We all know these black seeds with soft white husk as an essential ingredient in Falooda, but Basil seeds/ Sabja seeds is much more than the yummy falooda. It is high on Vitamin A and K as well as minerals like Potassium, Manganese and Calcium. It is also an excellent source of Iron. Basil seeds aids in digestion and is commonly used to give relief from stomach upset. Though it has a lot of medicinal properties it is still an underused product in Indian cooking.
In my hometown Kasaragod it is widely used in drinks,desserts and cakes. It is called khaskhas in malayalam. I had this lime cooler for the first time at my neighbour’s house who are muslims. Back in those days we used to live in a muslim neighbourhood. Being the only non muslim family in the neighbourhood we were welcomed by all the families especially for breaking fast with them during the month of Ramzan. I still remember how I would eagerly wait for the month of Ramzan to eat all the yummy dishes my friends prepare.
Somedays me and my brother would visit more than 2 homes and by the time we reach our home we would be tired with all the lip smacking moplah dishes we had. Though each home had their own favourite dishes for opening fast, one common thing was this lime khus khus cooler, which is the first drink had after the evening prayer. Even though me and my brother were not fasting we followed the eating manners just like our friends. Somedays beevi umma (my neighbour’s mom) used to add fruits like banana in the drink and it tasted so yumm..
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These basil seeds can be used to prepare coolers with any other fruit juice as well. It is a very easy recipe that can be made in a jiffy and a great option to beat the heat in summer.
Love,
Ananya