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Slurp your troubles away!

Instead of counting the days till the monsoon, let's discover traditional chillers, suggests RAHUL VERMA

THE COOLEST ONE Watermelon brings respite to man and animal alike on a hot day Photo: K.R. DEEPAK

I don't suppose T.S. Eliot was ever in Delhi during the month of June, for I don't quite think he would have called April the cruellest month if he had experienced one of Delhi 's famous summer loos. Summer in Delhi is like a hot furnace — and that's when the weather is good! But since we can't wish the heat away, I think it's time we looked at some of the good things about the season. Some, of course, believe the only nice thing about summer is that it does not last forever. But I have a reason to look forward to the season - for the various kinds of drinks it has to offer. Just like winter is good for food, summer is great for beverages.

Summer drinks are refreshing, and help you replenish all those minerals that you tend to lose when you start sweating. They re-hydrate you, and since your food intake tends to fall in indirect proportion to the rise in mercury, they give you the much-needed nutrition as well. Sherbets — and there is a huge variety available — cool the system, and make the summer seem not so bad after all.

Simple sherbets

When I was a kid, the sherbets were as uncomplicated as life those days. Guests were served a simple drink that we called kachchey doodh ka sherbet. In a glass of cold water, taken out of a matka, we would mix a bit of milk and some khand, or coarse sugar. It was the best way to ward off the heat. I don't know if anyone serves this any more, but this basic sherbet was an excellent cooler.

The other beverage I associate with my childhood is the lassi. And this, thankfully, is not just alive and kicking, but comes in all kinds of enticing forms - each one more delicious than the other. Just a bit of yoghurt and water can make different types of lassis.

The chaanch is my personal favourite - the thin, watery form of lassi without its natural butter. South India's buttermilk — easy to make at home, and also readily available in many small and big restaurants in Delhi — is another excellent beverage. All you have to do is mix yoghurt and water and then temper it with mustard seeds, green chillies, ginger slivers and curry leaves. It's the most refreshing thing you can have in this season.

There is another lassi — the thick, creamy and sweet kind one gets in Punjab — that is just right for summer. Another drink is the thandai, though this is actually so rich that it's ideal for winter. A thandai can be mixed with water, or with milk, and is made out of a paste of almond, rose water, saffron or cardamom, etc.

But some of the best summer drinks are made from seasonal fruits. You can make a wonderful drink by putting a few watermelon pieces into a mixer and giving it one good swirl. A few mint leaves and a drop of lime juice can only add to the taste. Then, this is the time for shakes. You can make different kinds of shakes with cold milk, ice and the fruit of your choice - mangoes, chikoo, bananas or whatever. And if you are not greatly into fruits, just make cold coffee.

In my opinion, though, one of the best drinks of the season is made out of green mangoes. Called aam panna in the North, this is one of the most stimulating drinks I have ever had. The mango is roasted over a slow fire, and then its pulp is mixed carefully with sugar and water - to make a heavenly drink. For one, it looks beautiful — it's light green in colour — and for another, it tastes really good.

Another refreshing drink is made out of the bel fruit, in which the pulp of the fruit is mixed with sugar and milk or water. You have to get used to its somewhat overpowering smell, but the drink is extremely nutritious — full of vitamin C — and very good for digestion. Jal zeera is another digestive that effectively cools the system.

Of course, every house in Delhi has to have its bottle of rooh-afza and khus during the season. The colours, shocking pink and startling green, respectively, may be lurid, but these drinks are an essential part of an Indian summer. And how can one forget the humble shikanji, made with just a piece of lemon, water and some salt and sugar? The nimboo pani (you can add a bit of rock salt for a somewhat tangy taste) is one of the easiest ways of keeping summer at bay.

Clearly, there are as many types of sherbets as there are summer days. Instead of counting the days to the first thundershower, let's just drink our way to the rains.

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