Rose Sharbat with Basil Seeds

Before you start

Rose sharbat is a sweet, floral drink popular across South Asia and the Middle East, especially in hot weather and during Ramadan. A rose-flavored syrup is stirred into chilled water or milk, and the glass is often studded with soaked sweet basil seeds, called sabja or tukmaria, which swell into small gel-coated pearls with a pleasant, tapioca-like texture.

Homemade rose syrup is simple: a sugar syrup flavored with rose water and colored if you like with a few slices of beet. The rose water goes in off the heat, because boiling dulls its fragrance. Strengths vary a lot between brands, so add it a little at a time and taste. The basil seeds must be fully soaked before drinking; dry seeds should never be swallowed straight.

Ingredients

• Rose syrup200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 200 ml (¾ cup plus 1 tbsp) water
• 1 to 2 tbsp rose water — to taste; brands vary in strength
• 2 thin slices (optional) raw beet — for pink color
• Basil seeds2 tsp sweet basil seeds (sabja)
• 120 ml (½ cup) water — for soaking
• To serve800 ml (3¼ cups) chilled water or cold whole milk
• As needed ice, lemon slices or dried rose petals

Method

1. Combine the sugar, 200 ml water and beet slices if using in the saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Take off the heat and remove the beet. Stir in 1 tablespoon rose water, taste, and add more if you want a stronger fragrance. Let the syrup cool, about 30 minutes.
3. While it cools, soak the basil seeds in 120 ml water for at least 15 minutes, until each seed is surrounded by a translucent gel and none remain dry or crunchy.
4. Strain the cooled syrup into a clean jar.
5. For each glass, add about 45 ml (3 tbsp) rose syrup and 1 to 2 tablespoons of soaked basil seeds.
6. Pour in about 200 ml chilled water or milk, stir well, add ice, and garnish with lemon or rose petals.

Tips for success

• Rose water ranges from delicate to very perfumed. Always start with less; too much tastes soapy.
• Make sure the basil seeds are completely hydrated. They clump if dropped into water all at once, so stir them as you add them.
• Use food-grade dried rose petals only for garnish; decorative or florist roses may be treated with chemicals.

Substitutions

Homemade rose syrup

Store-bought rose syrup works; it is usually sweeter and more deeply colored, so use about 30 ml per glass.

Sweet basil seeds

Chia seeds soaked the same way give a similar texture, slightly firmer and nuttier.

Chilled water

Cold milk makes the rich, pink rose milk version. Soda water makes a sparkling, lighter drink.

Variations

Rose falooda style

Add soaked basil seeds, cooked thin vermicelli and a scoop of ice cream to the rose milk.

Lemon rose cooler

Use water, add 15 ml fresh lemon juice per glass and top with soda water.

Troubleshooting

Basil seeds clump together

Add the seeds to the water gradually while stirring, and stir again after a couple of minutes.

Soapy or perfumey taste

Too much rose water. Dilute with more water or milk and use less next time.

Milk curdles

Lemon juice and milk do not mix. Leave lemon out of the milk version.

Storage

Refrigerate the rose syrup in a clean, sealed jar for 2 to 3 weeks; discard it if it turns cloudy or moldy. Soaked basil seeds keep covered in the fridge for 1 to 2 days. Milk-based sharbat should be served right away.

Safety notes

Basil seeds must be fully soaked before drinking; dry seeds swell quickly and can be a choking hazard, especially for young children. Supervise children when they drink it.