Dhaakad desi cocktails to try out

You will definitely not deny that the summer isn’t to be taken lightly. When the heat strikes with brutality, the only way to go is fighting back. Fight with cooling cocktails that have desi ingredients. Here are some intense cocktails with desi twists to make this summer more lightening

Rum Panna

Add a dash of white rum to the classic Aam Panna and you've got yourself a chiller that will long remain on your list of favourites.

Ingredients:
• Raw Mango (sour one): one medium
• Black salt
• Salt
• Cardamom (elaichi) powder
• Black pepper powder
• Saffron: few strands
• Sugar

Method:
Wash and pressure cook the mango for three to four whistles, remove from the cooker and peel off the skin, squeeze the pulp and put it in a mixer/blender to make a smooth paste. Add black salt, salt, sugar, elaichi powder and boil it again until the sugar is melted. Cool the same and keep it in fridge concentrated.

Jamun-tini

A martini featuring vodka and the black plum, or the jamun, as we know it. The Jamun-tini is a colourful explosion of fruity yumminess in your mouth.

Ingredients:
• London dry gin: 60 ml
• Jamun: Five to six
• Lime juice: 10 ml
• Sugar syrup: 15 ml
• Salt to rim
• Ice to fill shaker

Method:
Muddle the jamuns in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice, add the gin, lime juice and sugar syrup. Shake and double strain into a chilled salt-rimmed cocktail glass. Serve immediately. Add red chilly power to the salt as well and then rim the glass. This will make your drink more fiery.

Khus and Gin Sherbet

Bring it on, summer, we're ready for you with our rehydrating elixir, khus sherbet. With a splash of gin, this destroyer of heat also doubles up as a creator of good times.

Ingredients:
• London dry gin: 45 ml
• Khus syrup: 15 ml
• Lime juice: 15 ml
• Salt to pinch
• Sprite or 7-Up to top up
• Ice to fill glass
• Lime slice to garnish

Method:
Add ice to glass and then build to the drink by adding the ingredients London dry gin, khus syrup and lime juice, chronologically. Add a pinch of salt and then top up with Sprite or 7-Up. Garnish with lime slice and serve.

Chai White Russian

Turn iced chai into a vodka cocktail.

Ingredients:
• Vodka: One ounce
• Chai tea: one ounce
• Cream: three ounces
• Ice cubes

Method:
In a large cup, carefully pour boiling water over tea bags. Let steep for five minutes and remove the tea bags, squeeze out any excess tea and discard. Refrigerate the tea for at least 30 minutes. In a drink glass, pour the vodka, chai and cream over ice.

High Rasam

Rasam has to be one of Southern India's yummiest gifts to the rest of the world. Add to a glass of chilled rasam, some vodka and some roasted jeera and you're all set to beat the heat, Thalaiva-style.

Ingredients:
• Vodka: 45 ml
• Rasam (chilled, and strained)
• A pinch of dry roasted and ground cumin
• Curry leaves: Five to six

• Ice

Method:
First, muddle the curry leaves, and keep it ready. In a cocktail shaker, add vodka, rasam, curry leaves and ice. Shake well. Strain the drink into a martini glass. Sprinkle some cumin powder, and serve.

Corrito

Thums Up, some white rum, a little lime, chaat masala and coriander leaves. That's a combination not many will dare say no to.

Ingredients:
• White rum: 45 ml
• Coriander leave: three to five sprigs leaves
• Lime chunks: three to four
• Sugar syrup: 10 ml
• Tabasco: two to three dashes
• Chaat masala: a pinch
• Thums Up: to top
• Ice to fill glass

Method:
Muddle the lime and coriander leaves gently in the glass. Add the ice, rum, chaat masala, sugar syrup and Tabasco. Top up with Thumbs Up and serve.

Rooh Afza Cosmo

Take the classic Cosmopolitan we all love, replace the cranberry juice with a dash of desi. The rosy flavour of Rooh Afza with a hint of citrus and a little bit of vodka is the perfect summer cocktail.

Ingredients:
• Rooh Afza: 15ml
• Triple Sec: 20ml
• Lemon juice: 15ml
• Orange juice: 15ml
• Sugar syrup: 15ml
• Vodka: 35ml
• Ice cubes
• Orange wedge for garnish

Method:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes and add all the ingredients, and shake well. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Rub the rim of the glass lightly with the orange wedge and garnish with the same.

Banarasi Paan Mojito

The mojito has mint leaves in it? Yes. Well, what would happen if you put paan leaves in there instead? It's a meetha paan and white rum in a chilled glass.

Ingredients:
• Meetha Paan chopped into small pieces: Two
• Lemon juice: Two
• Lemon cut into small pieces: 1/2
• Tablespoon sugar: Two
• Half a cup of water
• Sprite: 500 ml
• Any mouth freshener to garnish: One tablespoon

Method:
Start by cutting and chopping the meetha paan and lemon. Take a bowl and add in the chopped meetha paan, lemon, lemon juice, sugar and half-cup water. Muddle all this together properly. Pour in the mixture until 1/3rd of the glass and add some ice to it. Then pour in Sprite and garnish it with some mouth fresher. Serve it chilled for best taste.