Monday, March 05, 2007

March 4, 2007: Indian-style lemonade


I wanted a little something extra with my Indian dinner and for reasons that will become apparent after my next post, I wasn't up for making dessert. Instead I pulled out this recipe for Indian-style lemonade, which I first tried a few years ago. The authenticity of it is questionable: the website that I got it from doesn't have any specific association with Indian cuisine and the recipe bears a striking resemblance to a controversial diet drink. (Apparently Beyonce consumed nothing but a very similar beverage for weeks on end and lost 20 pounds [~9 kg] for her role in Dreamgirls. ) Far from being attracted to its alleged weight-loss attributes, I was drawn to this drink for its refreshing lemon, lime and ginger, and its intriguing use of cayenne pepper. If this sounds like too harsh a combination to wash down a curry, be assured that it's softened with a healthy dose of maple syrup! Unfortunately I was all out so instead I made a syrup of equal parts water and brown sugar and it proved to be an excellent substitute. It's a lot cheaper than Canada's liquid gold, so I'll consider using the sugar syrup again in the future.

This is a delicious and less filling Indian-style drink than the lassi, but I definitely don't recommend rejecting solids and taking it on full-time. Turns out that it's buxom beauties like Jennifer Hudson that win Oscars, and the Master Cleanse Diet transforms a girl into a super-b*tch with diarrhoea for its duration.

Indian-style lemonade
makes 4 small cups

Combine
  • 1 L water
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2/3 cup maple syrup (or a syrup of 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/3 cup water)
  • a generous sprinkle of ground ginger
  • the tiniest shake of cayenne pepper
in a bowl with an easy-pouring lip, or a jug. Pour into glasses and garnish with ice and lemon and lime slices.

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