Summer also provides us with a range of delicious and luscious fruits that give us the inspiration to make it through this season amidst the heat waves and sweat. Summer fruits that are popular in India include watermelons, mangoes, muskmelons, berries, peaches, and grapes. These delightful seasonal treats are nutrient-dense and delicious at the same time. Another luscious fruit popular in the summer is lychee.
In addition to their delightful taste, lychees are a good source of vitamin C, dietary fibre, and antioxidants. They are low in calories and fat, making them a healthy choice for a sweet treat. According to WebMD, this tropical fruit is beneficial for regulating metabolism, boosting immunity, and reducing inflammatory responses. But did you know, apart from enjoying it directly, lychee can also be transformed into various delectable dishes?
From pudding to salad, here are five recipes you can prepare with lychee this summer:
Lychee Pudding
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 20 lychees
- 1 cup of milk
- 6 tablespoons of sugar
- 5 tablespoons of corn flour
- Water as required
Method
- Wash and peel the litchis. Cut them into small pieces.
- Add the chopped lychees to a blender and make a puree. Heat a saucepan and add milk. When the milk is about to start boiling, add the lychee puree and stir.
- In a bowl, add corn flour and a little water and make a slurry.
- Add sugar and mix well. Let it start boiling. Add the corn flour slurry and mix well. Cook till the pudding thickens. Switch off the gas.
- Add some litchi pieces to a serving bowl and pour the pudding into it. Cool and refrigerate for 5–6 hours or overnight.
- While serving, invert the pudding on a serving plate. Garnish with chopped litchi pieces and a mint leaf. Serve cold.
Lychee Smoothie
Total Time: 7 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 large banana, peeled, sliced, and frozen
- 10–12 lychees peeled and frozen
- ½ cup chilled plain yoghurt
- ½ cup chilled milk
- ¼ cup chilled orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons of honey
Method
- Add all the ingredients to the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the smoothie into serving glasses and serve chilled.
Lychee Ice Cream
Total Time: 10 hours and 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream (cold)
- 1 ½ cups lychee (peeled and deseeded)
- 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ cup milk
Method
- Add lychee to a blender jar, followed by milk, and process till smooth. Set it aside.
- In a large bowl, add condensed milk and heavy whipping cream.
- Blend till the mixture thickens using a hand blender. Then add the blended litchi mix and whip it in.
- Transfer to an ice cream container and freeze for 10–12 hours. Remove and serve using an ice cream scoop.
Lychee Martini
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 50 ml vodka
- 25 ml of lychee liqueur
- 25 ml of lychee syrup, plus 1 lychee
- 2 teaspoons of dry vermouth
- Ice
- Rose petals
Method
- Pour the vodka, liqueur, syrup, and vermouth into a large glass or jug.
- Fill up the container with ice, then stir with a bar spoon until the outside of the container feels very cold.
- Strain into a glass and garnish with lychee. Serve.
Cucumber-Lychee Salad
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber
- 1 cup fresh lychee, peeled, pitted, and halved
- 3 sprigs of fresh cilantro
- 2 red chillies, finely diced
- 2 limes, zest, and juice
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of seasoned rice wine vinegar
- Kosher salt
Method
- Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, seed with a spoon, quarter, and dice 1/4-inch thick.
- In a bowl, mix the cucumber, halved lychees, cilantro stems, and chilli. Add the lime zest, lime juice, sugar, salt, and vinegar, and toss to combine.
- Garnish the salad with the cilantro leaves. Serve.
