STRAWBERRY LIMEADE – स्ट्रॉबेरी की शिकंजी

Traveled north to attend a wedding, came to Delhi for sight seeing and spending some days with in-laws and now living in a locked-down Delhi since even before the government made it an official lockdown. It has been more than a week since I have not stepped out. The status would have been same had I been in Mumbai. The state of Maharashtra has seen the maximum number of corona virus positive cases. These are tough times and I find myself often getting filled with gratitude towards all those who are putting their life on line, toiling day and night for us – the doctors, nurses, police officials, sanitation workers, delivery guys, security officials and so many more. The least we can do, as citizens, is to follow the government orders which are being implemented for our own safety. These measures are expected to keep the exposure and spread to minimum therefore, please, please comply! Keep patience, stay safe and pray for the nation and for the world 🙏 This too shall pass.

I am glad I had two posts lying in my draft folder. I am sharing one of them with you today and another one, later. I may be out of action for some weeks since the lockdown will not be lifted till mid April (and may be extended further, if required) so I have no idea when I will be able to travel back home to Mumbai and create new posts. (I have been without internet and could visit your lovely blogs but I will, soon 🙂 )

In the past, I have shared some easy and delicious posts on strawberries and taking a look at those posts made me realise that I missed sharing this favorite classic pairing, that of strawberries and limeade. My daughter usually prefers her strawberries in shrikhand (kind of Greek yogurt) or these popsicles but her absolutely favorite way to enjoy is pairing this strawberry compote with cinnamon perfumed banana bread served with some whipped mascarpone cheese. Lemons and strawberries pairing is classic and they paired beautifully in these mini cakes that I made using the fragrant Indian lemons called gondhoraj lebu. So, its time now to enjoy this pairing as strawberry limeade today. It comes together in minutes and is perfect for the hot sultry days…refreshing and delicious. For a twist in taste, I love to spike mine with some red chili powder and black salt. The flavors are absolutely smashing.

700 ml Tender Coconut Water / Regular Water

130 gm Strawberries, hulled and washed

4 to 5 strawberries, sliced

4 tbsp Lime Juice (I could procure it from two medium sized limes)

4 – 6 tbsp Sugar or any sweetener of your choice (adjust sweetness)

Plenty of Ice

2 tbsp Mint Leaves

2 Lemons, thinly sliced

Chili Powder (optional)

Black Salt (optional)

Blend the strawberries in a blender, along with one tablespoon of sugar to attain puree. Feel free to strain the blended strawberries in case you wish to get rid of the seeds. (I do not strain since I like the rustic look it adds to the limeade)

In a pitcher or mixing bowl, stir together the coconut water and sweetener till it is completely dissolved.

Add lemon juice and pureed strawberries and stir well. Adjust sweetness.

Pour the strawberry limeade in glasses and add mint leaves, lemon slices and sliced strawberries.

Add a pinch of chili powder and black salt (adjust both to taste) and stir well.

Serve the limeade, topped with ice.

Ensure to stir the lemonade before serving especially if, like me, you did not strain the strawberry puree.

Enjoy!

Serves – 4

Note – The Indian lemons are very sharp and tangy and this amount sufficed perfectly well for us.

Note – Feel free to swap the coconut water with regular water but you might have to slightly tweak the amounts of sugar and lemon juice.

Note – The amount of sugar will depend on how sour or sweet the strawberries are.

Note – The amount of ingredients was perfect for our us and how we like our lemonade. Feel free to adjust amount of strawberries or lemons to your liking.

Note – Use natural sweetener for a healthier strawberry lemonade. You can use any one of these – honey, maple, agave nectar or stevia.

Thanks for your visit and see you soon again, with another exciting recipe!

8 thoughts on “STRAWBERRY LIMEADE – स्ट्रॉबेरी की शिकंजी

  1. Like you I definitely applaud the nurses, doctors, delivery people and all the millions that are out there still working. Hopefully it will all pass quickly. In the meantime, this strawberry limeade looks like a great way to boost one’s day in so many ways. Stay well!

  2. This strawberry limeade looks so so refreshing! And beautiful! Stay well, hope you are managing safety and that things return to a new normal soon. We are hoping the same here. Like you, I have such respect and admiration for those on the front line of this pandemic. And hope people everywhere do their part to spare others.

  3. Taruna, strawberry limeade never looked so beautiful! Your photos are stunning! And the limeade would sure hit the spot on a warm day. Lovely! Stay safe, my friend!

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