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Sip of relief: Summer coolers in Delhi
From sweet sharbats to tangy kaanji, Delhi loves to beat the heat with its summer drinks. Here are a few to try.
Come summer, and the streets of Delhi get inundated with stalls of refreshing summer drinks, ranging from sweet sherbets to savoury and tangy kaanji and jaljeera. Here are our picks to stop by for a cool refresher if you are out and about at these locations in the city:
Mohabbat Ka Sherbat, Jama Masjid
Served with love, this light pink-coloured street summer drink is a sight for sore eyes, and merits a special visit to this stall located near Jama Masjid. Mohammad Shakeel, who has been running this 30-year-old stall, says, “I learnt the craft of making this drink from my father-in-law by observing him prepare it. We manage to sell off at least 100 glasses, and more on hotter days. I make this using milk, water, sugar, watermelon slices and chunks of ice.” The stall is parked right outside the mosque.Price: ₹20/glass
Bel Ka Sherbat, Barakhamba Road
Handing out glass after glass of this summer staple, Manoj Chauhan, the stall owner says, “Those who know the benefits of bel make sure to get a glass whenever they can. Two glasses a day can keep you cool and your stomach healthy. We sell at least 100 glasses every day from March to June.” The juice is made with scooped out puree of the fruit, mixed with cold water and ice. Price: ₹10- ₹20/glass
Aam Panna and Jaljeera, Gandhinagar Market
Markets can get especially hot in this time of the year, and this mobile stall in east Delhi by Amit Kumar Kashyap — carrying a large earthen matka, bunches of mint leaves and an improvised ladle to stir the water mix — can offer a few moments of solace. “We use kachchi ambis (raw mangoes) and masalas for this refreshing mix. Usually one would find aam panna and jaljeera separately, but we mix them into a cool khatta-meetha drink. Sales have been good this year and we’re making about ₹1,000-1,200 every day,” says Kashyap.Price: ₹20/glass
Rabri Falooda and Rabri Lassi, Chandni Chowk
Ever had falooda served in a big kulhad topped with ice cream scoops? You can enjoy one in old Delhi while enjoying the redeveloped Chandni Chowk market view. “We’ve been sitting at the same spot for 65 years now. We sell rabri kulhad, rabri falooda and rabri lassi along with summer edibles such as ice cream and dahi bhalla. Since it’s hot, people like something with a thick and filling texture, something sweet and cold. However, Covid-19 has affected our daily sales,” says Ram Kishan Sharma, shop owner.Price: Rabri falooda- ₹90/kulhad, Rabri lassi- ₹70/kulhad
Kaanji, Chandni Chowk
If you’re in the mood for something cool and tangy, while shopping in the lanes of old Delhi, head over to the little red stall called Shri Shyam Kanji Corner. In between manning the 25-year-old stall and serving orders, Anil tells us, “In summers, we manage to get a lot of sales. People crave something cool, and love a glass of kaanji or kaanji vada while snacking on dahi bhalla or papdi chaat. It fills them and also soothes them.”
Price: ₹20/Kaanji and ₹40/Kaanji vadas
Mohabbat Ki Lassi, Chhattarpur
If you’re in mood for some thick lassi topped with dahi, khoya and a generous trickle of rose sharbat, this is the place to be. Stationed on the road below Chhattarpur Metro Station, stall owner Mazhar Ahmed has seen a busy time since he set up shop in March. “It’s really hot every year in Delhi, but this summer, people are out after two years. From morning to evening, we are serving this lassi to them with love. We also serve watermelon juice on some days. The demand is such that we sell at least 50 kulhads each day.
Price: ₹30/kulhad, ₹20/glass
Author tweets @siddhijainn
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