Indian Summer Brunch: 5 Home Hosting Tips To Explore
Summer brunch is a mid-morning meal served during the summer months, focusing on light and flavourful dishes and drinks. The flavours presented are often fruity, citrusy, and floral, with soft herbal notes. Ingredients like berries, melon, lemon, cucumber, and subtle floral elements such as rose or lavender are common, bringing both aroma and balance.
The reason summer brunch menus lean towards light, floral, and fruity profiles is to complement the season without masking the theme. Spiced flavours are avoided, making space for new tastes. Light cocktails with low alcohol content or mocktails with fresh fruits and herbs blend well with soft dishes like salads, pasta, and baked items. Get to know how to setup a well-rounded summer brunch at home.
5 Home Hosting Tips For Indian Summer Brunch
1. Create Watermelon-Themed Drink Station
Start with a watermelon-themed drink station, as the availability of watermelon marks the onset of the summer season. Mocktails and cocktails made with watermelon combined with lychee, cucumber, mango, and more make a vibrant arrangement. Include one or two drinks, making sure that each recipe has a faint fruity or flowery accent to balance it out. Present beverages in glass dispensers with fresh herbs and fruit slices. Arrange chilled glasses with edible flowers, citrus peels, and mint sprigs as decorations. Provide a variety of ice in individual bowls for recipients to select from.
2. Present Seasonal And Light Foods
Light, colourful, and in-season meals should be prepped for an Indian summer brunch. Salads with fresh herbs, cucumber, and tomatoes complement chilled drinks made with citrus and lychee. Steer clear of thick or spicy gravies that can be too buttery for the occasion. Dips and fresh spreads go nicely with soft bread options like pita or naan.
3. Table arrangements And Décor
For tablecloths and napkins, use materials in light pastel colours, such as linen or cotton. To provide aroma without masking flavours, decorate with little floral arrangements made of marigolds or jasmine. For convenience and a tidy appearance, serve food in little bowls and platters. Set up comfortable chairs with soft cushions in the shade if you're hosting outside. A neat and orderly table arrangement provides style while focusing on the food and drinks.
4. Minimal DIY Food Assortment
A homemade food station makes a summer brunch more presentative. Provide a basic chaat area with puffed rice, yoghurt, chutneys, and fresh garnishes so that recipients can customise their bowls. For further variation, set up a salad station with different dressings and toppings. For convenience and neatness, arrange ingredients using tiny serving spoons and clear labelling. The brunch is made more inclusive by stations, which maintain versatility.
5. Basic Desserts
Finish the meal with light cocktail desserts. Serve rose-flavoured rum affagato or chilled Irish whisky mango shrikhand. Light dessert cocktails provide a nice balance to the meal. For rose-flavoured rum affogato, take one scoop of vanilla ice cream in a small glass. Gently pour over thirty ml of brewed espresso. Add 15 ml of rose-flavoured white rum over the top for a gentle floral note. Garnish with crushed dried rose petals and a sprinkle of finely grated dark chocolate.
For chilled Irish whisky mango shrikhand, whisk together one cup of thick hung curd with three tablespoons of mango pulp until smooth and creamy. Add two teaspoons of powdered sugar and fold in 15 ml of Irish whisky. Chill in the refrigerator for thirty minutes. Before serving, portion into small bowls and garnish with slivers of pistachio, a few strands of saffron, and a dusting of cardamom powder. This dessert carries fruity sweetness balanced with robust notes from the whisky.
Mimosa can be made by mixing 30 ml of fresh orange juice with 15 ml of sparkling wine and served chilled. Rum lemonade can be prepared by blending 15 ml of white rum with 30 ml of fresh lemonade over ice. These options can also be served throughout the brunch, complementing the theme.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
