Beat The Heat With Solkadhi: Refreshing Drink Recipe & Ingredients

Solkadhi is versatile and can be consumed in a number of ways, as an appetiser or even post meals. Solkadhi drink is a digestive beverage that is essential for not only one’s gut health but also helps in cooling down the body during the heat of the summers. Solkadhi is an essential part of Goan, Konkan and Malvani cuisine. It is often served alongside heavily spiced dishes to create the perfect balance in meals. Malvani solkadhi is essentially prepared from solkadhi ingredients such as kokums and coconut milk, which largely helps in boosting the body's abilities to work better during summers. Not only is malvani solkadhi healthy and delicious, but it is also equally appealing to look at becasue of the blush pink colour that the solkadhi drink has. Learn how to make solkadhi drink at home with this simple and quick solkadhi recipe.

Solkadhi recipe ingredients

1. 8 units of kokum
2. 1 cup grated coconut
3. 2 pieces garlic
4. ½ inch ginger
5. 2 green chilies
6. Coriander leaves
7. Salt

Steps to prepare solkadhi recipe

1. Soak the kokum in ¾  cup of warm water for about 30 minutes.
2. In a blender add the grated coconut, ginger, garlic and green chillies along with a little water, and make a thick paste out of these solkadhi ingredients. 
3. Add water again to this solkadhi mixture and churn. 
4. With the use of a strainer, separate the milk from the paste. Extract as much as possible. 
5. Remove the kokum from the water, and then add the same water to the coconut milk that you have extracted. 
6. Mix well till you get a creamy pink-coloured solkadhi drink. 
7. Add salt to the solkadhi and check the seasoning. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve cold.

Pro tip: Solkadhi needs to be rested for an hour at least before serving.

FAQs

1. What are the health benefits of consuming the Solkadhi drink? 
Solkadhi has a cooling effect on the body, and helps in cooling down the digestive system, especially after one has consumed spicy or heavy food. Solkadhi also helps in promoting weight loss by curbing appetite. Solkadhi recipe contains antioxidants that help boost skin health during the summer.

2. What is kokum?
Kokum is a red-coloured fruit from the mangosteen family. It is both sweet and sour to taste. It is the primary solkadhi recipe ingredient, and the outer flesh of kokum is used in the solkadhi recipe after it has been dried in the sun, and the colour of the fruit turns blackish purple. The dried kokum is sour to taste and has a sweet aroma.

3. What are the health benefits of kokum?
Kokum helps in improving digestion and getting rid of body heat during summer. It also helps in reducing itchiness that occurs as a result of rashes during summer.