Ayurvedic Cooking: Bel Ka Sharbat, Maredu Drink, How to make Bel syrup

The Bael tree is considered sacred in Hinduism where the leaves and fruit are used to worship Lord Shiva. Bael fruit (Botanical name ~ Aegle marmelos), also known as Stone Apple, Bael Pathar, Vilvam (Tamil), Bilva (Hindi) and Maredu pandu (Telugu) is packed with nutrition, helps cure acidity, ulcers, gastric disorders and helps to cool and detoxify the body. In fact, every part of Bael tree is useful, the roots and leaves are used to treat skin infections and stomach ailments.

Most people prepare Sharbat using the ripe fruit. One can also prepare Sharbat using bel syrup that is prepared from dried Bel fruit. Bel syrup preparation is similar to Nannari syrup preparation. It is slightly labor intensive but simple. Basically you wash the dried Bael aka Maredu thoroughly and soak in water overnight. Next day morning the dried bel is boiled along with the soaked water till it reduces to half the original quantity. The resultant mixture is strained and further boiled with sugar till it becomes slightly thick brown colored mixture. To prepare Bel Ka Sharbat, pour 3 heaped tablespoons of the prepared Bel syrup into a tall glass, add 1 tbsp of lemon juice and pour chilled water to the brim. Add ice cubes and serve.

If you want to prepare Bel ka Sharbat using the ripe fruit, all you need to do is break open a bel and scoop out the pulp using a spoon. Soak the pulp in a cup of water for a few minutes and use your hands to squish the pulp. Strain to remove the seeds and discard them. Blend the bael pulp to a smooth mixture. Add add sugar or jaggery as per taste, roasted cumin powder, pinch of black salt, chilled water to the blended pulp, mix well. Pour into tall glasses, add ice cubes and serve.

Prep time: 1200 min
Cook time: 180 min
Yield: 30
Main Ingredients: maredu bael

Ingredients
To prepare Bel Syrup:
Dried Bael fruit - 250 gms (Maredu)
Water - 2 lts
Sugar - 1 kg
Citric Acid - large pinch
To prepare Sharbat:
Roasted cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Black salt - 1/4 tsp
Lemon Juice - as required
Ice cubes - as required

Method

• Wash dried Bael aka Maredu thoroughly. Soak them in 2 liters of water overnight. On soaking, the liquid turns a dark color. 
• Next day morning, boil them along with the soaked water till it reduces to half of its original quantity, approx 1 liter. Strain the liquid with a double layered cheesecloth so that no particles trickle down. Pour the strained liquid into another clean heavy bottomed vessel. 
• To this liquid, add 1 kg sugar and heat it till it turns slightly thick and sticky, approx 15 mts on low medium flame. Do not over boil it. Cool completely and store the dark brown liquid in a clean bottle. 
• If you want to preserve the syrup, add a pinch of citric acid and mix. I usually store the sweetened bael syrup without citric acid in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. 
• To prepare Bel ka sarbath, pour 3 heaped tablespoons of the Bel syrup into a tall glass, add 1 1/2 tbsps of lemon juice and pour chilled water. Add ice cubes and serve. A variation is to add roasted cumin powder and black salt and mix well. 
• To prepare Bel Soda, pour 3 heaped tablespoons of the Bel syrup into a tall glass, add 1 1/2 tbsps of lemon juice and pour soda to the brim. Add ice cubes and serve. 

Tips
Bael syrup slightly thickens on cooling. You can preserve the syrup without adding sugar by refrigerating it for 2 to 3 weeks. Use jaggery syrup or dates syrup to sweeten Bel ka sarbath.