A little bit of stirring is all that is required to make a cool, tall glass of India’s favourite summer thanda – intensely refreshing, supremely beneficial Shikanji! Your Glass of Chill this summer!

 No one can get through the harsh Indian summer without gorging on cool, refreshing drinks. And anyone who’s been brought up in this heat will have memories of being admonished to come in from the heat and have some thanda “nimbu-paani” or Shikanji.

 Shikanji has been the summer cure-all for generations of mothers and grandmothers. Garmi lag gayi? Shikanji pilao! Stomach upset? Shikanji pilao! Feeling tired? Have Shikanji! Feeling nauseous? Have Shikanji!

 Ammiji’s kitchen always used to have a jug of masala Shikanji chilling in the fridge for anyone who came in from outdoors during the peak summer. She used to put a special, secret masala blend in her Shikanji that was not only superbly refreshing but incredibly addictive too. It is that secret masala that we have added to our mix for Ammiji’s Instant Shikanji. Because, as always, Ammiji knows best!

 Shikanji, the desi cousin of lemonade, is sold across the streets of India by hawkers who keep it cool in earthen pots. Fresh lemon and mint, rock salt and cumin, and loads of ice – that’s what makes for a tasty and reviving Shikanji. That is, until you try Ammiji’s Shikanji. Delicately spiced, mildly sweet – it will be your best friend this summer.

 Ammiji’s Shikanji contains dried lemon powder and spices like cumin, clove, pepper and the super-beneficial Myrobalan berries or Haritaki. It also contains a bit of dried mint for that refreshing flavour and a tiny bit of Naushadhar for its digestive properties as documented by Ayurveda. The salt we use is natural pink Himalayan salt, chock full of minerals. Together, these ingredients make a drink that’s not only refreshing but also good for keeping dehydration at bay and keeping the digestive system working optimally during the summers.

 So each time you feel tired, anxious, nauseous, queasy or just plain sick of the heat, take a leaf out of Ammiji’s playbook and stir up some instant coolness for yourself with Ammiji’s Instant Shikanji!

 Directions for use: Add 1 – 1 ½ tablespoons of Ammiji’s Instant Shikanji powder in a glass. Top it up with chilled water. Stir to dissolve. Add ice. Garnish with lemon slices or mint leaves if desired. Your thanda glass of chill is ready!

 Ingredients: Sugar, Powdered Lemon, Pink Himalayan Salt, Cumin, Black Pepper, Clove, Harad, Naushadhar, Dried Mint

 Weight: 250 gms

 Price: Rs 450 350

 Good For: 3 months

 Always use a clean, dry spoon. Store jar away from heat or direct sunlight.

India’s longest season is upon us, and before we know it, spring gardens will give way to parched lawns and leafy greens will give way to dusty, indeterminate hues. This is when you need something to cool you down and bolster you against the heat at the same time. This is when you need Ammiji’s Kesar Gulab Thandai.

Energy-giving nuts like almonds, pistachios and cashews; cooling seeds like melon and poppy; fragrant spices like pipli and nutmeg – all combined with unprocessed, organic raw sugar and spiked with crushed rose petals and saffron to give you a powder that will yield the most delightfully fragrant and nutritious drink you’ll have this summer. Each of the ingredients is carefully chosen to add to the nutritional value of the drink and for their cooling and rejuvenating benefits to the body.

Mix it into chilled milk for a post-workout pick-me-up or in warm milk for a bedtime drink. Add it to fruit smoothies or desserts for a super fragrant edge!

Ammiji loved serving her thandai straight from a Matka into clay kulhads…how will you have yours?

Ingredients: Raw cane sugar, Almonds, Pistachios, Cashews, Melon seeds, Poppy seeds, Rose petals, Saunf, Elaichi, Pipli, Black pepper, White pepper, Nutmeg, Saffron. 

Weight: 175 gms

Store in a cool,dry place. You can refrigerate the thandai powder for longer shelf life.

Best before 6 months.

When you think about ‘sherbets’, we bet your childhood comes to mind – long, sultry summer afternoons where the only way to beat the incessant heat was by drinking a tall glass of an iced, homemade drink made by a mother or a grandmother. Whether it smelled of roses or was tangy with the zing of citrus, if something could be turned into a cooler, our families invariably did it during the unbearable Indian summer. Long before there were colas in the market, there were sherbets at home.

Ammiji’s Badaam Sherbet is exactly what it says it is – lots and lots of badaams with a tinge of elaichi and black pepper. History tells us that the Badaam sherbet is of Persian origin, and the first sip you take of this homemade cooler will instantly transport you to a Mughal palace, where cool drinks were poured out of silver surais and savored slowly to beat the infernal heat while handheld fans flapped lazily. Redolent of times gone by and reeking of royalty, this traditional drink was a favorite with Ammiji. She made it by the gallons each summer, and there was a steel jug of it ready in her kitchen all through summer, and well into autumn.

We’ve used Ammiji’s original recipe, and poured a whole lot of her love into the sherbet. We hope that each time you make yourself a glass, you are hit with a wave of nostalgia. (And also a bit of a feel-good feeling, since this is, after all, a superfood sherbet!)

Thick, chocolatey goodness, just a whir away. Add and blend for an instant cold chocolate shake!

 We are all familiar with those mornings when leaving for a work is a blur of cooking food, packing tiffins, serving breakfast and ensuring that everything and everyone is set for the day. To simplify your routine a wee bit, Ammiji’s launches its Instant Milkshake Mix Collection. All the goodness of a homemade milkshake, made in a couple of easy steps. Because what could be more chill than starting off your day with a perfectly make milkshake or smoothie?

 Ammiji’s Chocolate Milkshake Mix has dutch-processed cocoa powder, giving it a luxurious mouthfeel and a rich chocolatey taste. It also has a subtle hint of vanilla. Add it to milk or yoghurt, throw in some ice, blend, and you’ll have a super cool and super yum chocolate milkshake to cool you down this summer!

 Directions: Use about 1 tbsp for every 100 ml of milk. Add ice. Blend.

 Ingredients: Sugar, Milk powder, Cocoa powder, Glucose, Cornflour, Vanilla Extract

 Weight: 250 gms

 Price: Rs 550 450

 Good for: 6 months

Always use a clean, dry spoon. Store jar away from heat or direct sunlight.

Plain vanilla has a new definition. Cool down your summer with some homemade milky goodness…

We are all familiar with those mornings when leaving for a work is a blur of cooking food, packing tiffins, serving breakfast and ensuring that everything and everyone is set for the day. To simplify your routine a wee bit, Ammiji’s launches its Instant Milkshake Mix Collection. All the goodness of a homemade milkshake, made in a couple of easy steps. Because what could be more chill than starting off your day with a perfectly make milkshake or smoothie?

 Ammiji’s Vanilla Milkshake Mix has pure vanilla extract. The fragrance will uplift you at the same time as the taste enthralls you! Just stir it into some milk, add ice, blend or use a frother, and a tall glass of thick vanilla goodness is ready! Add it to your smoothies for that extra flavor too.

 Directions: Use about 1 tbsp for every 100 ml of milk. Add ice. Blend.

 Ingredients: Sugar, Milk powder, Glucose, Vanilla extract, Cornflour

 Weight: 250 gms

 Price: Rs 450 350

Good for: 6 months

Always use a clean, dry spoon. Store jar away from heat or direct sunlight.