Drink : Long, cool sips

IKLAN
By : SU AZIZ

(From left) A mealy jackfruit slurp, an enticing dragon fruit gulp, a memorable kedondong sip and a crispy cool lotus root swig.

SU AZIZ celebrates that first drink of the day that marks the break of fasting for Muslims. Others, too, can enjoy the flavours of these concoctions any day, any time, when longing for something tasty and different.

WHEN I was a kid, fasting month was never about food. The anticipation was all for an icy, cold, sweet drink lubricating my throat that had become sandpaper dry. It truly didn’t matter what drink it was, as long as it was cold and sweet.

At the first cold sip, I would slowly regain life. Then, there would be no stopping me. Glass after glass, despite warnings, I would gulp. Regret came way too late; suddenly, I’d discover there was no more room for food. Nevertheless, it was a habit that endured for the entire month (and yes, until today!).

The good people of Legend Hotel in Kuala Lumpur can relate to this and therefore have come up with four cool, sweet drinks to quench the thirst for buka puasa.

The four below are elaborate concoctions but terrific distractions as you wait for the sun to set and feasting to begin. Or, order them while enjoying Legend Hotel’s Ramadhan buffet spread of over 100 dishes every night!
The first drink uses buah kedondong. This drink is not only refreshing, it also evokes childhood memories for me. This fruit has a soft, spikey stone that has a distinct flavour – rather raw but with a sour-sweet tinge to it.

Simply cut the fruit up, remove the stone and blend:

• 120ml of kedondong juice

Then muddle in:

• 1-2 sour plums

• syrup water to taste

Finally, add in crushed ice before drinking.

The second drink is a terrific variation of our sirap biji selasih. The chopped up lotus root gives the drink a crispiness biji selasih does. Chop up as much as you want:

• young lotus root

• jackfruit or nangka

Then mix some raspberry syrup with water, add chopped ingredients and mix in:

• 5-6 nata de cacao

Lastly, add crushed ice before drinking.

This third one doesn’t need crushed ice but the vanilla ice-cream will go down well. This is a mealy drink. The jackfruit is comforting and it is most definitely sweet. All you need is to blend together:

• 1 tsp green tea powder or ¼ cup of very thick green tea

• 120ml soya milk or lessen it slightly to accommodate the ¼ cup of green tea

• 1-2 slices of jackfruit

• 1-2 scoops of vanilla ice-cream

The most visually enticing is their fourth drink. Its mango yellow and burgundy are rich and appetising. When mixed, the ruby red defies the soft mango flavours and the drink’s innocent sweetness.

Another heavy and mealy drink, simply blend to retrieve:

• 30ml of red dragon fruit puree

Pour it into a tumbler. Then slowly pour on top:

• fresh mango juice

For a hint of zest, crush the thick end of a lemongrass and use the crushed end to stir this drink. Remember, add in crushed ice only before you drink it to minimise dilution.