Bel-er Sherbat
An underrated drink from an underrated fruit native to the Indian subcontinent. Bel, otherwise known as the Bengal Quince or the wood apple, packs both nutrients and the refreshing feel to beat the Indian summer heat!
Written by Feashts
3 people
Serves 3 people
5 ingredients
750 ml total
15 mins
Prep time
Bel er Sherbat or Wood Apple Squash
Bael or Bel is popularly known as Wood Apple or Stone Apple. But as Bong Eats notes, calling a fruit so exquisite is a criminal branding mistake. Bel is known as the Bengal Quince! It’s native to the Indian subcontinent and some other SE Asian countries. In India specifically, Bael and the tree that bears the fruits, are sacred. The leaves are used in ritual rites to worship the Goddess Lakshmi as well as Shiva. Interestingly, the Bael leaf resembles the trident that Lord Shiva possesses.
I grew up eating Bael in many different forms. When summers would arrive, Bael would be pickled, made into juices to beat the summer heat, and also used as jam.
When you crack open a bael, it smells like a sweet flower, and tastes like how a flower smells. It has a very mild taste, possesses sweetness and is nutrient packed. The only thing to avoid, are the seeds. They are quite bitter, so it is advised to make bel-er shorbot by hand.
Ingredients
1 Medium Bengal Quince
2 tbsp Lime Juice
1-2 tsp Black Salt
1/3 cup Jaggery
2 cups Water
Instructions
Note: Bel seeds are bitter. So it is not advised to use a mixer grinder to make the Shorbot.
- Beat the bel around the middle and crack it open. Be careful not to hurt your hands.
- Scoop out the pulp and the flesh on the hard outer layer as well. This is sweeter than what is in the centre.
- Add 2 cups of water and mash and mix the pulp thoroughly with you hands.
- Add 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp black salt and 1/3 cup jaggery. Sugar and regular salt work well enough. When using sugar, make sure to use 1/4th cup of it.
- Put the mixture through a strainer, and strain well until the fibrous parts are left behind
- If required, to the strained pulp, add 1 cup of cold water. If you don’t want the squash to be too dilute, do not add more water
- Add ice cubes to a glass and pour the Bel er shorbot!
Enjoy!
Bel er Shorbot
Course: BeverageCuisine: Indian, West BengalDifficulty: Easy3
servings15
minutesBengal Quince Squash is the ultimate drink for summer!
Ingredients
1 Medium Bel/Bengal Quince
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp black salt
1/3 cup Jaggery
2 cups water
Directions
Beat the bel around the middle and crack it open. Be careful not to hurt your hands.
Scoop out the pulp and the flesh on the hard outer layer as well. This is sweeter than what is in the centre
Add 2 cups of water and mash and mix the pulp thoroughly with you hands.
Add 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp black salt and 1/3 cup jaggery. Sugar and regular salt work well enough. When using sugar, make sure to use 1/4th cup of it.
Put the mixture through a strainer, and strain well until the fibrous parts are left behind
If required, to the strained pulp, add 1 cup of cold water. If you don't want the squash to be too dilute, do not add more water
Add ice cubes to a glass and pour the Bel er shorbot!
I love Bel er shorbot! Awesome!