Fruitful delights: Easy-to-make recipes to round out your meals

Dive into a culinary journey that's as refreshing as a dip into a cold pool on a hot day with these delectable recipes that promise to beat the heat. Whether you're looking to impress guests at your Eid get-together or just indulge in some homemade comfort, these recipes are your ticket to a deliciously authentic experience.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

PORA AAMER SHORBOT (CHARRED GREEN MANGO SHERBET)

This is a great summer drink from Bengal, and with its wonderful taste, provides a much-needed coolness to your body. The raw mangoes are roasted, giving a great smoky aroma. Every Bengali makes it in their own style, but the beauty of this drink is the smoky effect and tartness from the charred raw mangoes.

Ingredients

4 raw mangoes

¼ cup fresh mint

½ cumin powder, roasted

¼ tsp dry red chilli powder, roasted

1 cup sugar

2 tsp black salt

6 cup water

Method

Wash and dry the raw mangoes and use a fork to prick it all over. Roast the mangoes over direct heat for about 10 minutes. Peel the skin, cool, and using your hands, pull out all the pulp. Take the pulp in a blender. Add sugar, black salt, roasted cumin powder, roasted red chilli powder, mint and blend to make a paste. Add water and blend again. Refrigerate for about 2 hours and serve chilled.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

FRESH FRUIT SKEWERS

Serve on a platter with dipping sauce or drizzled with chocolate.

Ingredients

1 cup pineapple, cut into cubes

1 cup grapes (black and green)

1 cup strawberries

1 cup watermelon, cut into cubes

1 cup cherries

Wooden skewers

Method

Prepare the fruits by washing; pat drying and slicing if necessary. Get the wooden skewers ready. Thread the fruit onto the skewers. Place on a platter and serve.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

DRY DATES HALWA

Ingredients

1 cup dry dates, deseeded

4 cups full fat milk

3 tbsp ghee

¼ tsp cardamom powder

A pinch of nutmeg powder

2 tbsp almonds, blanched and sliced

2 tbsp pistachio slivers

Method

Combine the dry dates and sufficient water in a bowl. Cover and keep aside for 1 hour. Drain, and blend in a mixture till coarse without using any water, and keep aside. Heat the milk in a deep non-stick pan for 10 minutes on high flame, while stirring occasionally. Add the dry dates mixture, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 25 minutes, while stirring occasionally and scrapping the sides of the pan. Add ghee and sugar, mix well and cook on medium flame for 3 minutes. Switch off the flame, add the cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, almonds and pistachios and mix well. Garnish with almonds and pistachios, and serve hot.