Solkadi

Solkadi is a drink made with kokum. To know more about kokum click here. Kokum is also called bhirand or amsul. It is abundantly available near the western region of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. Fresh kokum is used when in season. The fruit is dried with salt and preserved for using all year round. The fruit is dried and the dried kokum skin is used to impart tangy sour flavor to dishes like daal and kadi. Dry kokum skin is usually soaked preferably overnight or for 6-8 hours before use.


The kokum fruit also has medicinal properties and is considered good for digestion. Solkadi is made up of two words- sol which means skin in Konkani (pronounced as "sole" or as "sol" as in "solution"), and Kadi, which is liquidish soup, and can be had with rice or simply like soup. This drink is famous all over the Konkan region in India which has an abundance of coconuts and kokum. This is a cool and refreshing drink to have during the hot summers, with lunch or dinner. Solkadi is served with fried fish, or spicy fish or chicken curry.

The recipe uses coconut milk, which can be easily found in Indian stores in the US or can be prepared using the following recipe.
I am reposting it and sending it for the RCI MUMBAI event orgamized by Lakshmi event and Lakshmi.

Ingredients:

around 10 dried Kokum skin
250 ml coconut milk (for thick consistency solkadi. you may use 150 ml for a thinner consistency)
1-2 green chili
salt to taste
2 tablespoon chopped coriander or cilantro
1 clove of garlic (optional)

Method:

Soak kokum in 1 cup water for 8-9 hours. Squeeze the soaked kokum to extract maximum juice. Gring coconut milk, green chili, garlic, salt till well blended. Add this mixture to the kokum juice and mix well. Serve with chopped coriander leaves. To get more flavor of the cilantro, I added 4-5 cilantro leaves while griding the coconut mixture and used the rest to garnish the solkadi. Serve chilled as a side dish with rice or roti.

Preparation time: 10 minutes excluding soaking time
Serves: 2-3