Solkadhi

Solkadhi is a soft pink, coconut-based digestive drink of the Konkan coast — the western seaboard running through Goa, coastal Maharashtra and coastal Karnataka. It is made by steeping dried kokum (the sour, plum-like fruit of Garcinia indica) in warm water and blending that tart, ruby-coloured extract with fresh coconut milk, then seasoning it with crushed garlic, green chilli, coriander and often a light tempering of cumin and curry leaf. The result is at once tangy, creamy and gently savoury — cooling rather than sweet, and pale rose from the kokum bleeding into the white coconut milk. Traditionally sipped at the end of a fish or rice meal to settle and soothe the stomach, it is non-alcoholic, naturally vegan and dairy-free.