Strawberry-Lemon Sharbat

The past month was unusually warm and it really didn’t start feeling like fall until maybe a week ago. Till then the leaves were quite confused with the high temperatures and weren’t sure whether to start changing colors or not. But now there are shades of yellow and red in our area, and it finally feels like fall.

I personally like fall, as it is pleasant and beautiful outside. But if you ask some of my friends, especially those who live in the colder parts of the nation, I am sure they will unanimously say that they prefer summer. Anyway, since strawberries are still available in the market, here’s a refreshing drink that could remind you of the warm summer days. I had a box of berries that were starting to spoil (doesn't mean that you should wait for the berries to spoil :-)) and it so happened that my mother came across a recipe for a strawberry-lemon sharbat in one of my cookbooks. So we decided to make it and the drink was absolutely delicious.

A sharbat is a drink prepared from fruit or flower petals and is usually served chilled. A concentrated sugary syrup is made and diluted with water and ice, to make a cold, refreshing drink.

Ingredients

Strawberries – 1 cup (approx.)

Lemon juice – 1 tbsp or to taste

Water – 1 cup (approx.)

Sugar to taste

Method

Wash and dice the strawberries. In a saucepan, add the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and water. Place on low to medium heat, stir, and allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes. After the 15-20minutes, the berries would have cooked down and there will be a clear liquid at the bottom. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool for a bit. Using a cloth or metal strainer, strain the liquid into a container.

At this point, you can either discard the pulp or return it to the saucepan to make strawberry jam.

If you are making the jam, check the sweetness and add more sugar if required. Place on low heat and allow it to thicken into a jam-like consistency. Stir occasionally, and once it has reached the desired consistency, remove from the heat and let it cool. Once cooled, store in an air-tight container and refrigerate. Bon Appètit.  

Note: Wet the rim if the glasses, dip them in salt and then pour the drink. Sip, turn the glass, sip again, and enjoy the salty, tangy, sweet sharbat. 
This sharbat can also be made with other berries, berry-mix, mangoes, or oranges.
Recipe taken from 'World of the East-Vegetarian Cooking' by Madhur Jafferey