Nothing beats a cool drink after a long day of fasting!
Eats & Treats in Bahrain to your heart's content with Tania Rebello
A long day of fasting calls for immediate hydration and replenishment of valuable nutrients at the dusk. And, of course, the most important drink is water, which has no parallels. Drinking water helps your organs function smoothly. The digestive system also functions better. So, do not skip that glass of water when you break your fast. Nothing beats a cool drink after a long day of fasting! Today, I am going to share a few ideas to boost your water intake with these infused water recipes and increase your water intake without adding sugar. Infused water is known to help with blood sugar regulation, immunity, hydration and appetite control. Furthermore, you will find some other interesting Ramadan drink recipes to try at home.
How to prepare infused water
In a large jug, add one liter of fresh, cool drinking water. Add clean, washed ingredients to the water and allow the concoction to infuse for about 3 hours before consuming. Ice may be added while serving.
Apple and mint
1 sliced red apple, sliced 15 mint leaves
Lemon and cucumber
1 large lemon
1 sliced cucumber.
5 mint leaves (optional)
Watermelon and strawberries
1 cup of cubed watermelon
6 sliced strawberries
Raspberry and apricot
10 raspberries
2 apricots cut into wedges
Apple, pear and cinnamon
1 sliced red apple
1 sliced juicy pear
1 large cinnamon stick
Ginger, lemon and mint
2 ginger peeled and sliced
1 lemon sliced
10 mint leaves
Saffron almond milk
This elegant drink is a real thirst quencher. Pair it up with your meal for a satisfying Iftar. Almonds are rich in vitamins and provide a boost of energy. The flavor of the saffron pairs perfectly with the almonds and milk.
Ingredients:
45 grams of almonds
1 litre whole milk
1 pinch saffron dissolved in 2 tbsp milk
4-6 tbsp sugar
5 cardamom pods opened and seeds crushed
½ tsp rose water
1. Soak the almonds in hot water for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, discard the water and then remove the skin from each almond. It will come off easily.Transfer blanched almonds with ¼ cup of milk to a blender. Blend to a smooth paste. Set it aside.
2. Transfer the remaining milk to a pan and put in on medium-high heat. As the milk warms up, spoon out 2 tablespoons of the warm milk from the pan into a small bowl and add crushed saffron strands to it. Set aside.
3. Once the milk in the pan comes to a boil, add the prepared almond paste to it. Stir to combine. Lower the heat to low medium and let the milk simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir often so that milk does not get stuck to the bottom of the pan. The raw smell of almonds should disappear completely. Add in the saffron milk that you had set aside.
4. Add the sugar and stir until it is dissolved.
5. Finally add in the crushed cardamom seeds. You may also add rose water (if using) at this point. Mix well and turn off the heat.
Allow to cool completely and chill in the fridge for three hours. To serve, garnish with a few saffron threads as well as grated almonds or pistachios.
Qamar Al Din
This refreshing drink tastes exactly like dried apricots. It is soothing, cooling and has the perfect amount of sweetness. Qamar Al Din could be a wonder[1]ful substitute for sugary bottled juices.
Ingredients:
400 gms dried apricots
3 cups of water
1/3 cup of sugar
Method:
1. Soak the dried apricots some water overnight.
2. Blend along with the remaining water and sugar until no lumps remain.
3. Strain with a strainer and refrigerate.
4. Serve chilled with ice
Mango and dates lassi
Mangoes are in season and the combination of mangoes, dates and yoghurt provides energy and aids gut health. Ensure that the mangoes are sweet and ripe. Select mangoes that are fleshy and not fibrous.
Ingredients:
2 cups of mango cubes
1 cup of greek or thick yoghurt
½ cup chilled milk
4 pitted dates
¼ cup of water
A few ice cubes
Method:
1. Wash and peel the mango and cut to chunks. Add the milk, yogurt, mango, pitted dates, pinch of cardamom, few ice cubes and little water to a blender.
2. Blend all the ingredients until smooth. If the lassi is too thick for your liking add some more milk or water.
3. Pour the mango lassi into glasses and garnish with chopped mango and sliced pistachio.
Watermelon strawberry slushie
This is an enjoyable way of cooling down after fasting during the summer season. Watermelon is cool and refreshing. Make sure to use ripe and sweet watermelon for this recipe, as the slushie does not contain any added sugar. A drizzle of honey may be added if required.
Ingredients:
500 gms chopped sweet and seedless watermelon
2 cups of frozen strawberries
2 tbsp lime juice
2 cups ice cubes
Method:
Place all ingredients in to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into chilled glasses and serve immediately.
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