This celebratory rose-flavoured milkshake from Zanzibar is just the thing for balmy
summer days
Serves 5–6
Ingredients
1ltr almond milk
75g caster sugar
150ml rose syrup
Seeds scraped from ½ vanilla pod (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
Ice cubes
2 tsp chia seeds (or basil seeds)
75g pistachios, finely chopped
To make
1 Combine the almond milk, sugar, rose syrup and vanilla in a blender.
2 Add 4 or 5 ice cubes and blend until smooth. Pour in the chia seeds and leave to bloom for at least 5 mins, or until they’ve become jelly-like.
3 Pour over ice, then garnish with a sprinkling of pistachios in each glass.
Server’s note: Sherbati is made during Muharram – the first month of the Islamic new year, which this year begins on 7 July. Traditionally, a big batch is made, bottled up, and donated to children in Zanzibar. It’s a sweeter version as it’s made with condensed milk and basil seeds, which bloom and become gelatinous, like chia seeds. Best enjoyed ice cold.
Taken from Bahari: Recipes From An Omani Kitchen And Beyond by Dina Macki (DK Books). Photography by Patricia Niven
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