Watermelon Granita

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Indian summers call for cool slushy drinks and ice creams. Sadly, ice creams also mean calories. Ah, sigh!

But, wait…what if you could have a version of ice cream without the many calories? What if you could have your cake and eat it too? Interested?

Well, my solution to that is a granita (Granita is a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and various flavourings. You could even call it the cousin of the sorbet)

Make this and life shall be happy indeed. J

SLUSH OR BLUSH (watermelon granita)

INGREDIENTS

1. ½ of a ripe watermelon (cut into chunks), the sweeter the better.
2. 10-12 springs of fresh mint leaves
3. Sugar (as per taste)
4. Juice of one lime (use this to add a tang to the granite. Adjust the flavour according to your taste palate)

METHOD

Ah, this is the best part because it is so darn easy.

1. Blitz the watermelon, sugar and mint together.
2. Strain the mixture well to remove any seed particles.
3. Add the lime juice.
4. Tip over the contents into a flat bottomed dish and keep in the freezer for approx 2 – 2.5 hours. Now remember, the freezer setting will determine how fast the granita starts to set. So, keep a check. Once the granita starts to set, use a fork to scrape it and mix it up. This should not take more than 15 seconds. (If you take too long then the granita will turn to slush). Put it back in the freezer.
5. Repeat the above procedure a few times at one hour intervals till you get a coarse sea salt texture (check the image).
6. That’s it! The granita is done. Serve it chilled. Enjoy!

Note – you can make this recipe with any fleshy/juicy fruit. Try it with watermelon, pineapple, cucumber, lemonade, etc.