Khus Or Vetiver is a herb mentioned in Ayurvedic Texts as one of the cooling herbs, and as a great blood purifier. The dried grassy shrub of Vetiveria Zizinoides and it has an earthy woody aroma which is very refreshing and due to its coolant property, it makes a great drink.
Khus sharbat holds a strange memory which dates back to my childhood again. In those days when u visit someone during summers, the first popular drink u were served was Roohafza, a red-pink sweet rose flavoured drink, or a green sweet drink, which then to me was just another fancy coloured drink, and the host would proudly say, Khus Sharbat banayaa hey… I always wondered what fancy green colour is this Khus sharbat, made of. Then the confusion of Khus Khus and Khus during teen days when mum will soak khus-khus for her gravies.
So the mystery unfolded as I grew and realised that the green coloured Khus shrabat is only an artificial essence full drink sold as Khus Sharbat and the tiny pearls are khus-khus or poppy seeds used for a nutty flavour in the gravies.
Originally Khus sharbat won’t look any fancy as it has a woody brown colour to it. But the fragrance it carries will surely make you its fan. Its fragrance is somewhat close to the sandalwood fragrance
It is also used in making perfumes. Vetiver or Khus is a great coolant used for intestinal ailments like diarrhea and vomiting. External application of Khus is seen in skin diseases and rashes.
Khus Sharbat can be made and stored and diluted when required. So consider trying your hands on the original khus sharbat and serving it to your guests saying Original Khus sharbat Banaaya hey….
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| Prep Time | 15 Minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 Minutes |
| Passive Time | 12 Hours |
| Servings |
Glasses
|
- 50-60 Grams Dried Vetiver Grass Khus
- 1 Litre Water
- 500 Grams Cane sugar
- 1/2 Tsp Fresh Lemon juice
- 4 Tbsp Khus syrup
- 150 Chilled water
- Ice cubes
Ingredients
To serve
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- Cut the roots/grass with scissors and clean it thoroughly in water.
- Now Soak the grass in one-liter water for about 10-12 hours.
- Strain and add sugar and put to boil. Now allow cooking for about 15-20 minutes till the syrup gets thick or just starts getting sticky.
- Strain and allow to cool.
- Store in a clean glass bottle in refrigeration.
- To prepare a glass of khus drink mix about 60 ml of syrup and 150 ml of water, topped with ice cubes. Mix and serve.
I like to use cane sugar. You can use regular refined sugar also to make the syrup.
The syrup can be stored in a clean glass bottle in refrigeration for about a month.
