Funky, salty and exceedingly sour, nimbu pani is a cool reprieve from the sweltering summer days in Lahore and across most parts of South Asia.
Nimbu Pani (Limeade)
It’s instantly nourishing, and the salt hits differently after a long day of fasting. Kala namak, or Himalayan black salt, adds pungence to an already punchy drink.
Ingredients
- 3 limes or lemons
- 1 cup ice cubes
- ¼ tsp kala namak (Himalayan black salt)
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp granulated sugar (optional)
- A few sprigs of mint, for serving (optional)
Directions
- Peel the limes: Slice off the tops and bottoms then, working with one at a time, place each one vertically on a cutting board, setting it on one flat, cut side. Next, slice off the skin and pith. Repeat with remaining limes.
- Put peeled limes, ice cubes, kala namak, fine sea salt and sugar, if using, in a blender, along with 3 cups of water. Blend on high until the ice is crushed and the nimbu pani is frothy.
- Strain, then serve in a glass with a sprig of mint, if you like.
- The amount of salt seems wrong to me. Anyway, you can put less salt (including black salt) and add more sugar. You can also use only one type of salt too. Sugar is definitely not optional in any version of this recipe (except if you, say, have diabetes). You can try putting stuff like monk fruit sweetener instead of sugar but I personally don’t like the aftertaste of the substitute. The final taste should be less sweet than the American lemonade with a bit more pungency due to the black salt.
- This is pretty much what I use to make an electrolyte drink. I use Turbinado sugar instead of plain sugar and Redmond salt. They’re both a little mellower in taste (not as super sweet, less shockingly salty) and create a nice balance.
- In India, sugar is replaced by honey or jaggery
- This is even more interesting with using less water in the blender and then adding the blended mass to soda water. One other variant is to pickle the limes in salt for a few days and then make this with soda water. Adding a spring or two of cilantro into the blender is another variant.
36 calories· 0 g fat· 0 g saturated fat· 0 g monounsaturated fat· 0 g polyunsaturated fat· 11 g carbohydrates· 3 g dietary fiber· 4 g sugars· 1 g protein· 496 mg sodium·