Nasuha Blog

Hello friends!!! Hope you all are doing great. I am back in action after a mad week which had so much fun and learning and travel and making new friends and loads of gifts and what not :).
I will miss all the fun and madness for a few days but then it is all a part of life and hope this learning and sharing will continue for a long time.

Let me also tell you that my recipe for Ginger and Curry Leaves Martini won the first prize at the contest held by Urban Dazzle. I received a beautiful snack tray and gift vouchers as my prize :).

Coming to today's recipe, this Badam ka sharbat is a perfect drink to be made during summers or whenever the weather is hot and humid and you wish to drink something really refreshing. The concentrate keeps good in refrigerator for up to a week and all you have to do is to add some milk in it to make a healthy and energizing drink. Here is how to make this delicious Badam ka Sharbat.


All you need is

• Almonds \ Badam  - 250 g
• Water - 5 cups
• Saffron - a good pinch
• Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Milk to add to the sharbet.

Badam Ka Sharbat Recipe

1. Wash and soak almonds for 2-3 hours.
2. Remove the skin and grind in a grinder to make a smooth paste.
3. Add little water if required.
4. Add almond paste, 5 cups water and saffron in a pan and cook till the mixture comes to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat and boil till the mixture is reduced to half.
6. Add sugar and cook for another 5 minutes.
7. Add cardamom powder and mix well.
8. Store the sharbat in a sterilized bottle and  refrigerate for up to 6-7 days.
9. When ready to serve, add 1\4 cup sharbat in a glass and top the glass with cold milk and ice cubes.
10. Serve chilled.

Jal Jeera is a very popular Indian drink which is made from fresh coriander, mint leaves and roasted cumin powder. It is very refreshing, have a cooling effect and is good for digestion as well. Here is the recipe to make a delicious and refreshing Jal Jeera at home.


All you need is

Fresh mint leaves - 1\2 cup
Fresh coriander leaves - 1\2 cup
Ginger - 1\2 inch piece
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Roasted cumin powder - 1\2 tsp
Heeng \ Asafoetida - 1\4 tsp
Black salt - 2 tsp
Salt - 2 tsp
Black pepper powder - 1\4 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Dry mango powder - 2 tsp
Tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp
Water - 4 cups


Method of preparation

Wash the mint and coriander leaves.
Blend them with ginger in a blender to make a smooth paste.
Add little water if required.
Transfer the paste in a big bowl.
Add all the remaining ingredients.
Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.
It is important to keep jal jeera for a few hours before serving for the flavors to develop.

Summers have hit Bangalore and the heat is unbearable. My apartment gets the morning sun which during the winters is a blessing, but for now it starts to get hot as early as 8 in the morning. Although I am complaining of the heat in Bangalore, to be fair it is nothing compared to what Northern part of India experiences. Temperature in May and June reaches a scorching 49-50 degree C and with the heat waves accompanying the high temperature, it is even worse.

Aam panna is a very refreshing drink which my mom used to make on a everyday basis in the months of summers and it was the first thing which was served when anyone entered the house, battling the sun and heat. Although the temperature in Bangalore never goes that high but it is still good to sip on this delicious drink once in a while.

As most of Indian recipes, the recipe to make Aam panna differs from person to person. Some add mint and some do not. Some peel the raw mango before boiling and some do not. I personally like to boil the mangoes with the skin on as gives a typical flavor to the drink and the addition of fresh mint paste takes it to a different level.
So here is my recipe to make this refreshing drink. Do give it a try.


