Poppy Seeds Juice (Khus Khuse Udha)

Poppy seeds juice is a traditional summer cooler. A drink our ancestors have always been enjoying during hot summer to beat the heat. This poppy drink is believed to have cooling effects on your body. Hence, it is a healthy summer drink. 

Coconut added to this drink along with poppy seeds gives richness to this juice and the much required taste. Cardamom added gives an amazing flavour and aroma to this juice. Jaggery is used as the sweetner which makes this drink even more healthy. Poppy juice tastes best when is served chilled and is absolutely health in a cup.

This poppy juice is called as khus khuse udha in Konkani and gasagase juice in Kannada. Khus khus and gasagase being Konkani and Kannada names for poppy seeds respectively. Poppy seeds also have a lot of other health benefits too. 

To make this poppy drink you'll need,

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup poppy seeds 
• 1/2 grated coconut 
• 3 cardamoms
• 1/2 cup of powdered jaggery

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes

Preparation Method:

1. Grind poppy seeds with grated coconut, jaggery and cardamom into a smooth paste using 1 cup of water.
2. Transfer ground poppy concentrate into a vessel and add upto another cup of water. Mix well. Add more water if required.
3. Serve chilled and enjoy. 
4. You may strain the juice before serving or serve it as is. You don't wanna lose out on all the good fibres. 
5. Adjust the amount of jaggery you add according to your palate.

P.S:

1. Refrigerate the juice to enjoy it for a day. Finish off the juice on the day of preparation itself as it could get spoilt due to coconut used.

2. Remember poppy seeds contain opiates and should not be consumed in large quantity nor should be given to children.

3. For a very smooth juice without much residue in the end, grind this juice in a wet grinder. You could use a blender but you might be left out with a lot of coarse residue in the end. The juice then might require straining. 

Here are a few more traditional drinks: Sesame juice, Green gram juice, Cantaloupe drink, Hibiscus Juice, Finger millet juice.

Tags: Healthy drink, summer cooler, homemade healthy juice, khaskhase udha, gasgase juice, summer drink, Konkani cuisine, Konkani food, Konkani recipes, Udupi cuisine, Mangalore food.