ORGANIC TEA MANGO ICED LOLLY

 

I BELIEVE THERE ARE END NUMBER OF FLAVOURS & FRUITS WE CAN INCORPORATE IN ICED GOODIES!

Looking back at the childhood, it was impossible to even ask for the ice golas sold everywhere in the city, in summers. In fact, kulfi malai was more common in the evening, outside our home. I am not fond of the articial flavours used in the ice-golas. We would buy us one, when we were in the maternal grandparent's home, we got to taste the food the vendor's got. They were not so strict.We owned a refrigerator when I was in class-8, we had a combination of fruits always at home. We lacked the idea of combining them to create summer soothing ice-lollies. Today, I can create any good ice treat with what I have at home! I have not added some powdered milk to them that would enhance the taste only to keep the cool treat, vegan & gluten-free! Today at 51, I fear having ice-golas & kulfi malai from the Kolkata street sides! There is always the fear of contaminated water been used in the making of them. On my visit last month, my stomach health was not doing well! The Kolkata heat had been enormous!

THE ROLE OF FOOD IN MY LIFE!

I think food plays the prime role in my life! It is the indicator how my day would go, how my mood would be! I did not know, a samosa at 6:45pm yesterday evening would cause me serious bloating for the next few hours! I went out for a walk as late as 8:30 pm, yet my condition did not improve!

It wasn't too bad either, else I would not have been able to walk some 4:5km listening to the Bollywood hot numbers. Although it is one of the safest nation, I never walk pass the neighbourhoods in the night time, always take the main roads! When I get a severe stomach upset, the first thing that happens is a severe headache! You can say, I enjoyed the walk but this low intensity workout is nothing as compared to my BMI! Back home, I did not feel hungry. I ate an apple+lettuce salad & an iced tea, found I thoroughly enjoyed. I may be getting few varieties of fruits tomorrow and have salads at night.

With that on mind, I had the cooked food for my lunch today, dinner would be a salad! I think after over two years I got home millet. During the pandemic, I stopped getting; minimising the possibility of any excesses at home. I gradually was getting dependant on rice. I saw I do not have the freedom to have five luchi or a plateful of rice or two big porota! I cannot shun them, thats absurd; I can minimise the amount, number & frequency of having them. I know how to cook them, why should I find excuses? I cannot exercise a lot; I went for a swim; had only for half an hour as lightening happened. My coach & friend Joe asked not to be in the pool in the scenario! I am not the kind who would do a half an hour free hand exercise back home. I would prefer lying on the couch instead!

WHAT IS THIS ORGANIC TEA MANGO ICED LOLLY!

You hardly would see me talking about food that I do not enjoy! I remember, last summer I did not share coolers in the blog. I was having them though, quite sugary ones. This year, I think I should share few of them. As I maintain, the recipes I share should be done mostly with kitchen staples. I would not spend 100$ to create one. I had a mango, in good condition but with spots on it! I grow mint leaves, dry fruits are always there in stock, the Makaibari organic tea leaves I got from Kolkata this time! Why cannot I combine them & get a healthy ice lolly / baraf gola? How I enjoyed one already!

ORGANIC TEA MANGO ICED LOLLY is a vegan, gluten-free fresh fruit & organic Darjeeling tea iced treat flavoured with fresh mint. I would want it on my dessert bowl any day, what about you?

INGREDIENTS :

RIPE MANGO : 1 STANDARD SIZED

TEA LEAVES : 1 TBSP [I USED MAKAIBARI ORGANIC LEAF TEA]

FRESH MINT LEAF : A HANDFUL

HONEY : 2 TSP [YOU CAN USE SUGAR]

PISTACHIO : 6-8

PROCEDURE :

Initially, I thought I would not use even honey to sweeten; these Thai Honey variety of Mango are quite sweet. Later I felt, adding a bit would get the right taste!

I had taken the tea leaves in a pot, added hot water to it, about a coffee mug or more & covered with a plate!

I microwaved the pistachios for about 30 seconds at the lowest heat, I am allergic to raw nuts. 

I took the mango pulp, washed mint leaves, honey, pistachios in a blender and blended to a paste.

The tea leaves went down by now and the tea is ready to be used! I added a little over half coffee mug of it to the mango paste, passing through a strainer; blended again together at high!

Thereafter, I poured the mixture to few cups, placed an ice-cream stick in each one, just in the middle and kept in the freezer overnight!

About 3-4 hours of freezing works but I kept overnight! Tearing them was easy, the photography was average, the taste was great!