Nariyal paani to curry: Give coconut water a fun twist this season

Here are some refreshing and delicious ways of incorporating coconut water in your diet

he weather is scorching and it makes perfect sense to go in for lighter, refreshing meals. If you usually reach for a nariyal paani every day, this time do more with the fruit. Coconut — the jewel of the summer season —- packs a bunch of health benefits and presents several culinary possibilities. Here’s what you can try:

10-MINUTE RECIPES KULUKKI SARBATH (SPICED SHAKEN LEMONADE)

Kulukki Sarbath is one of the most popular sarbaths from Kerala. This refreshing summer drink is prepared with soaked sweet basil seeds, slit green chillies, lemon juice, ginger, chilled tender coconut water, powdered sugar/sugar syrup, rock salt and ice cubes. It is shaken, not stirred as Kulukki means shaken in Malayalam.

This is how you can make it: Ingredients:

Lemon, freshly squeezed - 2tbsp Tender coconut water - 1 ½ cup Powdered sugar - 2tbsp Green chillies, slit - 4 Sweet basil (sabza) seeds soaked in ½ cup water - 4tsp Fresh mint leaves, muddled - 10 Rock salt - ½tsp

Ice cubes - as required

Method

Soak the sabza seeds in ¼ cup of water for 10 minutes. In a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid add sugar, lemon juice and chilled tender coconut water. Add slit chillies, mint leaves, rock salt, soaked sweet basil seeds as well as ice cubes. Close the mason jar lid. Shake it well for two minutes until the powdered sugar dissolves.

Add more ice cubes/crushed ice in a glass. Serve chilled.

You may also prepare variations of this sharbat by adding fresh mango juice, orange, pineapple or ginger juice.

- By Reetu Uday Kugaji, Culinary Expert and

Consultant Chef

CURRY WITH COCONUT MILK Ingredients:

Chicken leg boneless - 160g Carrots and French beans (cut) 15 g each

Potatoes, cut - 15g Coconut milk - 20ml Ginger-garlic paste - 10g Green chilli - 10g

Garam masala mix - 5g Coconut oil - 15ml

Black mustard seeds - 5g Curry leaves - 2g

Onion slices - 20g

Salt to taste

Method

Heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds, curry leaves and slices of onion and sauté till it is half cooked.

Add ginger-garlic paste, chicken, green chillies and vegetables. Sauté again for five minutes.

Add salt, coconut milk (diluted with a little coconut water for flavour), mustard seeds and a pinch of garam masala and simmer it for a few minutes. Serve hot.