Watermelon Syrup - పుచ్చకాయ సిరప్ - Andhra Recipes Telugu Vantalu Gayatri Vantillu

Ingredients:

• Watermelon Juice – 475gms (2Cups)

• Sugar – 120gms (1/2Cup)

• Grated Beetroot – 30gms (2Tbsps)

(Online Conversion utility to convert Gms to Cups & Temperatures etc)

Preparations:

Wash watermelon and cut into segments. Remove pulp of watermelon and blend well. Place a fine sieve in a bowl and pour the blended watermelon mixture into it. Do not press the pulp with a ladle as we can make watermelon marmalade with the pulp remaining in the sieve. Collect the juice and measure and keep it aside.

Wash and peel a beetroot. Using a small holed grater, grate the beetroot and measure and keep it aside.

Method:

Take a wide pan and add watermelon juice, sugar and finely grated beetroot. Place the pan on stove and cook the watermelon mixture on high flame for 20 minutes or till the syrup thickens slightly. Place a sieve in a bowl and strain the syrup. Press the residue in sieve with the back of a ladle and extract the syrup. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. Transfer the syrup into a clean and dry bottle and store in refrigerator.

Use this syrup as a topping on ice creams. Mix the syrup in ice cold water and add sugar (if required) to taste and make a pink colored watermelon drink. Mix with cream and whip to get a pink colored spreadable cream.

Points To Notice:

Beetroot is added to give dark pink color naturally to the syrup. As beetroot is neutral in flavor, use it to give nice dark pink color to the syrup without affecting the taste.

After adding the blended watermelon in the sieve do not press and extract the entire juice as the residue with some juice may be used to make watermelon marmalade. As watermelon contains more liquid part we would get sufficient juice to make syrup even after leaving some juice for marmalade.

Depending upon the water content in watermelon, cooking time may vary---check personally and decide the thickness.

Adjust sugar according to taste as it also depends on the sweetness of watermelon.

Use the syrup innovatively to make desserts or drinks.