Shikanji Recipe: Indian Lemonade

Shikanji is the sweet and spicy Indian lemonade made with spices and sweetener - it is perfect for hydrating in summer time.

​Indian lemonade is called as Shikanji or nibu pani - 'nibu' means lemon and 'pani' means water but either way, both are pretty much the same when you go to India and order by either name in the restaurants or road side stalls. 

Shikanji is made with cooling Indian Black Salt also known as 'kala namak' ('kala' means black and 'namak' means salt). Shikanji has many benefits - it is cooling to the body, replenishes electrolytes that are often lost in sweating during the hot summer months, helps with weight loss, boosts digestion - another crucial benefit as digestion usually gets sluggish due to the excess summer heat and heavy foods, it also helps with blood sugar balance and last but not least, it provides sulfur to the body which is crucial for beautiful thick hair and healthy, glowing skin. 

In Ayurveda, Indian Black Salt is highly revered for its cooling and healing properties due to its high sulfur content - it is used to beautify skin, boost hair growth, help with joints as well as digestion and helps with excess body heat. 

Cumin powder is also added to this wonderful drink to help with digestion in the summer. Cumin powder is also cooling and therefore it is perfect for balancing the excess body heat in the hot summer months.

Chat masala is rich in various spices and adds that zing to the drink along with that sulfurous smell also found in Indian Black Salt and this is due to the fact that chat masala also contains little bit of Indian Black Salt in it. 

You can always adjust the spices and the sweetener at the end - don't add too much in the beginning because you can always add more to your liking later but you cannot take out the spices once they are added if they are too much.

Ingredients -

1. Organic lemons (large) - 2 (or 4-5 small lemons)
2. Indian Black Salt - 1 Teaspoon
3. Organic cumin powder - 1 Teaspoon
4. Chat masala - 1 Teaspoon
5. Organic jaggery (or sweetener of your choice) - per taste
6. Water - 70 oz. or about 2 quartz

Top It With -

1. Fresh Mint (Optional) 

Simple steps -

1. Watch the video for step-by-step recipe.

Helpful Tips -

1. Keep the lemons out on the counter for a hour or so before you make your shikanji as this will help the lemons warm up and release more lemon juice. You can also warm the lemons by placing them in the sun for 15 minutes.

2. Once you are ready to juice your lemons, roll the lemons on the counter or cutting board few times with your hands - this will really help release the juices and increase the quantity of lemon juice that comes out from each of your lemons. 

3. When serving guests, you may add ice cubes or fresh mint as well. 

4. For more unique flavor, you may add some mineral water to your shikanji for that extra zing! 

5. While shikanji is a perfect cooling drink for summer, it can be enjoyed year round - don't have it cold or too cold; room temperature is always better as cold beverages or cold foods are known to weaken the digestive fire.