Kokum Twist

(1 Serving)

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Kokum or Garcinia Indica is a fruit bearing tree that has numerous culinary uses. The outer cover of the fruit is dried in the sun and then used in various recipes in India. Kokum yields a peculiar tangy, sour flavor and a blackish red color. It is often used as a souring agent as an alternative to tamarind or mango powder in curries in dishes from Goa and the Konkan region in southern India. Kokum squash or concentrate can also be used to prepare a sweet juice if you are in the mood for a mocktail. Dried kokum is readily available in most Indian stores or online. I had a lot of this dried kokum stored in my refrigerator and decided to get creative with a cocktail recipe that came out brilliant. Do try it out!

Ingredients:

• 1 p vodka
• 2 p jaggery (raw cane sugar – If you don’t have jaggery you can use agave nectar or sugar syrup)
• 2 p kokum squash/concentrate
• 2 p water
• Dash of lime juice
• Ice cubes

Method:

Soak about ten dried kokum pieces in ¼ cup luke warm water for 15 minutes and then puree along with the water. To get a smooth concentrate pass through a sieve and store in a bottle after adding another 1/4 cup of water.

Fill a shaker halfway with ice. Add all the other ingredients and shake vigorously for about 20 seconds. Pour in a cup and serve over ice.