Purple basil-ade, or basil sorbet as they call it in Turkey, is a very old recipe that has become popular in the last couple of years. The way it is served is quite sweet for my taste, so here is my recipe for a sugar-free purple basil sauce.
1 bunch of purple basil
1/2 lemon
2 liters of boiling water
optional
1-2 cinnamon sticks
4-6 cloves
1/2 cup sugar or any sugar substitute you want to use
-Wash the purple basil leaves and place them in a jar or jug
-Squeeze the lemon on top and crush/mix the leaves with the lemon juice to extract maximum color.
-Pour boiling water over and leave to cool without lid overnight. If you want a sweet sorbet, add the sugar and water and mix. If you want it sugar-free, adding cinnamon sticks gives it a light sweetness, which I prefer to sugar.
-That’s all. Your basilade is ready. Serve it cold.
Note: If you make the basil drink more intense with less water, it makes a great base for summer cocktails!
