My summer break has begun, and I would now say that summer is here. This was surely the best time growing up: hot summer days, playing with friends,enjoying mangoes, and having chilled ice drinks and gola. Nimboo pani, kalakhatta, orange, rose, keri, khus, pineapple, mango...the colorful syrups on the gola cart attract not just kids, but everyone! Love the sight of color syrup bottles all lined up on the counter. The manual ice shaver and large blocks of ice wrapped in jute cloth. Do not think abut hygiene level...it just builds immunity. :)
As called in Mumbai, Gola is shaved ice or chuski...shaved ice that is packed tightly around a stick and dunked into flavored syrup. Chilled juice is sucked from the ice and dunked back into the glass to absorb the syrup. I can't explain it...you need to make it to enjoy it!
There is science behind packing shaved ice to form gola... principle of physics: (When pressure increases melting point of ice reduces). To explain it in easy language, when you press ice together it creates heat and melts the pieces to form water. as you release the pressure it turns back to ice resulting into fused shape of the container, and in the case a glass. As liquids take the shape of the container they are put it.
In Mumbai we surely get gola on the stick, but in certain parts of country where the water is hard, it is difficult to form gola shape and chammach gola or shaved ice in a glass is popular. Syrup is poured over shaved ice and a spoon is provided to enjoy syrupy shaved ice.
You can make syrups at home or buy them from Indian store. Below are few recipes:
Click Here for my recipe of making rose syrup.
Click here for the recipe of making berry (kalakhatta) syrup.
To make orange syrup:
As called in Mumbai, Gola is shaved ice or chuski...shaved ice that is packed tightly around a stick and dunked into flavored syrup. Chilled juice is sucked from the ice and dunked back into the glass to absorb the syrup. I can't explain it...you need to make it to enjoy it!
There is science behind packing shaved ice to form gola... principle of physics: (When pressure increases melting point of ice reduces). To explain it in easy language, when you press ice together it creates heat and melts the pieces to form water. as you release the pressure it turns back to ice resulting into fused shape of the container, and in the case a glass. As liquids take the shape of the container they are put it.
In Mumbai we surely get gola on the stick, but in certain parts of country where the water is hard, it is difficult to form gola shape and chammach gola or shaved ice in a glass is popular. Syrup is poured over shaved ice and a spoon is provided to enjoy syrupy shaved ice.
You can make syrups at home or buy them from Indian store. Below are few recipes:
Click Here for my recipe of making rose syrup.
Click here for the recipe of making berry (kalakhatta) syrup.
To make orange syrup:
Heat 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add 1/2 tsp. orange extract/essence.
Mix 1/4 tsp. orange food color.
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
To make pineapple syrup
Heat 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add 1/2 tsp. pineapple extract/essence.
Mix 1/4 tsp. yellow food color.
1/4 cup freshly squeezed pineapple juice
- To make gola or shaved ice. Use shave ice maker. I have this Hawaiian shaved ice maker and i like it.
- Collect shaved ice in a cup or a glass. Slightly bend a stick from the corner and put into the shaved ice glass. Top with more shaved ice and pack it tightly. Packing the ice tightly and holding it for 5-10 seconds will keep it in shape and prevent it from breaking.
- In a separate glass, squeeze some lemon juice and add a pinch of rock salt. pour some syrup in the glass and some on top of shaved ice and enjoy immediately.
Click on this link to check the Hawaiian Ice maker
Collect shaved ice in a cup or a glass. Slightly bend a stick from the corner and put into the shaved ice glass. Top with more shaved ice and pack it tightly. Packing the ice tightly and holding it for 5-10 seconds will keep it in shape and prevent it from breaking.
In a separate glass, squeeze some lemon juice and add a pinch of rock salt. pour some syrup in the glass and some on top of shaved ice and enjoy immediately.
My favorite is Kalakhatta Gola
Use homemade Kalakhatta syrup or Vimto.
Sprinkle rock salt over Gola and then pour syrup in the glass as well as on gola.
Enjoy immediately.
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