This year's Ramadan has fallen in the warmest weeks of summer. Fasting in such hot weather requires special attention to keeping your body well hydrated. Luckily, there are quite a few traditional Egyptian refreshing cold juices that should be important elements of Ramadan meals and snacks to help you withstand the next day's heat and the long hours of fasting ahead. Here are some beverages that will both rejuvenate and nourish you. Date shake Eating three dates with milk at Iftar (break-fast) is a Sunna (the body of Islamic custom and practice based on Prophet Mohamed's words and deeds) and a date shake drink refreshes you and gives you immense energy. Ingredients: 1 cup dates, deseeded and chopped 2 tbsp sugar 720ml milk 2 scoops vanilla ice cream 1 cup crushed ice
Method:Blend the dates and half cup of milk together in blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend at high speed. Pour into serving glasses and add vanilla ice cream on top (optional). Serve immediately.
Karkadeh (Hibiscus) Karkadehis a Ramadan drink, especially this year with the temperature reaching all time highs. Be careful, though, as its deep red pigment may stain some surfaces. Ingredients: 1 cup dry karkadeh leaves 6 cups water (enough to fill a pitcher) 6 tbsp sugar Method: Boil the water, take off the heat, add in the sugar and mix to dissolve. Add in the karkadeh leaves, and stir. Soak the leaves for at least 30 minutes. While hot, adjust the sweetness to your taste. You can always add more water if it becomes too strong. Allow to cool, then strain before refrigerating.
Carrot apricot peach smoothie Ingredients: 150 gm baby carrots, peeled 2 medium apricots, sliced 1 medium peach, sliced 3 tbsp sugar or to taste 1 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed) 1 cup cold water 1 cup ice cubes Method: In a pot, boil some water. Cook the carrots in the water for 10 minutes. Drain. Place carrots in a bowl, then in the fridge until they cool down completely before using them. In a blender, place the carrots, peach, apricots, lemon juice, sugar and ice cube. Add cold water gradually until you get the juice consistency desired. Blend all the ingredients on high speed till smooth. If the drink is too thick for your taste you may add more water to it. In a serving glass, pour the smoothie and serve it chilled, garnished with a slice of peach.
Tamarind drink
Ingredients: 1 package Tamarind (200 grammes) 1 litre water Sugar to taste
Method: Break apart the tamarind into small segments. Place it in a pot, add the water and 2/3 cup of sugar. Boil water over medium heat then lower the heat and allow to simmer for five minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the mix to cool for 15 minutes. Strain the tamarind mix through a fabric with fine weave or some coffee filters. Taste the drink and adjust the sugar to your liking. Cool the drink in the fridge and serve.
Qamareddin drink
Qamareddin, the beverage most associated with Ramadan, is a good source of vitamins, potassium, vitamin A, as well as fibre, protein and vitamin C.
Ingredients: 1 package qamareddin (apricot fruit sheets) 1 litre water Sugar to taste
Method: Cut the apricot sheet into small pieces. Place in a bowl and soak in hot water overnight or for 5-6 hours during the day. Stir from time to time until dissolved. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Add sugar and adjust to taste. To ensure all the pieces have dissolved, beat the mix after soaking in the food processor (optional). Refrigerate and serve.
Prickly pears juice
Ingredients: 4 clean prickly pears (peeled and sliced) 1/2 cup of lime juice 1/2 cup of lemon juice 1 3/4 cup of pomegranate juice (bottled) 1/2 cup of natural sweetener 1 cup of ice
Method: Put sliced prickly pears in a blender. Blend the fruit until it becomes liquid. Pour the liquid contents into a strainer over a bowl to separate the seeds. Rinse the pitcher attached to the blender for reuse. Add lime juice, lemon juice, natural sweetener and pomegranate juice to the prickly juice. Blend contents for two minutes. Fill serving glasses with ice, pour juice contents into each glass and serve.
Kharoob (Locust bean)
Ingredients: 1 cup kharoob pods, crushed 1 cup sugar 8 cups water
Methods: Place the crushed kharoob pods in a saucepan with the sugar. Heat on medium, stirring constantly, until the sugar is caramelised. Add the water, and bring to a boil. Set aside to cool. Strain through a thin, plain weave cotton cloth. Refrigerate in a jug. Add chilled water to taste and serve.
Watermelon lemonade
This simple, healthy and refreshing cocktail provides you about half of your daily required vitamin C.
