Summer has taken the weather in its firm grip and the focus has clearly shifted to coolers and salads. The summer this time around has been intense and had arrived much earlier than we had anticipated. Thankfully the evenings are pleasant and breezy. I have been trying to spend as less time in the kitchen as possible...cooking easy and mild & light curries, dishing up salads and grilled food. Well, till the time a machine is designed to control weather conditions, let’s keep indulging ourselves and enjoying yummy coolers to alleviate some of that discomforting heat and humidity.
We are looking ahead at nearly two and half months of bearing with this kind of hot & sultry weather before the monsoon arrives in mid-June bringing huge relief. Until then, I have to ensure that I keep my family satiated with a variety of coolers to help them beat the heat. Apart from that, it is also time to upload something new; beyond the Lemonade and the Aam Panna…time for another cheers to good health J
I absolutely love beverages that are packed with goodness of nature and help the body in ways beyond just quenching the thirst. Jal Jeera is one such thirst quencher that serves the purpose of an appetizer by pepping up appetite left depressed by the heat and also that of being a digestive.
Jal in Hindi language means water and Jeera is Hindi for Cumin Seeds. Literal translation of Jal Jeera is cumin water but in go plenty of other spices and mint that make Jal Jeera beyond just cumin water. It is tangy, minty, spicy, pungent…in fact it has so much going on in there that one needs to experience it at least once. And once, my friends, is enough to get you hooked on to it!
But I am not too comfortable with tangy/ sour foods; Jal Jeera especially is meant to be rather quite tangy. When dealing with sour foods or beverages, I like to either reduce the souring agents in a particular food or add something sweet here and there to cut through the sourness. For the tangy and sour jal jeera, pineapples seemed like the right thing, with their natural fructose.
Just like for any beverage, feel free to reduce or enhance sourness/ sweetness. In case you want to omit using pineapple juice, swap it with water. You can even use sparkling water instead of water to perk up the Jal Jeera. Only one tip here, do not be tempted to use more mint than mentioned in the recipe, else the jal jeera will turn bitter. (I made that mistake once)
Here is the ratio of ingredients that I like to use,
1½ tbsp. Cumin Seeds (dry roasted)
¼ tsp Dry Mint Powder½ tsp Degi Mirch (I think Paprika should work well)8-10 Black Peppercorns, crushed1 pinch Asafoetida (Heeng)½ tsp Amchur (Dried & powdered raw green mangoes- easily available at Indian stores)½ tsp Black Salt (Kala Namak)½ tsp regular Salt or Sea Salt1 tbsp concentrated Tamarind1-1½ tbsp Mint Leaves1 tbsp Cilantro leaves (Fresh Coriander)
1 tbsp sugar (adjust in case you intend to not use pineapple juice)Medium sized Pineapple (I could procure a little more than a cup of juice)Water/ Sparkling water
Boondi to serve, optional (Tiny round puffed chick pea flour fritter balls. Available at Indian stores)
Wash mint leaves and cilantro leaves and keep aside. Peel & slice pineapple. Using a juicer, extract juice and strain it twice to procure clear pineapple juice.
Grind the dry spices using a spice grinder and then add the tamarind paste, mint leaves and cilantro leaves. Using 3-4 tbsp of water, make a fine paste. Strain the paste twice so you have a clear concentrated paste. (I used a regular sieve for the first straining and a finely meshed one for the second) Transfer this to a pot or jug.
In a measuring jar, add the pineapple juice and top the rest with water so that you have a total amount of 650 ml (approx) of liquid. Add sugar and stir well to dissolve. Pour this liquid in the concentrated paste and stir well. Jal Jeera is ready; chill it and sprinkle boondi before serving.
Please do not forget to check the notes given below
Note: I used freshly squeezed pineapple juice. In case you intend use store brought one, which might be much sweeter, you may need to omit sugar/ adjust the sourness.Note: I recommend not adding ice cubes to the Jal Jeera since it will mellow down the flavors. Instead, chill the Jal Jeera in the refrigerator. And do not forget to stir it well before serving. Serves 2-3Thanks for visiting and see you soon again. IT IS ALWAYS ENCOURAGING TO HEAR FROM FRIENDS AND READERS. I CAN ALSO BE REACHED AT: [email protected]
