Kokum soaked and squeezed into coconut milk with green chilli and garlic — the pink digestive cooling drink of Goa served after seafood meals.
Ingredients
8 to 10 dried kokum (Garcinia indica — the sour dried fruit found at Goan, Konkan and Malvani stores; provides the characteristic pink colour and souring)
1 cup thick coconut milk (fresh or tinned)
2 green chillies — finely chopped
3 garlic cloves — finely pounded
1/2 tsp cumin seeds — roasted and coarsely crushed
Salt to taste
1 cup cold water
Fresh coriander to garnish
Method
Soak kokum in 1/2 cup warm water for 20 minutes until fully softened.
Squeeze each kokum piece firmly to extract all the sour juice.
Strain. Discard the squeezed kokum pieces.
The kokum extract will be a deep pink-purple colour.
In a bowl combine kokum extract, thick coconut milk, 1 cup cold water, finely chopped green chillies, pounded garlic, crushed roasted cumin and salt.
Stir thoroughly until fully combined. The coconut milk will turn a pale pink from the kokum.
Taste and adjust salt and sourness — sol kadi should be pleasantly sour, mildly garlicky and cooling.