Summer Special: 5 Cooling Drinks From Bengal To Beat The Heat (Recipes Inside)

Summer is here and the sudden increase in temperature is getting unbearable for most of us. The scorching heat is leading to headache, dehydration and a continuous irritation in the body. This is where ACs and coolers come to the rescue; however, that too is a temporary solution to this months-long problem. This is why health experts suggest changing our diet to keep us cool from within. One great addition to this summer special diet is cooling drinks. Coolers and sharbat not only cool us down, but also help us keep up the water balance in our body. And what we enjoy the most is the variety of coolers available across India. That’s right. If you explore, you would find every region in India serving some special drinks that are unique and taste delicious.  

Here we bring you some popular summer drink options from Bengal that are easy to make and soothes the soul to the core. Let’s take a look. 

(Also Read: 5 Easy Homemade Ice Cream Recipes Under 30 Mins To Beat The Summer Heat)

Here’re 5 Summer Special Drinks From Bengal:     

Ghol: 

Much like chaas, ghol is butter milk with different spices infused in it. The only difference is chaas is saltier, whereas, ghol is a balance of sweet and salt with some lemon zest on it. Ghol is super easy to make and just needs dahi, salt, sugar, gondoraj lebu and chilled water. But always remember, use pink salt or black salt in the recipe as it is rich in minerals and helps prevent dehydration.

^{Ghol is one refreshing drink that you must have.} 

Aam Pora Sharbat: 

Wondering what this drink is? It is basically Bengali-style aam panna, made with raw mango, water and spices. Sounds delicious, right? All you need to do is roast the raw mango, mash the pulp and add it to blender with mint leaves, sugar, black salt, roasted cumin powder and black pepper. Now add water to this smooth mix and make a quick drink out of it. Super easy, isn’t it? Do give it a try. 

Gondhoraj Julep: 

In Bengal, summer calls for a special aromatic lemon called gondhoraj lebu. It smells much like kafeir lime and adds a unique aroma to every dish you add in. Here we bring you a delicious Bengali-style nimbu paani recipe that is made with gondhoraj lebu. Click here for the recipe.  

Daab Sharbat: 

Coconut water needs no introduction. It is healthy, tasty and cools you down in just no time. Here’s a popular Bengali drink idea for you that you can easily make with coconut water and tender coconut flesh. That’s right. All you need to do is take chilled coconut water in a glass, add some sugar (if needed) and some lemon juice to it. Add coconut flesh to the glass and serve chilled. 

Bael Pana: 

We all are well aware of bael or wood apple. It is nutritious and loads you up with good amount of vitamin A, B, C, fibre et al. To make the most of this healthy fruit, we suggest make a smoothie out of it. Traditionally referred to as bael pana in Bengali, it is easy to make and makes for a delicious and wholesome meal on a Summer morning.

Now that you have all these drinks handy, how about giving it a try this summer. Do let us know which one of the above drinks you liked the most.