Pop goes the summer

This summer, quench your thirst with some yummy popsicles!

Summer is upon us and we are constantly looking for ways to cool ourselves down in this intense heat. While ice creams and juices are our regular favourites, why don’t you try popsicles this time? Popsicles are either water or milk-based frozen snacks on sticks. Unlike ice creams, there’s no whipping involved here, which makes it quite easy to make. Chef Raji offers a few popsicle recipes for you to try out:

Mango Popsicle

Ingredients: ¾ cup mangoes chopped, ½ cup full cream milk chilled, 3 pods cardamom powdered, ½ cup full-fat cream, ½ cup condensed milk, 3 tbsp saffron water, 5 pistachios chopped, a few strands of saffron

Method: Firstly, in a large blender, take ¾ cup of chopped ripped mangoes. Add cold milk. Add half cup of thickened cream. Adding more cream makes malai kulfi more rich and creamy. Add half a cup of condensed milk. Do not add any extra sugar as condensed milk is already sweet. Add cardamom powder and saffron water for richer taste and colour. Blend to a smooth, milkshake consistency. Pour the prepared mixture into popsicle moulds. Garnish with a few chopped pistachios. Freeze it in the freezer for around 5-6 hours. Serve it chilled.

Strawberry Yoghurt Pops

Ingredients: 500 gm yoghurt, 50 ml milk, 25 ml cream, 4 tbsp honey , 300 gm frozen strawberries or raspberries, 2 tbsp 100% fruit strawberry jam.

Method: Add all the ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and gently stir. Pour into your popsicle moulds and freeze for at least four hours or overnight.

Chocolate Chia Pudding Pops With Bananas

Ingredients: 1½ cups almond or coconut milk (or other milk of choice), ¼ cup chia seeds, 3-4 tbsp maple syrup or honey, to taste, 2 tbsp dark cocoa powder, 2-3 bananas, sliced (can also use another sweet fruit like frozen berries, cherries, etc), cacao nibs or mini chocolate chips, optional.

Method: In a medium container, mix together milk, chia seeds, maple syrup and cocoa powder. Sprinkle in a few chocolate chips or cacao nibs if you’d like a bit of crunch. Cover and refrigerate while seeds expand, at least an hour or two, until the mixture is thick like pudding. It’s important to stir the mixture a few times while refrigerating to break up any chia clumps. These popsicles are mildly sweet. Taste the pudding and add more sweetener if needed. Into your popsicle mould, alternate chia pudding and banana slices. I like to add as much fruit as I can fit. Tap the mould on the counter periodically to release any air pockets. Fill the moulds to the top, cover and insert popsicle sticks. Freeze until solid, overnight is best. When ready to serve, run the bottom of the moulds under room temperature water, which helps them to pop out easily.