Sol Kadhi (Amsol/Kokum Kodi)

Sol Kadhi is made from Solan (plural of Sol) which is basically the dried peels (skins) of the Kokum fruit. The fresh Kokum fruit juice is very popular as a refreshing summer drink but can be enjoyed & relished throughout the year. The dried peels or Kokum/ Amsol/Solan are stocked with salt as a preservative & few peels are used as & when required throughout the year in all major cuisine of Goa. They are dark pink in color, tangy with sour taste but very rich in Vitamin C. They lend a nice pink blush to any dish they are added to by releasing their color. Sol Kadhi looks very pretty & appealing to the eye with the lovely baby pink color imparted by the Kokum.

‘Amsol Kodi’ is popularly known as ‘Sol Kadhi ‘or ‘Kokum Kadi’. It is a beverage which is consumed almost every day in the coastal regions of Maharashtra & Goa. It is enjoyed as an appetizer or along with traditional coastal meals. It tastes great with Goa parboiled rice. It is also considered as a wonderful digestive after meals. Restaurants in coastal regions & in Goa do have it on their menu & serve it with the typical traditional thali meals.

Many Goans have their own home grown kokum trees & since this fruit is in abundance they sell the kokum locally & commercially but do keep a part of it to be used at home throughout the year. They make kokum sherbet, dried & salted kokum is used for curries & stir fries. The fresh kokum is used to make Sol Kadhi or even the dried ones are used to make the Kokum/Sol Kadhi if fresh are not available. Besides, coconuts are in abundance too & so it is also a privilege to use your own home grown coconuts in curries, beverages & sweets.

It is always better to use freshly extracted coconut milk & kokum water instead of packaged products. You are free to use packaged products to make the Sol Kadhi but it tastes refreshingly better when the ingredients are fresh. Those who do not have access to fresh coconut milk & Kokum/Sola may use the packaged ingredients.

Go ahead & prepare this absolute delight… Amsol Kodi/Sol/Kokum Kadhi which is so easy & which will build your appetite & bring your taste buds alive! 😀

For the Sol Kadhi :

1 fresh Coconut (scraped) or 1 ½ cups Coconut Milk (packaged)
12 Amsol/Sol/Kokum or packaged Juice/Sherbet as per taste
2 cups Water or as per required thickness

For the Tempering :

1 tbsp. Coconut/Vegetable Oil
3 Sprigs fresh Curry Leaves (Kadi Patta)
½ tsp. Cumin Seeds
¼ tsp. Asafoetida (Hing)
10 fresh cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
2 dry Kashmiri Chillies or 1 fresh Green chilli (finely chopped)
1 tsp. Sugar (optional)
Salt to taste

For Garnishing :

½ tsp. Roasted Cumin pwd.
2 tbsp. fresh Coriander Leaves (chopped)

Procedure for the fresh Coconut Milk:
You need two extracts… Thick coconut milk & Thin coconut milk.

Grind the scraped coconut with about ½ cup of water to form a thick paste. Add more water if required.

Strain the coconut puree through a linen/muslin/cheese cloth.

Bundle up the cloth & squeeze using your fingers to extract thick coconut milk. Set it aside in a bowl.

Grind the residue again with water & follow the same process to extract thin coconut milk. Add it to the bowl containing thick coconut milk.

Tempering of Sol Kadhi :
Soak amsol/sol/kokum in 1 cup hot water for 5-6 hrs or overnight.

Squeeze the kokum well into the immersed liquid or you can run it in the grinder for a few seconds & then strain through a fine sieve into the bowl containing coconut milk. Stir well to combine. You will see that the amsol kodi/kokum/sol kadhi is a lovely baby pink color.

Heat oil in deep pot/ saucepan/ wok/ kadhai.

Add all the tempering ingredients mentioned above.

Let it splutter for a few seconds. Stir to mix. Switch off the flame.

Let it come to lukewarm temperature. Pour into the Sol Kadhi mixture.

Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves & roasted cumin pwd. just before serving.

Chill the Sol Kadhi if you wish.

Serve as an appetizer or enjoy with your traditional meals.

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