Sol kadhi is a traditional and popular Goan drink recipe. Goan Sol Kadhi is also referred to as Solkadi or Kokum Kadhi. It is a drink made from kokum fruit and coconut milk. Solkadi gets its name from Sola which is the Konkani word for sun dried kokum fruit.
What is kokum made from?
Fresh kokum fruit or Garcinia Indica resembles a cherry tomato in size and shape and is maroon in colour. It grows along the Konkan coastal belt in Maharashtra and Goa. It is found in the local Goan markets during the months of April and May. The kokum fruits are referred to as “bhinna” in Konkani. The sun dried versions of these fruits are called as kokum or sola and are available in the markets all year round. Sola are black in colour and release a dark pink colour when you touch them or soak them in water.
The juice of kokum fruit is also available in the market and can be used to make solkadi instead of sola. This juice is called as ‘Aagal’. Kokum juice is mixed with sugar, salt, pepper, cumin to form a thick dark pink coloured syrup. These syrup bottles can be found in the famous dry fruit shops in Goa. This is the sharbat syrup which is then directly mixed with water to make a refreshing drink.
Health Benefits of Kokum
Kokum is known for its body cooling and digestive properties. It helps to prevent acidity and indigestion. It also has anti-inflammatory properties. Kokum is also used as a souring agent in foods instead of tamarind. Since the body is prone to heat related ailments and indigestion in the summer, kokum sharbat or solkadi is consumed by people along the coastal belt to cool the body and to prevent indigestion.
Goans consume kokum not only during the summers, but all round the year. Sol kadhi is a must everyday in every Goan household during meal times. After eating a major portion of the rice serving with fish curry or dal, Goans eat the leftover rice mixed along with solkadi. It can also be consumed as a digestive drink after lunch.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh grated coconut
- 10 kokum
- 1 green chilli
- 2 Tsp finely chopped coriander leaves
- 1½ cup drinking water
- Salt as per taste
Instructions
- Add kokum and salt to a bowl. Add ¼ cup of water. Mix well and keep aside for 15 – 20 minutes.
- Add coconut and green chilli to a mixer jar. Add ½ cup of water. Grind into a fine paste.
- Strain and squeeze the contents of the mixer to extract coconut milk.
- Add the strained coconut once again to the mixer jar. Add ½ cup of water. Grind once again. Strain and squeeze the coconut for the 2nd time to extract more coconut milk.
- Add the strained coconut to the mixer jar for the 3rd time. Add ¼ cup of water. Grind once again. Strain and squeeze the coconut for the 3rd time to extract more coconut milk.
- Mix the coconut milk well with the soaked kokum. Adjust salt if required. Add coriander leaves and give it a quick stir. Sol kadhi is ready to be consumed.
Tips & Tricks
- Use boiled water or drinking water while soaking the kokum or grinding the coconut. This is because we will not be heating or cooking the sol kadhi.
- The colour and sourness of the sol kadhi will depend on the kokum. So adjust the number of kokum used accordingly.
- Do not use too much water while grinding and do not grind the coconut more than thrice. This is because for sol kadhi the coconut milk needs to be thick.
- Sol kadhi needs to be consumed within 5 – 6 hours after preparing it else it will get spoilt.
- Sol kadhi can be stored in the refrigerator for upto 1 day. But it is most important to remove all the kokum from the sol kadhi before storing it in the refrigerator.