Lockdown Challenge: Get Glowing Skin & Slow Down Ageing With These 21 Healthy Summer Drinks Each Day

The scorching sun and the unrelenting heat is upon us. Summer has officially arrived. And what wouldn't we do for a cooling glass of refreshing drink to beat the heat? Beware though! Before you reach out for that soda can or ice cream shake, consider the unwanted calories you will be consuming too. No sweat though! You can still have a refreshing drink that’s healthy and will barely take 10 minutes to prepare. These drinks will not just give your skin that perfect glow but the antioxidants present in the ingredients will help in slowing down the signs of ageing as well. Now without further delay, let's jump into the list of 21 recipes that you can try each day.

Kanji Recipe 

Ingredients

• 5 carrots
• 2 small beetroots
• 2 litres of boiled water  
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 2 tbsp mustard powder  
• Black salt as required

Method

Peel the carrots and beetroot and chop them into long pieces. 

Mix all the other ingredients including the chopped vegetables in a glass or ceramic jar.

Cover with a lid and keep the jar in the sun for 3-4 days.

Stir with a wooden spoon everyday.

When the drink turns sour, it means it has fermented.

Refrigerate and then serve chilled with cubes of ice.

Milk Masala 

Ingredients

• 50 grams almonds
• 50 grams cashew nuts
• 20 grams unsalted pistachios  
• 3 green cardamoms
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp saffron
• 1 tsp saunth
• 1 tsp grated nutmeg 

Method

Take out the nuts from the fridge a few hours before you prepare your dish.  

Now, dry roast the nuts on low flame for 4 minutes only and then remove them on a plate.   

Now in the same pan add the fennel seeds, cardamoms, and saffron.

Roast them again for 3 minutes till the saffron darkens and you get a beautiful aroma from the entire mixture. 

Now put then along with the nuts on that separate plate, and let cool for 2 hours. 

Once cooled, put them all in a grinder with the dry ginger powder and the nutmeg.

Make a powder by pulsing them.

While grinding if you find that the mixture is getting heated up then leave it in intervals and grind once the mixture cools down every time.  

Transfer the ground powder into an airtight jar or container.

Whenever you want to drink it, mix a tablespoon or a teaspoon depending upon how much yu want in the milk and enjoy.

Mango Coconut Green Smoothie 

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped mango 
• 1 cup coconut milk 
• 8 mint leaves
• 1 cup spinach 

Method

Blend all the ingredients in a blender but start with the milk first, the mixture should smooth before consuming.

Now pour it in the glasses and you can add ice if you want.

Sip on. 

Watermelon Mint Juice

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped watermelon 
• 5 mint leaves
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp black salt 
• ½ tsp  black pepper powder

Method

Put the watermelon cubes into the blender along with the mint and lemon juice. 

Add in the cumin powder, black pepper and black salt. 

Blend to make a smoothie.

Put a few ice cubes in the glasses and serve chilled. 

Pudina Chaas Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup curd
• 1 ½ cups water
• 2 tbsp mint leaves
• ½ green chili with seeds removed if you like it spicy
• ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
• ½ tsp black salt 
• ¼ tsp black pepper powder
• Salt to taste

Method

In a blender, put curd, green chilli, mint and the spices and blend till frothy. 

There should not be any large chunks of leaves.

Put ice cubes in the glasses and pour it into serving glasses.

Papaya Muskmelon Juice

Ingredients

• 1 cup cubed papaya  
• 1 cup cubed muskmelon  
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

Blend all the ingredients in a blender and serve with some ice cubes.  

Cashew Fig Milkshake

Ingredients

• 6 dried figs
• ¼ cup cashew nuts
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tbsp honey 

Method

Soak the figs and nuts in a bowl for at least 4 hours. 

Now chop the figs in small pieces and take a blender. 

In the blender, add the nuts and figs along with the milk and honey, to make a smoothie.

Pour into serving glass and serve.

Mint Juice Recipe

Ingredients

• ½ cup mint leaves  
• ½ tbsp honey 
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tsp black salt
• 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 cups chilled water

Method

Remove the mint leaves from stems, take all the ingredients, and blend in a blender with ½ cup of water.

Make a smooth puree.

Now, add the remaining water and blend again.

Add ice cubes and serve. 

Jasmine Ginger Coolers

ingredients 

• 2 jasmine tea bags
• 4 cups boiling water  
• 1 thumb-sized piece of chopped ginger  
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 lemons

Method

Place the teabags, ginger, honey and boiled water and let it brew for 10 minutes.

Now remove the tea bags and ginger pieces and place the tea in the fridge for 3 hours. 

Squeeze the lemons in a pitcher with some ice and pour the tea into it 

Serve. 

Barley Water/Barley Tea or Jau water

Ingredients

• 1-litre water
• ½  cup organic barley or jau
• 1 lemon
• 1/8 cup honey

Method

Soak the barley or jau in water for 4 hours, or overnight.

Strain, and now pour the water and jau in a saucepan. Cover and boil on high heat. 

Once the jau comes to a boil, simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the lemons and juice it and pour in the jars. 

After 30 minutes, strain the barley water into the pitcher, but do not throw the barley an use it like rice or quinoa.

Mix in the honey and stir

Serve chilled.

