Aam panna, with subja seeds

A nice conventional aam panna, served with subja seeds.

Raw mango - 1 large size
Sugar - 3 tbsp or as required (depends on the sourness of the mangoes and how sweet you want it to be)
Roasted jeera powder - 1/2 tsp (dry roast the jeera, then roughly pound it)
Mint leaves - few
Rock Salt to taste
1 tsp subja seeds

Method:
Cook the mango in the pressure cooker till soft (2 whistles should do it- I cooked it along with the dal), and let it cool
Gently peel off the skin, and remove the pulp
In a blender, blend the mango pulp, rock salt, powdered jeera and sugar till smooth.
This forms the stock of the aam panna, and can be stored in the fridge for upto a week. 

Before serving, soak sabja seeds in water for 30 minutes. Pour 1/4 glass of aam panna concentrate, add soaked sabja seeds, and top up with water. Serve chilled. 

Mango juice with subja seeds

My new found love is subja seeds, and I have been dreaming of drinks that use it. This was something that I concocted to use up the mangoes that had gone beyond their "eat by" date. Could have made a milkshake, but this was more fun.

2 mangoes, peeled and chopped into pieces
4 cups chilled water
2 tsp subja seeds
1 tbsp organic jaggary
1 tbsp lime juice


Method:
Soak the subja seeds in about 1 cup water for 30 minutes.
Puree the mangoes, add water, jaggary and lime juice and blend well.
Add subja seeds, and mix well.
Serve chilled, with additional ice, if required.

Summer drink with subja seeds

"What's that?", my older one asked me when he saw me having water fortified with subja seeds. I promised to make him a proper drink with the seeds, and prepared this. Unfortunately, neither of the kids quite liked the kick of pepper, but I wasn't complaining because that enabled me to have two glasses instead of one!

Sabja seeds -2 tablespoons
Water -500 ml
Jaggery- 2 tablespoons
Cardamom powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Black pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Method
Soak the seeds in 100ml water for 30 minutes.
Warm the rest of the water, dissolve the jaggery. Add cardamom powder and black pepper powder and mix well. Remove from heat and leave to cool back to room temperature.
Once the  jaggery water is at room temperature, and the basil seeds have swelled mix them all together well. Pour into serving glasses and refrigerate for some time before serving.

Pink lemonade with subja seeds

When the heat is killing you, the best way to beat the heat is to pull out the holiday knick knacks from all your previous beach vacations. If thinking about holidays that were memorable despite the heat doesn't make you feel better, nothing will.
And what better drink to sip while you are going through those old memories than pink lemonade?

1 lime
1 tbsp strawberry preserve
Sugar to taste (I didn't add)
1 glass water
1 tsp subja seeds

Method
Soak subja seeds for 15 minutes, and watch in amazement as they quadruple in quantity.
Mix the lemon juice, strawberry preserve and water* to make a lovely pink lemonade. Do a taste test and add sugar if required (I don't add any, because the strawberry preserve has enough for my needs).
Pour over the subja seeds and sip away.


*- I don't like my drinks to be too cold, so use regular water, but you can use chilled water.