large party ,you can mix the Strawberry syrup ,lemon juice along with some ice cubes and lemon slices in  a jar and keep it ready ..pour the Strawberry mix onto serving glasses and add in the soda /sprite just before serving along with some crushed ice .

If you love to spread some Strawberry Jam on  a warm slice of toasted bread,then Priya's Strawberry Chilli Jam is a must try .

Ingredients 

Method 

• Trim off the top part of the Strawberries and roughly chop them.
• Add them to a blender with 2 tsp sugar and blend it to a smooth puree .
• Divide the puree equally into 2 serving glasses , add 1/2 tsp lemon juice and a slice of lemon to each . Add some crushed ice before adding sprite/ soda .
• Slowly pour in the chilled sprite in both the glasses and serve immediately. 

Refreshing and classic welcome drinks on my blog 

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 Sukku Kaapi is a spicy herbal concoction made from a powder that is prepared by roasting corriander seeds ,pepper ,ajwain (thyme) and some dry ginger or as an alternative dry ginger powder can also be used. 

Sukku Kaapi is also known as Sukku Malli Kaapi in Tamil Nadu . In Tamil, Sukku is Dry Ginger, Malli is Corriander seeds and Coffee is colloquially referred to as Kaapi .

We can store this powder in an airtight container and use it as and when needed .One has to add a spoonful of this powder to boiling water ,simmer for a few mins and   have it warm .

Sukku Kaapi is a mild and soothing drink to keep us warm during chill winters as well as during monsoon . We can sip some sukku kaapi to get relief from sore throat,  mild fever and cold . 

Some more home made wellness drink on my blog

Tulsi Kashayam (Basil Tea)

Herbal Tea

Jaljeera

Oma Kashayam (carom tea)

Inji Kashayam (Ginger Tea) 

One can add a little bit of jaggery powder or some honey to give a mild sweetness and this also makes it really palatable . Alternatively panam kalkandu (Palm jaggery) also can be added . In my recipe I have used ginger powder as it was easily available in my pantry .

Preparation time - 5 mins

Cooking Time - 3 to 5 mins

Complexity - Simple 

Ingredients 

To make Sukku Kaapi Powder

1/2 cup ginger powder 

1/4 cup corriander seeds

2 tsp pepper

1 tsp ajwain /carom seeds

To make sukku kaapi

1 cup water

2 tsp sukku Kaapi powder

Jaggery or palm candy or honey as per taste 

Method

• Dry roast the corriander seeds until it feels warm and crisp . In same pan ,roast the pepper and carom seeds .
• Let it cool for a few mins and then grind into a fine powder in a blender. 
• Mix the dry ginger powder along with the above spice mix and pass it through a sieve to get fone powder . Store this fine powder in a air tight bottle in the fridge .
• Shelf life - stays fresh for almost 2 to 3 months is used properly with a dry spoon .

To make sukku Kaapi 

• Boil a cup of water and add 2 spoonfuls of sukku kaapi powder to it.
• Simmer for 2 mins
• Mix jaggery or palm candy sugar and sip it while its warm 
• If you want to add honey,donot add while the water is boiling. Let it cool down a bit before adding honey .

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