Laban & Roohafza

We have neared the end of the holy month of Ramadan and that means we are so close to the Eid-ul-Fitr that we have almost started some of our preprations also for it. The best part of living in a Muslim country are the week long hols declared by the government duirng the 2 major Eids that we muslims celebrate.

Yes, I am terribly excited that we have just another working day left before we kick start our Eid holidays that are almost 8 long days.We have tons to do before Eid and I have forecasted the next few days to be super busy - and we still have a lot of time left to complete our spiritual activities before this blessed month comes to an end.

I have 2 drinks (Coolers) that I always made them to break my fast with but was not able to share their recipes here due to time constraint. These healthy coolers help to hydrate your body instantly and are one of the best consumptions during Iftar after a long day of fast. Infact, we love to drink these often during usual summer days also as they are terribly cooling to the stomach and are packed with a wide range of nutrients. They are a cinch to make and are a deliciously healthy kick-off start to our Iftars.

Laban  basically is a Saudi Arabian drink which is milky,sour and with a salty finish made up of diluted Yogurt. It can be prepared in a jiffy by just blending some yogurt with water, salt & a bit of cumin powder to glorify its taste. Garnish it with some finely chopped cilantro & onions and serve it often. I prefer drinking this all through the year as it is very effective in keeping stomach issues at bay.

It is very popular in the middle eastern countries and is widely sold in all supermarkets in small packs. With healthy ingredients, it is a rich source of calcium & Vitamin D that helps to strengthen bones and aid in digestion.

This is how we make Laban at home:

INGREDIENTS :

3 tbsp thick yogurt
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp finely chopped onion & cilantro  to garnish

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Blend together yogurt, water, salt and cumin powder for less than 10 seconds in a blender.

2) Pour in glasses and garnish with onion & cilantro.

3) Serve. (makes 2 glasses)

Roohafza

Sometimes, we like to drink something sweet and instead of grabbing unhealthy readymade juices, we opt for the Roohafza made with milk at home.

Roohafza is a Pakistani product and is made with concentrated sugar syrup with a lovely rose aroma. We add this to plain or slightly thickened milk and garnish with nuts of our choice. Another great addition to this is the Sabza seedsor the basil seeds (tiny black seeds available in Indian supermarkets that swell when soaked in water for 20-30 minutes). Sabza seeds have several health benefits and they are very refreshing too. Sabza seeds help aid digestion, strengthen the immune system and also fight off to remove stress and anxiety.

Sometimes, I like to add a dash of Roohafza in milk shakes & smoothies for variations in taste.

Now coming to the recipe for a sweet plunge of the most refreshing drink called Roohafza

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp Roohafza syrup
2 cups milk
2 tsp sabza seeds (basil/water melon seeds they call it)
Sliced nuts of your choice for garnishing (I use pistachios, almonds usually)

Note - Sabza seeds should be soaked in some water for atleast 30 minutes before using it in any drink etc. The sabza seeds will swell after this.

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Bring milk to boil and continue to cook till it it thicknes to consistency as desired. Let it not be too thick as the drink becomes heavy.

2) Cool the milk and then add the Roohafza syrup.

3) Add the Saza seeds and mix well.

4) Garnish with nuts of your choice (this step is optional) and chill it before serving.