Solkadhi (Coconut Kokum Drink)

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Solkadhi or solkadi is a healthy digestive cooling drink made using fresh coconut, kokum, and a few spices from Maharashtra. This refreshing and tasty drink is typically enjoyed during the hot summer months, after a heavy meal, or in general as a digestive drink.

Solkadi or kokum kadhi is a balance of flavors. It is slightly sweet from fresh coconut. Kokum balances the sour taste and the spices like ginger and green chili give it a spicy kick. In all this refreshing drink is a balance of sweet, sour, and spicy flavors. 

How to serve Solkhadi

It can be enjoyed as is as a refreshing or digestive drink. It is generally served as a part of a meal. It can be served along with vegetarian or non-vegetarian Maharashtrian Thali. Did you check my Vegetarian Maharashtrian Thali yet?

Ingredients used in Solkadhi

The first main ingredient in this drink is Kokum or amsul. Kokum is soaked in water and then its juices of it are extracted and added to the drink. If you cannot source fresh kokum, kokum concentrate can be added too. 

This kokum gives the drink its typical pink color. At times your drink might be on the pale side and that is completely normal. Do not worry if you do not get the pink colour. At times a combination of fresh kokum and kokum concentrate is added to get the pink colour or even food colour. All it matters is the taste of the drink. 

What is Kokum?

Kokum, also known as Garcinia Indica, is from the mangosteen family. It is primarily grown in the western ghats of Goa and the Konkan Region. (Source Wiki).  

The outer cover of the fruit is sun-dried to get kokum or amsul. Kokum or amsul is typically used as a souring agent in curries, dals, and fish-based dishes. I remember growing up, at times mom used to put kokum in a lot of dal recipes. This fruit is also known to help combat body heat and is believed to reduce pitta dosha as per Ayurveda. I remember eating it as is or with some salt added to it. Till then when I make solkadhi or use it in dal or recipes, I first eat 1-2 pieces of it. 

Where can you get Kokum?

This fruit is not easily available outside India. I do get a small batch whenever I travel. You might need to check your Asian shop or Amazon to check if you get it.

Kokum juice or Kokum sherbet is typically made using this. A concentrate of this is made and sold in shops. It is very easy to make syrup at home. The concentrate is then added to plain or sparkling water or soda to make another refreshing drink. 

This cooling appetizer is known as Kokum curry or kokum kadhi or jokingly Soul Kadhi. 

The second main ingredient used is Coconut. We are using freshly grated coconut here and extracting the milk from it. One can replace this with tinned coconut milk, but the taste would not be the same. I highly recommend using fresh coconut in this recipe. Did you try this Goan Baath cake (Semolina coconut cake) made from fresh coconut?

Other ingredients used as flavorings are green chili, ginger, garlic, cumin powder, and salt. Fresh coriander is used for garnish only. 

Process of making Sokadhi

The recipe is easy and quick to make. Just a bit of patience with fresh coconut. As we need to grate and extract the milk from it. I use my box grater to grate the coconut. It becomes easy. Then a blender jar to make a paste from coconut. 

The milk is extracted using a sieve and a muslin cloth. Again a little water is added to the coconut pulp and milk is extracted. The first time the milk would be very thick and whenever you repeat the process with added water, it would be diluted. So keep that in mind on how you need the kadhi to be. Though water is typically added, it is fine. 

The spices are generally hand-pounded using a mortar and a pestle. This is then added to the solkadhi. I generally add the spices in the mortar and pestle along with the coconut as we do not like many raw pieces of garlic or green chili in the drink.

The kokum or amsul is soaked in water for at least 30 minutes. The pods are then squeezed to extract the juices.  The juice of this is then added to the coconut and spice mix. 

The drink is typically allowed to chill and then served. Though one can enjoy it as is, it is more tasty and refreshing when chilled. Garnish it with coriander and serve chilled. Few do even add a tadka or a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves. 

I decided to make this recipe for this month's for our Shhhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge group when Sasmita from First Timer Cook, asked us to make Summer Drinks. When Aruna from Vasusvegkitchen gave me coconut and coriander leaves as the secret ingredients, I thought this Solkadhi is an apt drink. I gave her cumin powder and lemon juice as her secret ingredient and she made this Sattu ka juice.

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Solkadhi (Coconut Kokum Drink)

Solkadhi or solkadi is a healthy, refreshing, and tasty digestive cooling drink made using fresh coconut, kokum, and a few spices.

5 from 16 votes

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Author: Renu Agrawal-Dongre

Equipment

• Blender
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Seive
• Muslin Cloth
• Bowls

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Fresh Grated Coconut
• 12-14 Kokum
• 2-3 Green Chilli
• 1-2 garlic
• ½ inch ginger
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped Fresh Coriander for garnish
• ½ Cup water to soak kokum
• 2-3 cup Water

Instructions

Prep Work

• In a small bowl add the kokum and ½ cup water.
  12-14 Kokum, ½ Cup water to soak kokum
  
• Soak this for a minimum of 30 minutes.
  

Making of Solkadhi

• In a mortar or a pestle, crush together green chili, ginger, and garlic. (If you are doing this in a mixer grinder skip this step)
  2-3 Green Chilli, ½ inch ginger, 1-2 garlic
• In a mixer grinder add the freshly grated coconut along with some water and grind to a smooth paste.
  1 Cup Fresh Grated Coconut
  
• Add green chili, ginger, and garlic to the above if you are grinding using a mixer grinder.
• You might need to turn the mixture in between and add more water if required.
  2-3 cup Water
  
• In a bowl, keep a sieve and top it with a muslin cloth.
  
• Strain the fresh coconut paste in it and extract the coconut milk.
  
• Repeat the above process 1-2 times. Keep in mind that the milk would be thinner with every consecutive extract.
• Keep this aside in a bowl.
• Extract the juice from the soaked kokum.
• Pass the kokum extract also through a sieve as it might have some impurities.
• Mix this in the coconut spice milk.
• Add salt and cumin powder.
  Salt, ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes at least.
• Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with main meals or as an appetizer.
  1 tablespoon chopped Fresh Coriander for garnish

Video

Notes

• Standard US Size cups and spoons were used. 1 cup = 237 ml, 1 teaspoon = 5 ml

 

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Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

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