Nimbu Pani (Indian Spiced Lemonade)

Before you start

Nimbu pani is the everyday lemonade of North India, sold from street carts and made at home on hot afternoons. What sets it apart from Western lemonade is salt. Kala namak, or Indian black salt, adds a sulfurous, almost eggy savoriness, and toasted ground cumin brings warmth. The result tastes sweet, sour and salty together, and many people find it more thirst-quenching than plain lemonade.

The spices need restraint. A quarter teaspoon of black salt per glass is plenty to start; too much tastes medicinal. Toast whole cumin seeds yourself and grind them, because pre-ground cumin rarely has the same nutty aroma. Sugar is dissolved directly in the glass with a little water first, which is how it is often made at home, though a splash of syrup is quicker for a crowd.

Ingredients

• 60 ml (¼ cup) fresh lemon or lime juice — about 2 lemons or 3 limes
• 40 g (3 tbsp) granulated sugar — adjust to taste
• ½ tsp kala namak (Indian black salt)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds — toasted and ground; you will use about ½ tsp
• Pinch fine sea salt — optional
• 8 to 10 fresh mint leaves
• 500 ml (2 cups) cold water
• To serve ice cubes and lemon slices

Method

1. Toast the cumin seeds in the dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan, for 1 to 2 minutes until they darken a shade and smell nutty. Tip them onto a plate to stop the cooking.
2. Grind the cooled seeds to a fine powder in a mortar or grinder.
3. In the pitcher, stir the sugar with about 60 ml of the water until it dissolves completely. This takes a minute or two of steady stirring.
4. Add the lemon juice, the black salt, ½ tsp of the roasted cumin and the remaining water. Stir well.
5. Tear the mint leaves and rub them gently between your palms to release their oils, then add them to the pitcher.
6. Taste and adjust: more sugar for sweetness, a pinch of sea salt to make it more savory, more lemon for sharpness. The balance should taste lively, not salty.
7. Pour over ice, sprinkle a tiny pinch of roasted cumin on top and serve.

Tips for success

• Kala namak smells strongly of sulfur in the jar. In the drink that aroma becomes a pleasant savory note, so do not be put off.
• Keep extra roasted cumin in a sealed jar; it is good on yogurt, fruit and salads.
• Small Indian limes, often sold as key limes, are traditional in some homes and make the drink more aromatic.

Substitutions

Kala namak

Regular salt works but lacks the savory, sulfurous depth. Use about half the amount and add a pinch of chaat masala if you have it.

Granulated sugar

Jaggery dissolved in warm water gives a caramel-like sweetness and turns the drink golden.

Still water

Use chilled soda water for the fizzy version often called masala soda or banta. Mix the base with 60 ml water, then top with soda.

Variations

Shikanji

Add a pinch of black pepper and a little ginger juice for a spicier, warming version.

Masala soda

Make a concentrated base and top each glass with chilled soda water just before serving.

Troubleshooting

Tastes too salty

Add more lemon juice and a little sugar dissolved in water. Start with less black salt next time.

Gritty sugar at the bottom

The sugar was added to cold, acidic liquid. Dissolve it in a little water first, or use simple syrup.

Cumin tastes raw or dusty

Toast the seeds until fragrant before grinding; pre-ground cumin is often stale.

Storage

Best served fresh. If needed, refrigerate the spiced base without mint for up to 1 day; mint darkens and turns bitter over time. Roasted ground cumin keeps in an airtight jar for about 1 month.

Safety notes

Fresh-squeezed citrus juice is unpasteurized; pasteurized juice is the safer choice for young children, pregnant people and anyone with a weakened immune system.