All you need is

Raw mango - 1\2 kg
Sugar - 1 and 1\2 cup
Roasted cumin powder - 2 tsp
Black salt - 2 tsp
Fresh mint - 1 cup
Ice cubes



Method of preparation

Wash the raw mangoes and put them in a pressure cooker.
Add enough water to cover them and cook till soft. ( One whistle on high and 2 on low )
Cool.
Remove the skin of the mangoes.
Mash to take out all the pulp.
Do not discard the water.
Add 5-6 cups of water.
Grind the mint leaves with little water to make a paste.
Add ground mint, sugar, roasted cumin powder and black salt to the mango pulp.
Mix well to dissolve the sugar.
Adjust sugar and salt according to your taste.
Add more water if required.
Chill it for a few hours before serving.
Pour the panna in glasses.
Add some ice cubes.
Garnish with mint leaves.
Serve chilled.

Looking for some healthy and delicious recipe for your breakfast? Look no further. This banana, strawberry and orange shake is a healthy option for breakfast and is delicious too. I have used fresh orange juice for the shake, but you can use canned juice too. So enjoy this shake while strawberries are still in the season. Here is the recipe.


All you need is

Banana - 2 cups ( chopped )
Strawberries - 2 cups ( chopped )
Orange juice - 1 cup
Milk - 4 cups ( chilled )
Honey - 4 tsp


Method of preparation

Blend banana, strawberry and orange juice in a blender to make a smooth paste.
Add milk and honey and blend to mix well.
Serve in glasses.
Garnish with mint sprigs.
Serve chilled.

The days have started to get a bit warm in Bangalore. I have already started to draw the curtain of my living room during the day time and water my plants twice a day. Before I could savor all the warm and hearty soups that I love to sip on the cold winter evenings, It's already time to move on to my iced teas and sherbets. On a recent visit to my grocery store, I found passion fruits in the fruits section and bought a few packets. I had a few recipes in mind but an Iced tea topped the list. So the passion fruits went in to this very refreshing and light iced tea. Here is the recipe.



All you need is

Tea - 2 tsp ( I used Tajmahal brand )
Water - 4 cups
Sugar - 1\2 cup
Passion fruits - 12-15
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Mint leaves - 3-4 springs
Ice cubes



Method of preparation

Bring water to a boil.
When it comes to a boil, add the tea leaves.
Switch off the heat and let the tea steep for 2-3 minutes.
Strain the tea and add sugar.
Keep the tea aside.
Cut the passion fruits and remove the pulp.
Press the pulp through a soup strainer to get the juice.
You will get approximately 1 cup of juice.
When the tea is cooled, add the passion fruit juice and lemon juice in it.
Fill the serving glasses with ice cubes.
Add a few mint leaves and lemon slices in each glass.
Pour the tea in the glasses.
Serve immediately.

Chuhare aur chirongi ka doodh is a drink made specially in winters and is served hot. It is very nutritious and is very easy to make. Here is the recipe.


All you need is

Chuhare \ Dry dates- 6
Chironji nuts - 2 tbsp
Milk - 1 liter
Sugar  2 tsp


Method of preparation

Heat water in a pan.
When the water starts to boil, add chuhare.
Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Remove from heat and let it cool.
Drain the water.
Cut the chuhare into pieces and discard the seed.
Heat milk in a pan.
Add chuhare pieces and chironji.
Cook for 10-12 minutes on low heat.
Strain the milk in a pan.
Blend the chuhare and chironji in a blender to make a smooth paste.
Add the paste in the milk.
If the milk is too thick, add some more milk.
Heat the milk again till it boils.
Serve hot.

It's strawberry season and I just love this fruit. These days I am trying a lot of recipes in which strawberries are an ingredient and today I tried this refreshing strawberry tea. Give your daily tea a make over and make this easy to make strawberry tea instead. Here is the recipe.


All you need is

Strawberry - 1\2 cup + 1\4 cup ( chopped )
Water - 4 cups
Green tea bags - 4
Honey - 4 tsp


Method of preparation

Mix water and 1\2 cup strawberries in a pan and bring to a boil.
When the water starts to boil, switch off the heat.
Add honey in the pan.
Dip the tea bags in the pan.
Let them steep for 2 minutes.
Add the remaining 1\4 cup strawberries in 4 cups.
Strain the tea in the cups.
Serve immediately.