Musk / Honey Dew Melon ( Galia / Kharbooza / Canteloupe ) #Drink OR Make a #salad!

''Ah, Summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.''

- Russell Baker

When the sun hits your head, you need to quench your thirst first ? and for me, I just love drinking plain water.  But, sometimes I don't mind drinking fresh fruit juice.  When we get lots of fresh fruit in the market we can have 5 a day or 10 a day 🙂 make juice or make a salad but just enjoy it. Do you love fruits? Then you are  my  list of best friends ever.  Summer brings out some beautiful flowers, fruits,  and veggies.

Sun was in his full glory, that doesn't mean it reaches 42 - 43C as in India.  When it reaches 25-27C it's unbearable for us here, In my part of the world sun is still playing Hide and seek.  It's been pouring non-stop from past 3 days got tired of seeing rain for so long, I did so much gardening repotted my plants, added new plants, had to dig out weeds and add fresh compost as I have a very clayey soil, it's  hard work.  but love my garden when they are in full bloom.  At least for six months I can enjoy seeing them.

With all the hard work I get some perks as well! three thorns got into fingers, I just ignored the two but the third one was too stubborn, I couldn't sleep the whole night as it became blue and swollen and it was my thumb finger!  so, no gardening the next day but had to go to the  emergency unit to get rid of my splinters, the nurse was smiling and said you come every year just for this.  I had a tetanus injection because I don't know if I had one when I was a kid and my parents can't remember!  Anyways thank God! she removed it and I had trouble cooking and cleaning as it was paining severely.

Am I talking too much pouring away my stories as usual, getting back to this drink, Just before the summer starts in India we have a festival called Rama Navami, it's this time of the year which tells you the summer begins,  In India festivals always are accompanied with loads of savouries and sweets, but this festival is celebrated with just a very few interesting recipes which can be mustered up in few minutes.

Ram Navami means it's just panaka ( a delicious cooling drink) Majjige (Buttermilk /chaas) and Kosambari ( with Moong dal and cucumber).  This is served in all the temples and in homes when you visit on that day!  I could go ahead and say that our ancestors tailored the recipes accordingly to the regions and seasons in which we live in India.  They had a purpose for every recipe and the different oils used in different regions also are apt to that place and their life style.  Back to Ram Navami  as I was telling earlier as it is the time when the summer sets in we get different fruits and vegetables which need to be eaten as it is seasonal and helps you stay strong in the hot summer, you can see loads of Melons ( watermelon/ Honey dew melon/Musk Melon/ Cantaloupe) and loads of cucumber, wood apple, Mangoes and Many more.   Melons and cucumbers as you know has loads of water content in them and helps  you hydrated so, that's why in this festival they serve you with this kind of recipes.  Interesting isn't it?

Yellow Melons are called Kharbooza in Urdu. Both the melons smell gorgeous when you hold it and smell it.  The perfectly riped melons smell awesome.  They really are sweet and taste like honey.

Do you have something like this in your place, it need not have to be a festival but what you would eat most as  your Mother's and Grandmother's made for you to eat during summer time. what are those special fruits and veggies which you find during summer time,  These days you can find everything all through the year which is not what you really need right?

My Mom made these every year during summer but she used to make different types of drinks for us to enjoy the whole of summer, my Mom was a school teacher, it was fun as she used to get holidays as we got!  My Mom is a creative cook and she loved experimenting and it was fun to have her at home as she never got tired of spending more time in the kitchen even with the unbearable heat wave.  This drink brings me loads of memories.

Musk/Honey Dew Melon Drink

Recipe Author: Jayasri
Recipe Type: Juices/Drinks/Mocktails
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
Shelf Time: 2 days

Ingredients:
Any Melon of your choice (Musk/Honey-dew)- 1
Jaggery/Gaur - 1/2 Cup
2 to 3 - Cardamom
2 to 3 Cups - water

Method:
Wash and dry, Cut open the Melon and remove the seeds.
Using a melon baller scoop out few melon balls for garnishing when you serve.
With a spoon scoop out all the flesh and mash it well. ( My Mom used to squash it using her hand to a pulp)
In 2 to 3 cups of water or you can use more water adjust to the consistency you like!, there's not an exact measurement for this.
Dissolve the grated jaggery until it dissolves then filter it through a sieve. Usually, they have impurities, as this is a raw product.
Then mix the squash of the melon and chill it in your fridge and serve it.
Oops! Don't forget to add some crushed cardamom powder.
Enjoy!

Notes:
It shouldn't become too squashed like grinding it in a mixie. But if you preferred to do so you can do it if you don't want to use your hand!
There is no exact measurement of water, If the melons are very sweet you don't need a lot of Jaggery.
Jaggery comes in round blocks or square blocks, grate or mash them up and use them as you require depending on the sweetness of the melons. Jaggery/Gaur is a sweetener used in India, it is not a processed sugar and is the raw product of cane and is a better option than sugar.

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Musk / Honey Dew Melon ( Galia / Kharbooza) #Drink OR Make a #salad!

Most delicious and awesome drink, You would want it a second and third helping.

Course Juices/Drinks/Mocktails

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Jayasri

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• Any Melon of your choice Musk/Honey-dew- 1
• Jaggery/Gaur - 1/2 Cup
• 2 to 3 - Cardamom
• 2 to 3 Cups - water

Instructions

• Method:
• Wash and dry, Cut open the Melon and remove the seeds.
• Using a melon baller scoop out few melon balls for garnishing when you serve.
• With a spoon scoop out all the flesh and mash it well. ( My Mom used to squash it using her hand to a pulp)
• In 2 to 3 cups of water or you can use more water adjust to the consistency you like!, there's not an exact measurement for this.
• Dissolve the grated jaggery until it dissolves then filter it through a sieve. Usually, they have impurities, as this is a raw product.
• Then mix the squash of the melon and chill it in your fridge and serve it.
• Oops! Don't forget to add some crushed cardamom powder.
• Enjoy!

Notes

Notes:
It shouldn't become too squashed like grinding it in a mixie. But if you preferred to do so you can do it if you don't want to use your hand!
There is no exact measurement of water, If the melons are very sweet you don't need a lot of Jaggery.
Jaggery comes in round blocks or square blocks, grate or mash them up and use them as you require depending on the sweetness of the melons. Jaggery/Gaur is a sweetener used in India, it is not a processed sugar and is the raw product of cane and is a better option than sugar.