On my trip to Upstate New York, we went to an Asian market and I found a few items to explore. They weren't too expensive, so I bought a few things that were new to me to research. The first item is sweet basil seeds. Ok, warning here, they look like frog spawn when all is said and done. If you don't have an open mind; or at the very least like tapioca, give this one a miss.
In India the seeds are called falooda and are the basis for a common dessert. It also comes under the names sabza, subza and takmaria. The seeds are supposed to be very good for digestion, soothing to the tummy. They are also good for most digestive complaints, such as; constipation, indigestion and heartburn. The seeds have an anti-microbial action, as well. Sounds pretty healthy really!
To make the Thai drink called Nam Manglak, you start out by soaking the seeds in 100 ml of cold water. Set aside whilst you prepare 2 cups of weak simple syrup (I used turbinado sugar) with a dash of honey (adjust for sweetness.) Let the syrup cool.
When all the ingredients are prepared and cooled, add together and incorporate 4 tbsp., (or to taste) rose water, you may want a bit more. Pour over ice. This makes a refreshing drink with an interesting texture. I like it better than bubble tea. Speaking of tea, you can add these seeds to your favourite tea. They also make a good ice cream with coconut milk. The texture is a bit like tapioca. It isn't as chewy as tapioca, as it is smaller, however.
My brain started churning when thinking about ice cream. This led to the creation of melon sorbet with the basil seeds. Just use some of the drink and add to pureed melon and process in your ice cream maker.
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