Summers are just a great excuse to indulge in the sweetness of the exotic drinks that are our heat beaters!! The sweetness and the refreshing taste hits at every nook of our brain and relax us with a charm of its own. I just love summers, the colors of life in full bloom and yes! The treats in store are too yummy and irresistible.
Well, one of my favorite fruits of the season is the delicious mango. And in India, we are just too much in love with this ‘beats them all’ treats. Come summertime and you will see mango in every home, in one form or the other. From ripe mangoes to mango desserts and snacks, the King of fruits, just has to be there!
One of my favorite drinks in summers is a chilled mango and saffron smoothie. The sweetness of mango and the goodness of saffron just make it my all time favorite. Saffron though a bit expensive is used in a few strands, but the richness it adds is matchless; believe me, there can never be any substitute for this elite spice, neither in taste nor in color. Follow the recipe and see for yourself; come back and let me know how it went down with you.
Ingredients:
chopped mango pieces 1 cup
whole milk 2 cups
sugar or honey 3 tablespoons
cardamom powder ¼ teaspoon
saffron 1 big pinch for milk & a few strands for garnish.
Method:
1. Steep (soak) the saffron in milk for about half an hour.
2. Blend the mango cubes in a blender with milk.
3. Add honey and cardamom powder to it.
4. Now add the soaked saffron milk to it and blend well.
5. Refrigerate the whole mix for about an hour, before serving.
6. Garnish with the remaining saffron strands (a few).
7. Serve cold.
A quick ‘n’ easy recipe for all; except for the soaking and refrigerating parts, you won’t have to wait much to relish this mango madness. Then again, in this scorching heat of summer, our revenge is best served cold, rather refrigerated!!