Whenever we make paneer at home, we always get plenty of greenish or whitish whey.
For those who are not familiar about the whey - It is prepared by adding food acid (lemon juice, vinegar or sour yogurt) into boiled milk to separate milk solids and whey. That milk solid sets under heavy weight and known as paneer aka Indian cottage cheese while strained liquid is WHEY.
Whey drinks are made by combining it with fruit juices and flavored with cardamom powder or ginger powder. Sugar or honey or jaggery syrup is added if you like more sweet.
Whey is a rich source of water-soluble vitamins, minerals, trace elements and electrolytes. It is nutritious and low calorie mineral water.
- I have made 4 different flavored (mango, pineapple, rooh afza and strawberry) cooling drinks using paneer whey.
- You can make with many other fruit juice like grape juice, apple juice or crushed berries.
- Lychee juice would be really good. With lychee flavored drink, try adding salt and pepper. I have tried it and it was fantastic.
When I asked my mom and friends where to use this whey (that time I was not familiar or did not get idea of making beverages). Everyone says use the whey while making chapati dough in place of water. OK. I did that and only half a cup is used and I have too much leftover.
People gave me other idea of adding in soups in place of vegetable stock.. I did try but I missed the the flavor of stock in the soup and it completely changes the taste of soup. I did not like it at all.
But recently I read in the book about this cooling beverages made using whey. I was very interested to try that out. I made few different flavors, I and hubby really enjoyed.
Whey with fruit juices does not give smell and strong taste of whey. Because the fruit flavor will overpower.
If making this beverages for vrat or Hindu fasting days, Please do not make rooh afza one. It is not allowed during fasting. You can make with any choice of your fruit. If adding salt in the drinks, please use rock salt (sendha namak).
Apart from making beverages, Other use of Whey
- My mom says that whey can be poured into your garden (only plants who love acid like tomatoes, strawberries).
- You can feed your dogs this whey instead of milk.
- During the winter, you can consume the hot whey with honey. It is really good for health.
- As I said earlier, use in the dal, soup or curry instead of water or vegetable stock.
- You can use while kneading the dough for chapati or roti.
- One of the readers suggested to use while making chaas (Indian buttermilk) in place of water.
- another reader says that he/she uses while making sourdough bread
whey drinks with fruit juice:
Beverages made using paneer whey | Nutritious Whey drinks
Ingredients
Mango drink:
- ½ cup Whey
- ½ cup Mango juice or ¼ cup mango pulp with extra ¼ cup of whey or water
- a pinch Dry ginger powder (sonth or saunth)
Rooh Afza drink:
- 1 cup Whey
- 2 tablespoons Roof afza syrup or rose syrup
- sugar as needed
Pineapple drink:
- ½ cup Whey
- ½ cup Pineapple juice
- a pinch Green cardamom seeds powder
Strawberry drink:
- 1 cup Whey
- 1 ½ tablespoons Strawberry Jam or ¼ cup fresh strawberry pulp
Instructions
- Make sure that whey and juice both are chilled.
- Mix whey, fruit juice or syrup or jam or any other flavoring and stir well.
- Add sugar, if required.
- Add few ice cubes in a glass and pour the drink into the serving glass. It can be served without ice.
How many whey based fruit drinks available in markets
I don't know.