Mango Lemonade

Featured in the Kitchn delicious links, and 10 refreshing lemonade recipes to try 

Iced Tea and Lemonades on Design Crush

Ramadan is almost here—the most wonderful and magical time of the Islamic calendar. And on these last few days, with each day bringing us a little closer to the fasting season, there’s so much to think about, so much to do—iftar meals to plan and to attend, guest lists to confirm, suhoor meals to schedule, without having to worry about getting new abhayas tailored, and plenty more Ramadan-y things to get hopelessly lost in. But for now, before I get whisked away to a flurry of activities, I’m taking a few minutes for a quick hello, and share this delightful citrusy drink to set the Ramadan mood, and as usual, fill this space with plenty of photos too.

Fasting from sunup to sundown, there’s one thing my body craves most—drinks. And in this seriously H-O-T summertime weather with the mercury soaring past 110 most days, it’s not going to get any easier—days are long, the days are hot, and the nights are very short. Mindful of the weather, It is necessary to drink plenty of fluids and stay well hydrated after breaking the fast.

Two types of drinks work beautifully for iftar meals—something light, refreshing and thirst-quenching like lemonade, or something more creamy and filling like a fruit smoothie. And of course, tea—I absolutely need tea at iftar, be it summer or winter. More than just a cup, for that matter.

Lemonade is our refreshment of choice to quench thirst at Iftar, and with a whole month to cater to, there’s nothing more welcoming than flavored variations, especially if it’s fruit flavored. Mango lemonade makes the perfect summertime drink, it has this delightful yellow hue and subtle mango flavor that adds a nice aromatic sweetness—serve it with a bucket-loads of ice, and you have the perfect cooler for sipping on a hot, hot day. If you love munching mangoes, you’ll love drinking it too.

And now, before the glasses are filled with drinks, and we get lost in the magic of the season, a million thank you’s for your lovely, lovely thoughts and notes, comments and e-mails over the past year, and especially after my most recent tête-à-tête on fb. Life is full of little pleasures and moments to treasure, and it feels really wonderful to have you to share such loveliness.

 

{p.s.} utterly inspired by recipe card designs, I’m offering you more than one choice to toast the most beautiful season of the year. Oh and don’t forget to tell me your favorite pick!

Mango Lemonade

Ingredients

Makes 4 drinks

Prep 5 min

½ cup fresh mango puree (I used Pakistani Honey mango)

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste

2 ½ cups water, divided

Directions

Blend mango puree, lemon juice and 2 cups water in an electric blender; transfer to a pitcher.

Meanwhile, microwave ½ cup water and sugar on high power for 30 seconds; stir to dissolve and add to the mango juice in the pitcher. Chill mixture until ready to serve.

To serve, pour into tall, chilled jars (I used left over jam jars) or glasses filled with ice. Stir to enjoy.

Hope you are having a perfectly beautiful summer week, and it gets better with each passing day.

♥

Submitting to the Monthly Mingle – Taste of yellow event hosted at Cooksister blog.