Shikanji (Indian Spiced Lemonade)

A recipe for Shikanji (Indian Spiced Lemonade)! This refreshing lemonade is spiced with black salt, cumin, and sugar.

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Foodie Extravaganza

Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly party hosted by bloggers who love food!

Each month we incorporate one main ingredient or theme from The Nibble into recipes to share with you and Lauren of Sew You Think You Can Cook chose to celebrate Lemonade for today’s event! 

Other foods celebrated in August include mustard, potatoes, filet mignon, peaches, bratwurst, bacon, and ice cream sandwiches.

Shikanji (Indian Spiced Lemonade)

Shikanji (Shikanjvi) is a popular summer drink in Northern India and Pakistan. Lemon juice and water are seasoned with sugar, ginger, black salt, cumin, and black pepper. Overall, it all comes together in less than 10 minutes!

Simply whisk everything together until the spices are well blended and the sugar has dissolved. Adjust the seasonings to taste and serve immediately.

These spices are added to help with the cooling effect on hot summer days. Omit everything but the lemon, sugar, and water and you will have a simple lemonade known as Nimbu Pani.

Replace the water with club soda (only add immediately before serving) to make Soda Shikanji.

A Few Shikanji Tips

Make sure the water is well chilled.

I used granulated sugar for the Shikanji, but it can also be substituted with honey or jaggery. Some recipes use powdered sugar to more easily blend into the liquid.

Chaat masala is another common addition. The lemon can be swapped for lime.

If refrigerating for later, stir well before drinking. The recipe can easily be doubled for more servings.

Notable Ingredients

Black salt (Kala Namak) is a type of rock salt popular in South Asian cuisine for its high mineral content. It is a dark purplish color when whole, but looks more pinkish gray when ground.

The high sulfur content gives it a strong, eggy pungent taste compared to regular salt. This is not to be confused with lava salt which is colored black from activated charcoal.

Black salt can be found in some markets specializing in Indian ingredients, health food stores, or on Amazon: Black Salt.

For those in Northern Virginia, I was able to locate it at Lotte Plaza Market in Chantilly. If black salt is not available, you can substitute with a little more sea salt (start with only a large pinch). It just won’t have that notable flavor.

Check out what everyone else made:

• Honey Mint Lemonade by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Papaya Lemonade (or cocktail!) by Caroline’s Cooking
• Peachy Lemonade by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pineapple Pink Lemonade Shaved Ice by Food Lust People Love
• Shikanji (Indian Spiced Lemonade) by Tara’s Multicultural Table
• Sparkling Apple and Watermelon Lemonade Spritzers by Sneha’s Recipe
• Sparkling Blue Basil Lemonade by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Sparkling Milk Lemonade by Our Good Life

Shikanji (Indian Spiced Lemonade) Recipe

Adapted from Spice Up the Curry

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Shikanji (Indian Spiced Lemonade)

A recipe for Shikanji (Indian Spiced Lemonade)! This refreshing lemonade is spiced with black salt, cumin, and sugar.

Course Drinks

Cuisine Indian

Keyword beverage, black salt, drink, India, Indian, lemon, lemonade

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups (1 liter) cold water
• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeters) fresh ginger finely grated
• 1/2 teaspoon black salt
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted ground cumin
• Pinch salt
• Pinch finely ground black pepper

For Serving:

• Lemon slices
• Ice cubes
• Fresh mint

Instructions

• In a bowl, whisk together the water, lemon juice, sugar, ginger, black salt, cumin, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
• Serve immediately with lemon slices, ice cubes, and fresh mint.