When the heat rises and your energy dips, nothing revives quite like a tall glass of something cold and homemade. These fresh juice recipes bring together the earthy sweetness of fruits, the sharp kick of ginger and chilli, and the timeless tang of citrus. Whether it's the smoky charm of pora aamer sharbat or the subtle elegance of watermelon juice laced with honey and sea salt, each recipe here celebrates the art of cooling down!
WATERMELON JUICE WITH HONEY AND SALT
Ingredients
8 cups watermelon cut into 2-inch cubes
1 tsp raw honey
½ tsp kosher or sea salt
1-2 sprigs of fresh herbs, such as mint or basil (optional)
Method
Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and set aside. Place watermelon, honey and salt in a blender. Blend on high until no chunks remain. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to do this in two batches. Pour into the strainer and press the pulp with a wooden spoon to extract all of the juice. Pour the juice into a container with a tight-fitting lid. Chill.
When ready to serve, shake vigorously (because it tends to separate) and serve with a sprig of herbs, if using.
PORA AAMER SHARBAT (CHARRED GREEN MANGO JUICE)
Ingredients
4 raw mangoes
¼ cup fresh mint
½ roasted cumin powder
¼ tsp roasted dry red chilli powder
1 cup sugar
2 tsp black salt
6 cup water
Method
Wash and dry the raw mangoes. Using a fork, prick it all over. Roast the mangoes over direct heat for about 10 minutes. Peel the skin and let it cool. Using your hands pull out all the pulp. Take the pulp in a blender. Add sugar, black salt, roasted cumin powder, roasted red chilli powder, mint and blend to make a paste.
Add water and blend again.
Refrigerate for about 2 hours. Pour the glasses and serve chilled.
CARROT JUICE WITH APPLE
Ingredients
4 carrots
2 apples
2 tbsp honey/sugar (to taste)
¾ cup to 1 cup water
Method
Scrub carrots well and wash them; peel off the skins if needed. Peel off 2 apples and chop them into small slices. Chop the carrot into small cubes. Take it in a blender, add water little by little and puree it smoothly. Now strain this through a fine strainer, you can strain this using a clean cloth. Blend the apples separately; strain. Now add honey and apple juice to the carrot juice and mix well.
Chill this for an hour. Serve cold.
FRESH GINGER LEMONADE
Ingredients
1 large piece of fresh ginger (about 3-4 inches)
4-5 lemons (freshly juiced)
2-3 tbsp honey or sweetener of choice (adjust to taste)
Ice cubes (optional)
Method
Peel the fresh ginger root and cut it into small pieces. Grate the ginger with a little bit of water to create a smooth paste. Place the grated ginger in a fine sieve or cheesecloth, and press or squeeze it to extract the juice. You should have around 2-3 tablespoons of fresh ginger juice. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and strain it to remove seeds or pulp.
In a large pitcher, combine the freshly squeezed lemon juice, ginger juice, and cold water. Stir well to mix. Add honey (or your preferred sweetener) to taste. Stir until it's dissolved completely. If you want a tangy flavour, feel free to adjust the amount of sweetener.
Pour the ginger lemonade into glasses filled with ice cubes (optional).
COCONUT COOLER
Ingredients
5 cups diced watermelon
¾ cup raspberries
2 cups coconut water
¼ cup lime juice
2 tsp sugar
Handful of mint leaves
Method
Firstly, dice up a watermelon to attain 5 cups of it. Blend this to get a fine juice and then strain this through a fine mesh sieve. Get rid of all the seeds and fruit pulp so that you are left with thin and translucent watermelon juice.
Next, cut raspberries into halves and puree them in a blender. After getting a fine puree, pass this through a sieve to get rid of all the seeds and solid substances. Add in 2 teaspoons of sugar to this and mix well. Squeeze a couple of limes and remove their seeds to get a 1/4 cup of lime juice.
Combine all these prepared ingredients together in a blender along with 2 cups of coconut water. Pulse them for a few seconds until you get a clear and homogenous mixture. You can adjust the level of sweetness by adding more sugar according to your taste preference.
Lastly, chill this in the refrigerator and garnish with a sprig of mint before serving to add a pop of colour and a burst of freshness. This tastes best when served cold.
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