Beat the Heat – Sharjah Shake

Drinks in Kerala fall into two categories, Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic. The Sharjah shake is probably one of the most popular beverages in the latter category. I got my first taste of this rich thick shake sometime in 1996 when it started to appear on the menus at various juice shops in Trivandrum. Now the origins of this drink remain shrouded in mystery but as with most urban legends there are a few theories which circulate among the population.

Legend # 1
This was a drink created by a juice stand operator in Sharjah and he brought the recipe to Kerala when he setup a shop there.

Legend # 2
The Sheikh of Sharjah loved this drink and the name comes from Sharjah Shiekh’s Shake (try saying that 5 times quickly )

No matter what the origins may be, heres the recipe as explained to me by one such juice shop operator.

. 1/2 liter milk, frozen till its semi-solid (one frozen pack of Milma is the preferred choice)
. 1 ripe Robusta Banana
. 2 spoons of Boost
. 2 spoons sugar
. A handful of peanuts
. A small cup of ice cream, although this is optional

Blend all the ingredients till its thick and frothy and serve in a frosted Beer Mug coz thats the only way to properly enjoy a Sharjah Shake.

Classic Sharjah

Bar accessories from Home Center

My wife and I were buying a few household items at Home Center in Shuwaikh and we came across a great collection of glasses and bar essentials on sale. Its funny that in a country where alcohol is illegal you’d find such an extensive collection; Whiskey glasses, Brandy goblets, wine glasses, Champagne flutes, shot glasses, Martini glasses etc and accessories like peg measures, lemon slicers for Tequila shots, cocktail stirrers, ice buckets, corkscrews and lots of other odds and ends.

I bought myself a set of shot glasses and a peg measure coz you never know when they might come in handy

Beat the Heat! Watermelon and Orange cooler

Half a watermelon, cut into chunks and seeds removed.

Three or four Valencia Oranges

Extract the juice from the oranges, pulse the watermelon chunks in a blender and then combine both juices. Chill the juice for an hour or so and its ready to serve! I’ve not added sugar or anything else as this stuff tastes great just like it is.

Beat the Heat! Tang Lemon and Pepper

This is a new segment I thought I’d share with you guys, all throughout this summer I’m going to regularly post about the drinks to beat the heat. The first drink in this segment is a new flavor from Tang. Its been a while since I’ve had any powdered drinks but my mom asked me to try it out. Its pretty good, not too sweet, which is the way I prefer it and its not at all spicy even though it has pepper in the list of ingredients.