Kulukki sharbat is a traditional sweet and spicy iced beverage from God's own land, Cochin, Kerala. It is popular and widely consumed throughout South India to combat the sun's intense heat during summers.
Kulukki sharbat is also known as "shaken lemonade." The term "kulukki" refers to being shaken, and "sharbat" means juice in English. The fruity, cool drink can be easily prepared with five simple kitchen ingredients: basil or Sabja seeds, lemon, green chillies, ginger, and sugar. All the components are shaken together until the flavours are thoroughly mixed. Besides being a fantastic coolant, especially during the hot summers, the sweet basil seeds provide several health advantages.
Here is a simple recipe to freshen yourself up with this traditional cool drink, Kulukki Sharbat-
Ingredients:
- 4 cups water, ice cold
- 1 Lemon
- 100 ml of raw mango juice
- 2 small green chilies, slit
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons sweet basil seeds/sabja seeds
- 2-3 Ice cubes
For the sugar syrup:
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
For garnish:
- 2 basil leaves
- 2 lemon slices
Method
- Sabja seeds or sweet basil seeds should first be soaked for 30 minutes in lukewarm water. Let it turn gelatinous.
- For the sugar recipe: Put sugar and water in a pan to make sugar syrup. Keep stirring for 5–7 minutes on low heat, until it becomes thick and sticky. Turn off the flame, take it off the heat, and let it cool completely.
- For Kulukki Sarbath: In a mixer-grinder, blend sugar syrup, raw mango juice, ice-cold water, lemon juice, lemon slices, green chilies, finely chopped ginger, and ice cubes.
- Now transfer the mixture into a stainless steel shaker with a lid. Give it a good 30 seconds shake.
- Pour the Kulukki Sarbath into a large glass. Put the garnishing on ice cubes, basil leaves, and lemon slices. Serve cold.
The Kulkki sharbat uses sweet basil seeds, which are distinct from chia seeds and holy basil. Basil seeds are usually used for preparing falooda and sharbat. They have cooling properties and reduce body heat while providing calming effects on the stomach.