Turmeric tea

Ingredients

• 1-inch cinnamon stick
• 4 green cardamoms
• 20 gms turmeric powder
• 6 cups almond milk
• 6 tsp raw honey

Method

In a small saucepan, pour 1 cup water, cinnamon and cardamom. 

Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer for 20 minutes. 

Now mix in the spices and put them in a glass jar.

For each serving, mix 1 cup almond milk, ¼ tsp turmeric-spice infusion, and 1 tsp honey. Stir and blend.

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Black Tea With Pomegranate and Citrus

Ingredients

• Black tea (any variety)
• Some pomegranate juice
• Pomegranate seeds
• Orange juice
• Lemons 

Method

First brew your tea.  

Add all the ingredients depending upon your taste  

Mix well and serve with ice cubes.

Panakam Recipe

Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped jaggery
• 2 cups water
• ¼ tsp saunth
• ¼ tsp black pepper powder
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 2 tbsp lemon juice  
• A pinch of salt

Method

In a bowl, mix the jaggery and water and let the jaggery soak in the water for 30 minutes till it all dissolves. 

Add the lemon juice, ginger powder, cardamom powder, black pepper powder and a pinch of salt.

Mix well.

Refrigerate or add some ice cubes in the panakam and serve. 

Aam Panna

Ingredients

For pressure cooking:

• 1 raw mango
• 2 cup water

Other ingredients:

• 2 tbsp mint  
• ¼ cup jaggery
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp pepper powder
• ¾ tsp salt of any kind

Method

In a pressure cook the raw mango and water for 5 whistles.

Let it cool and then peel off the mango skin. 

Transfer the pulp in a blender with the mint and jaggery. 

Blend to smooth paste without adding any water.

Now, add the cardamom powder, cumin powder, pepper powder and salt.

Mix well.

To serve, in a tall glass take a tbsp of the concentrate and add a few ice cubes and pour cold water.

Bay Leaf cooler

Ingredients

• ½ litre water
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tsp lemon juice  

Method

Place ingredients, together, in a pot and bring to a boil.

Drink, after it cools down with some ice cubes.

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Nannari Sharbat   

Ingredients

• 30 grams Nannari root
• 1-liter water
• 1 cup jaggery
• 1 tsp salt
• Juice from half lemon

Method

Hammer the nannari root to remove the white inner stalk. 

Discard the white part.

Wash the bark of the root running water to remove dirt and sand.

Grind to a coarse powder.

Pressure cook the root with water. jaggery and salt for 5 minutes on medium flame.

Wait for the pressure to release and strain the mixture.

Boil the strained mixture until it becomes syrupy.

Cool and store in the fridge and you can use it within a month.

Mix in the lemon juice, syrup with ice cubes and water. 

Serve.

Cucumber, Fennel, and Lemon Spritzer

Ingredients

• 2 large cucumbers 
• 1 large fennel bulb
• 2 cups club soda 
• 3 tbsp jaggery
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp sea salt 
• 1/2 cup lemon-peel strips 

Method

Juice the cucumbers and fennel in an electric juicer. 

Transfer to a large pitcher. 

Stir in club soda, honey, lemon juice, salt, and the lemon.

Serve with ice. 

Homemade Ginger Ale

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1/2 cup grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup water 
• 6 cups club soda chilled
• 6 lemon slices

Method

Mix in the ginger, sugar, and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil.

Do so till the sugar dissolves and then reduce the heat, and cook on  simmer for 10 minutes.

Now strain the mixture through a sieve and cool. 

Add the soda and serve.

Ragi Malt or Ambali

Ingredients  

• ½ cup dry fruits 
• ½ cup milk 
• Salt to taste.
• 3 cups water 
• Jaggery to taste
• 1 cup ragi atta

Method

Mix ragi flour in some water to avoid lumps formation and keep it aside.

In a pan, add water and boil and then add the mixed ragi flour to it and keep stirring. 

Let this cook for 5 minutes.

Once done take a bowl, add some milk, dry fruits, jaggery and ragi mixture mix well and serve.

20. Piyush (Gujarati drink)

Ingredients  

• 1 cup curd
• 3 tbsp sugar  
• ¼ tsp green cardamom powder  
• A pinch of kesar  
• 1 cup buttermilk  
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp mixed nuts 

Method

Hang the curd in a muslin cloth for twenty-five minutes. Collect the whey in a vessel and use it in other recipes.

Combine hung curd with sugar and mix to dissolve the sugar. 

Mix green cardamom powder and saffron. 

Add buttermilk and mix well.

Add salt and garnish with mixed nuts.

Serve chilled.

Neer Mor or Sambharam

Ingredients 

• 1 cup curd 
• 2 cups water
• 1 chopped green chilli
• 1 small grated piece of ginger
• 2 tsp chopped coriander
• 3 curry leaves 
• ½ tsp roasted cumin seeds powder 
• ½ tsp lemon juice 
• Salt as required

Method

Blend the curd and water.  

Add the finely chopped green chilli, ginger, coriander leaves, curry leaves, roasted cumin powder and salt required.

Squeeze the lemon juice.

Serve chilled.

Now that you have some of the healthiest summer drink recipes, it is time to ditch those aerated colas and sugary syrups. In all these recipes you can adjust the quantity of all ingredients as per liking. Utilise this time at home and treat yourself and your loved ones to something healthy everyday.