SUMMER IN INDIA (CHILLED ROCK MELON AND BLUEBERRY SOUP -AN APPETIZER)

Colours have often fascinated me. I associate summer with a very delicate Indian summer fruit that looks very much like the blueberries called PHALSA in Hindi. We even have a colour named after this fruit.

I have lovely memories of summer (holiday) afternoons when my mother, grandmother or my maternal aunt would serve us with a spicy preparation of this fruit.

I can say that I have been absolutely deprived of this fruit for more than half my life. Blueberries seemed to be the right place to start looking for a substitute. Another summer colour is the pale green of the rock melon.

In this dish I have combined the two to create a summery soup served chilled, bringing in my interpretation of summer holidays in the deserts of India.

This soup is so refreshing and it simply transports me to my grandmother's beautiful home.




 

chilled rock melon and blueberry soup

SUMMER IN INDIA:

CHILLED ROCK MELON AND BLUEBERRY SOUP- AN APPETIZER:

serves 2

Ingredients:

.Rock melon...........................200 gm. peeled, de-seeded and cubed

.Rock melon...........................12 gm. finely chopped

.Fresh mint leaves....................1 tsp. finely chopped +2 for garnish

.Lemon juice............................1/4th tsp.

.Salt.........................................a pinch

.Blue berries............................20 gm.
.Salt........................................1 smidgen *or 1/2 a pinch
.Sugar......................................1 smidgen
.Red chili powder......................1/2 a smidgen
.Black salt................................1 smidgen
.Roasted cumin seed powder.....1 smidgen

Method:
.Puree the rock melon pieces finely.
.Add to it the finely chopped mint leaves mixed with lemon juice.
.Add the salt and mix well.
.Chill.
.Chill 2 Martini glasses.
.Chop very finely 12 gm of rock melon and chill.
.Gently mash or rather just break the blueberries with the back of a teaspoon.
.Add sugar, salt, red chili powder, black salt and roasted cumin seed powder.
.Mix well and chill.

How to proceed:

.Take a chilled Martini glass.

.Pour the rock melon puree in the glass.

.Place half the chopped rock melon gently in the center taking care to see that it does not fall to the bottom of

 the glass.



chilled rock melon and blueberry soup



.Place the blueberry mixture on top of the rock melon, again taking care that it floats.

.Garnish with one mint leaf.

.Serve immediately.

Roasted cumin seed powder:

.Take 1/4th cup of cumin seeds.

.Dry roast them on a hot skillet till fragrant, about 1 minute.

.Take care to remove from heat as it changes to a light brown colour. It continues to cook and the colour

 deepens into a darker brown.

.Powder it using a mortar and pestel.

.Store in an airtight container.

.For maximum flavour, do not keep for too long. Or make it freshly.

Note:

.A smidgen is 1/24th of a tsp.
.Rock melons, I found are mostly peach coloured though occassionally the green ones are available.
.Substitute the rock melon with honeydew melon to get the green colour.