Summer special: Try these easy-to-make mocktail at home

Nita Mehta
The wrath of the Indian Summer has intensified in last few days .With school holidays just round the corner , you must be looking forward  for your hill station trip but what until then ?
With a slew of dry days coming up over the next few weeks, We suggest beating the heat with these summer coolers that are packed with fresh fruits and Indian spices which  are easily available in every Indian household or at the nearest vegetable vendor.   
 Packed with fresh fruit and other nutritious ingredients, these  ice-cold fruity  mocktails are festive and refreshing .These
fruity, refreshing drink takes the edge off even the hottest summer days  Which   can keep you  rejuvenated and hydrated    this summer
Here are favortie easy, delicious, and non-alcoholic latest  drinks craze sweeping the city .
Fruit Punch
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup mango juice
1/2 cup fresh cream
 Garnish
Balls of mango and watermelon
black graphes
mint leaves dipped in cold water
1—Thread mango balls, grapes and watermelon balls alternating with Mint leaves on a wooden skewer  and  keep aside  to use as the stirrer
2—Blend all ingradients of the punch together
3-Put crushed ice in a glass .Pour the punch mix on top
4-Place the prepared stirrer in the glass .Serve with straw
FIRE ON ICE
4 Fresh , thick green or red chillies —slit and open slightly,                               keep whole
4 cup coconut water (cocojal)
2tsp powdered sugar or sugar free powder to taste.
2tsp lemon juice
pinch of salt and pepper
1 cup sprite to top (see note)
crushed ice
1—Put ice in  tall glass .Place a chilli on the ice
2-Add coconut water , sugar free powder ,lemon juice ,salt and pepper
3—Stir well to dissolve  the sugar free powder and to add  the fire of the  chillies to the drink .
4-Top with Sprite .Stir once and serve
Note ——If you substitute  soda for sprite , increase the sugar and lemon juice
PAAN  SHOT
2 ready made meethe pan
(without supari)
8tbsp vanilla ice cream
1 cup chilled water
1 cup crushed ice cubes
powdered sugar as needed
1—Churn pans with little  water in a mixer .Add all the other ingradients
2-Check sweetness  and add some powdered sugar if needed . Pour in small narrow glasses or shot glasses .Serve
BERRY  BLUSH
1 Cup cranberry juice , chilled
1 cup orange juice , Chilled
4tsp powdered sugar
2 cups club soda , chilled
Some ice cubes

1-Put a cherry or grapes and a mint leaf in each glass .Put ice
2-Combine  cranberry juice , orange juice , sugar and  club soda in a large jug
—Pour into glass and Serve
APPLE INFUSION
2 cups apple Juice
4 tsp regular or brown sugar
1 lemon —cut into tiny pieces
4 tbsp kiwi crush or khus syrup or strawberry syrup
4 tbsp soda to top , crushed ice
1—put lemon chunks and brown sugar in a pestle mortar.
Muddle it nicely until lemon leaves it”s juice .
2-Add this lemon sugar mix to apple juice and mix well .
Refrigerate for an hour, or more , to infuse the lemon flavour into apple juice .
3-To serve, fill half the glass with crushed ice
4-Pour the apple juice along with the lemon chunks on the ice
5-Top with just a little soda
6-Squeeze a little kiwi crush on the drink .It will sink to the base forming a distint green layer .Serve
The writer  is an Indian celebrity chef, author, restaurateur and media personality, known for her cookbooks, cooking classes  etc. She has authored more than 400 cookbooks of which 6 million copies have been sold worldwide. In 1999, she won the Best Asian Cookbook Award for her book Flavours of Indian Cooking at the World Cookbook Fair in Paris.