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Variyali sharbat (fennel cooler)
વરિયાળી શરબત: soaked fennel ground with sugar into a pale green, cooling summer sherbet
On May afternoons in Ahmedabad and Surat, when the loo wind blows and nobody wants a hot drink, Gujarati homes keep a bottle of variyali sharbat concentrate in the fridge. Fennel seeds are soaked, ground with rock sugar, strained and mixed with lemon and a little black pepper, then diluted with iced water for guests, after lunch, or to break a fast, since nothing in it is off-limits on upvas days if you use rock salt. It is pale green and cloudy, with a sweet aniseed taste, a sharp lemon finish and a faint peppery tingle. The common mistake is grinding dry fennel straight away: it stays gritty and the flavour is harsh. Soak the seeds for at least two hours so they swell and grind into a smooth paste. It is ready when the strained concentrate is silky, smells clearly of fennel and tastes very sweet, as it will be diluted three or four times. The concentrate keeps 5 days in the fridge in a clean bottle. Chef's tip: add a few mint leaves or a pinch of cardamom when grinding for a more rounded cooler.
- Total time
- 23 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the concentrate
- 1 ¾ oz fennel seeds (variyali)
- 1 cup waterfor soaking
- ¾ cup water
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 pinch rock salt (sendha namak)
To serve
- 4 ¼ cups iced water
- 12 ice cubes (optional)
- 6 mint leaves (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse 1 ¾ oz fennel seeds (variyali) and soak it in 1 cup water for at least 2 hours, until the seeds swell and the water turns pale green.
2 minStep 2: Grind the fennel with its soaking water and 6 mint leaves if using in a blender until as smooth as possible.
3 minStep 3: Strain through a fine sieve or muslin into a bowl, pressing hard; add a splash of the 3 tbsp water to the pulp and press again.
5 minStep 4: Warm 5 ½ oz rock sugar (khadi sakar) or sugar with the rest of the ½ cup water in a small pan over low heat, stirring, until fully dissolved and clear. Cool.
3 minStep 5: Stir the syrup, 3 tbsp lemon juice, ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground and 1 pinch rock salt (sendha namak) into the fennel liquid. It should taste very sweet and strongly of fennel.
2 minStep 6: Bottle the concentrate and chill. To serve, mix 1 part concentrate with 3 parts 4 ¼ cups iced water and pour over 12 ice cubes.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 115 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does variyali sharbat (fennel cooler) take?
- About 23 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 3 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of fennel seeds (variyali)?
- Aniseeds, same amount (a stronger liquorice taste).
- What can I use instead of rock sugar (khadi sakar) or sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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