Indian Shikanji: Chilled Cucumber, Mint and Lime Cooler with Black Salt

Blend the chopped cucumber with 1 cup of the cold water until completely smooth, about 45 seconds.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 large cucumbers, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kala namak (Indian black salt)
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups cold water
• 1 cup chilled sparkling water
• Crushed ice, for serving
• 4 cucumber ribbons and 4 mint sprigs, for garnish
• 1 lime, sliced into wedges

Instructions

1. Blend the chopped cucumber with 1 cup of the cold water until completely smooth, about 45 seconds.
2. Strain through a fine sieve into a pitcher, pressing the pulp firmly with the back of a ladle to extract all the juice. You want roughly 2 cups of pale green cucumber water.
3. Bruise the mint leaves in a mortar with 2 tablespoons of the sugar, pounding just until they release their oils and smell sharply green. Do not grind them to a paste — pulverized mint turns grassy and slightly bitter.
4. Add the bruised mint to the pitcher along with the lime juice, remaining sugar, kala namak, roasted cumin and black pepper. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves.
5. Pour in the remaining 2 cups of cold water, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the mint and spices infuse properly.
6. Strain once more if you prefer a clear drink, or leave the mint in for a rustic look.
7. Fill four tall glasses with crushed ice and pour the shikanji to about three-quarters full, then top each with a splash of sparkling water.
8. Garnish with a cucumber ribbon and mint sprig, add a lime wedge to each glass, and serve immediately with an extra pinch of black salt on top for anyone who wants it.
9. Shikanji is northern India's answer to lemonade, sold from carts across Delhi, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh through the punishing months before the monsoon breaks. What separates it from any other limeade is kala namak — a sulfurous, volcanic-tasting black salt that smells faintly of hard-boiled eggs in the jar and does something remarkable in a glass, pulling the sweetness back and making the drink taste genuinely cooling rather than merely cold. Cucumber is a summer addition that stretches the limes further and softens the whole thing into something you can drink by the pitcher.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 95 kcal
• Protein: 1g
• Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 24g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 20g
• Sodium: 740mg