Masala Lemonade (Nimboo Pani) was a mysterious concept to me when my husband requested it a few years ago. Newly married and having grown up in a very American world I only knew one version of lemonade. The one with lemon juice, water, and sugar!
This refreshing drink grew on me very fast and over the years I have perfected the ratios and found some tricks that make it even more enjoyable. I add a few extra steps to make sure my sugar is well dissolved and my masala tastes fresh.
We drink this on hot summer days, or when we have upset stomaches. The fresh lemon, and ginger soothe the stomach while the cumin helps get rid of acidity and aids in indigestion.
I make a big batch of concentrate and store it in the fridge during the summer so we can add ice and water whenever we want!
Masala Lemonade (Nimboo Pani) Recipe
A fresh drink that helps cool you down on hot days and soothe your tummy on sick days.
Ingredients
- Concentrate:
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 inch of ginger grated
- 1/2 cup of lightly packed mint leaves chopped
- 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons of black salt
- Water and Ice to serve
Instructions
- Combine water and sugar in a microwave-safe container.
- Microwave in 30-second increments, mixing in between until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add black salt and chopped mint to your sugar and water mix.
- Heat a pan on medium heat.
- Add cumin seeds to your pan and move them around continuously until they become fragrant and you see light puffs of smoke.
- Take them out of the pan immediately and grind them in a coffee grinder. I like getting a fine powdery grind on them so it dissolves better.
- Add ground cumin to your sugar, water, mint, and black salt mix.
- You can store this mix in a jar in your fridge for up to a week.
- When ready to drink and serve, mix one-part concentrate to two-part water and serve over ice.
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