Chibbad/Muskmelon Rasaayan(Harshaale) by Nisha Baliga Shenoy

Start of spring season marks the arrival of many seasonal fruits into the market. You can find fruit vendors stacking their racks with Chibbad/Muskmelon. These have cooling properties and either eaten with sugar and milk flavoured with cardamom powder or as Rasaayan or Harshaale that is made with coconut milk and jaggery, again with a dash of cardamom powder.

There's nothing like mom's recipe to make this rasaayan. I am oriented in Bangalore and local markets are loaded with muskmelon. North Kannadigas call this fruit Banaspatri.

Muskmelon is available almost 6 months in a year. Sometimes we get imported ones in the market as well. We GSBs mix in plain poha and eat it with rasaayan. You can also make rasaayan with bananas or mangoes but chibbad/muskmelon is best suited for this.

Ingredients:
Muskmelon - 1
Coconut milk - 1 liter or little more
Powdered jaggery - 1/2 cup or to taste
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Remove the skin and deseed muskmelon. Cut into 1/2" cubes.
Mix jaggery powder in coconut milk to sweeten.
Add the muskmelon chunks and cardamom powder.
Serve chilled, along with plain thin poha.

Note: You may sweeten the coconut milk also with sugar as per taste but traditional way is to add jaggery for that unique taste.