Category: Small swigs

I adapt this from Thrive’s health shot. It was such a hit with friends, family, acquaintances over the last holiday season, that I feel obliged to share my version with all. The haldi (turmeric) and sonth (dried ginger) components make it unmistakably Ayurvedic. I love the taste, first and foremost; then I am equanimous, as a yogini, after.

It’s the season for apple cider and the few intrepid winter farmers’ markets grab your attention with this. So it was only fitting that I incorporate this into the shot; something like Temperate meets Tropics. Enjoy and embrace the yogi(ni) in you!

Special tools:

Blender.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (8 oz) apple cider (serves 2)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder (or fermented turmeric powder) + 1 tsp ginger powder (sonth) + dash of sea salt + pinch of ground black pepper
• 3 cubes of frozen tender coconut water (or just ice cubes)

Method

Blend all the ingredients in your powerful blender for 45 seconds or so.
Serve immediately.

Notes, hints, tips:

1. To make coconut water ice-cubes: Pour coconut water into freezing trays. It freezes in about 2 hours in the freezer. Then remove th cubes and place in a container in the freezer. Use as required.
2. Sonth is dried ginger. It is not the same as fresh ginger: it has a deeper flavor and taste, almost medicinal. Ginger powder in your supermarket is indeed sonth (fresh ginger is not amenable to powdering).
3. Both turmeric and ginger powder do not technically dissolve in a liquid medium; the high velocity rotation of the blender blade helps in the “emulsification”, in addition to the froth.
4. Instead of the 1 cup apple cider, you can use –1 cup tender coconut water + 1 tbsp honey + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar– (as in Thrive’s health shot).
5. Warm Shot: For a comforting warm shot, nuke the cider with the same ingredients (skip the ice cubes) in the microwave for a minute or so.
6. Frothy Shot (aquafaba): To the recipe add 2 oz (use a bartender’s jigger, for convenience) aquafaba. Run in the emulsifier.

A powerful blender is an incredible tool. I even saw on youtube it pulverizes concrete! Not kidding.  Amazingly some ingredients taste even better when reduced to molecules. Here the powerful blades crush the almonds and the ice into a frappe consistency (or thinner) with a pleasing froth. Makes me wonder what other bewitching tchotchke lies round the corner.

I realize that we are responsible for the consequences of what we eat. In that vein I have convinced myself that the dark chocolate coated almonds with a hint of turbinado sugar and sea salt (from none other than Trader Joe’s) is one of the harmless munchies. Inspired by the classical Italian affogato, I use these Trader Joe’s almonds with espresso for a 2-minute frappuccino. A dash of liqueur celebrates the holidays.  Serves two in a dainty Cocktail or an Old Fashioned glass; but just one in a Highball glass. Enjoy!

Special tools:

Blender.

Ingredients

• 1 shot of espresso (15 gm coffee beans/30 gm shot)
• 10-12 almonds coated with dark chocolate, salt and turbinado sugar
• a splash of Cacao (or Coffee) liqueur
• 1/2 cup milk (or almond milk)
• few ice cubes

Method

Blend all the ingredients in the blender and let it run for 30 secs or more. Serve immediately, with a few almonds on the side.

Notes, hints, tips:

1. I used the fancy Dutch Strietman to extract the shot, but the humble stove-top Italian Espresso maker is as spectacular.
   
2. You can also use drip coffee or French Pressed. Freeze the coffee to make iced cubes in the recipe.
3. If you cannot find the chocolate coated almonds, then used almonds + cacao powder + dash of  (Sicilian) sea salt.
   
4. I show the liqueur I use below, but feel free to skip this for  a non-alcoholic, morning version.