Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Nimbu Pani
Nimbu Pani ()

Nimbu Pani

VegetarianMakes 3–4 small glasses

Nimbu pani is a refreshing lime drink, sharp and sweet with a savoury edge from rock salt and a mild peppery bite. It is served very cold over crushed ice.

Pepper seasoning

1.1 gStirred into the drink with the rock salt (step 3)
01
Black pepper · Kali Mirchcoarsely ground
1.1 g½ teaspoon
spice
Leave coarsely ground and add it to the jug with the rock salt.

Everything else

01
Lime · Nimbujuice of
350 g7 limes
fruit
02
Caster sugar · Boora
90 g
sweetener
03
Rock salt · Sendha Namak
2.8 g½ teaspoon
salt

Method

  1. Pour 350 g lime juice and 450 ml water into a jug.
  2. Add 90 g caster sugar and stir until it has fully dissolved.
  3. Stir in 2.8 g rock salt and the pepper seasoning (1.1 g black pepper).
  4. Chill the jug for at least 20 minutes.
  5. Fill glasses with crushed ice and pour the chilled nimbu pani over.

Don't have something?

Lime
  • Lemon

    Use the same weight; sharper and less floral, so reduce any extra souring slightly.

  • Lemon juice

    Use about 30 g juice per lime (2 tbsp), strain pips; add at the end for fresh sourness.

  • Dried mango powder

    Use 1 g amchoor for about 15 g lime juice; add early with spices; gives dry mango sourness, not citrus aroma.

Caster sugar
  • Granulated sugar

    Use the same weight. It is slightly coarser, so stir a little longer to dissolve; in baking, grind briefly if a fine texture matters.

  • Demerara sugar

    Use the same weight, but dissolve it earlier as it is coarser. It adds a light caramel note and a little colour.

  • Ground jaggery or soft brown sugar

    Use the same weight; crush or grate jaggery first. It darkens the dish and adds molasses flavour, so reduce other liquid slightly.

Black pepper
  • Black peppercorn

    Use the same weight and crush or grind as the recipe needs; whole peppercorn is the same spice.

  • Ground black pepper

    Use the same weight; add nearer the end if the recipe calls for whole pepper, as ground loses aroma faster.

  • Ground white pepper

    Use about 75–80% of the weight; it is milder and earthier, with less bite.

Similar dishes

Banta Soda
Indian Spiced Lemonade
Banta Soda is fizzy and lightly spiced with cumin and black salt, while this dish is still, sharper with lime and more sweet-salty with rock salt and pepper.
  • Same: Banta Soda shares lime, caster sugar, black pepper and a salt with this dish, and both are cold, sweet-sour lime drinks with a savoury edge.
  • Different: Banta Soda uses black salt instead of rock salt, adds cumin seed and Sprite, and has less lime, much less caster sugar and less black pepper than this dish.
Meetha Nimboo ka Achar
Sweet Lime Pickle
Meetha Nimboo ka Achar tastes sweet, tangy, earthy and warmly spiced with a glossy syrup, while this dish is sharp, sweet, savoury from rock salt and mildly peppery, served very cold.
  • Same: Meetha Nimboo ka Achar shares lime and salt with this dish.
  • Different: Meetha Nimboo ka Achar uses jaggery, chilli powder, turmeric and garam masala and is sun-cured for two weeks, while this dish uses caster sugar, black pepper and rock salt and is mixed as a cold drink.
Sweet & Salty Fresh Lime Soda
It tastes tangy, sweet and lightly salty with fizz and mint, while this dish is still and has a peppery bite.
  • Same: Sweet & Salty Fresh Lime Soda shares lime, sugar, salt and a cold serving with this dish.
  • Different: It uses soda water, mint and sugar syrup instead of caster sugar, and Himalayan pink salt instead of rock salt, and it has no black pepper.
Nimboo ka Achar
Lime Pickle
Nimboo ka Achar tastes sharply sour, salty, pungent, and spicy with an oily, matured depth, whereas this dish tastes sharp and sweet with a light peppery, salty edge and is served cold and refreshing.
  • Same: Nimboo ka Achar and this dish both use lime as the main ingredient and include salt for a sharp, savory edge.
  • Different: Nimboo ka Achar adds garlic, chilli powder, cumin seed, mustard seed, asafoetida, and vegetable oil, and it is steamed, sun-cured, and finished with spiced oil, while this dish lacks those spices and oil and is simply mixed cold with sugar, black pepper, and rock salt.