Summer in Bengal is a hot and humid season. In the morning, the sun hammers the earth like a blacksmith's anvil, and by noon, the surface burns like a red-hot cast-iron kadhai. As a kid growing up in Bengal, I had a love-hate relationship with summers for the scorching heat, the breath-taking kalboishakhi storms, and weekend afternoons playing cricket at the neighbourhood playground with my friends from the local sporting club. The best part about these sweltering summer afternoons was a traditional beverage my mother would make when I came home from school or the playground in the evening: Aam Porra Sharbat or Charred Mango Sharbat. A traditional Bengali summer beverage made with seasonal raw mangoes, it's the perfect sweet-and-sour drink for the early summer when raw mangoes grow abundantly in Bengal. Here's how to make it:

Ingredients:

1. 3 sour raw mangoes.

2. Sugar or jaggery to taste.

3. 3 tablespoons cumin, roasted and powdered.

4. 2 tablespoons black salt.

5. 5-6 sprigs of mint.

6. Chilled water, as required.

7. Ice cubes, as required.

Preparation:

1. Wash the raw mangoes, then roast them on the oven or an open flame on low to medium heat until the skin is charred. The pulp should become soft and mushy when fully cooked. Rest the charred mangoes on a wire-rack until cool to the touch.

2. Peel the charred skin and separate the pulp from the stone (the seed).

3. Blend the cooked mango pulp with roasted cumin and 2/3 of the mint leaves till smooth.

4. To make sweet Aam Porra Sharbat, sweeten the blend with sugar/jaggery and add chilled water and ice cubes. Stir well till it reaches the desired consistency.

5. To make savoury Aam Porra Sharbat, season the blend with black salt and add chilled water and ice cubes. Stir well till it reaches the desired consistency.

6. Garnish with the rest of the mint leaves.

7. Serve or drink immediately.

If you enjoyed reading this, here's more from Homegrown:

Holi Trinity: 3 Delicious Recipes For Bhang Thandai, Lassi & Pakodas From Amrita Rana

Keep The Festivities Going All Year Long With These Unique Homegrown Onam Cocktails

9 Utterly Delicious Old Monk Cocktail Recipes Shared By Mumbai's Best Bars