Shikanji
Lemonade
VegetarianOrigin Punjab/Delhi/AwadhPrep 20 minutes
A classic sweet and tart Indian lemonade with a distinctive savoury edge from salt and black pepper.
Ingredients
Method
- Extract the juice from 3 lemons into a large jug.
- Combine 1.2 litres water and 75.6 g granulated sugar in a saucepan, stir until dissolved, and simmer gently over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Pour the hot sugar syrup into the jug with the lemon juice, add 0.3 g salt and 0.3 g ground black pepper, and stir well to combine.
- Refrigerate the lemonade until thoroughly chilled before serving.
Don't have something?
LimeUse the same weight or juice amount; sharper, so taste before adding all the juice.
Lemon juiceUse about 45–50 ml for 1 lemon; add off the heat to keep the freshness.
Dried mango powderUse 1 tsp for the juice of 1 lemon; add early. Sourness is flatter and less fresh.
JaggeryUse equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.
Black peppercornUse the same weight and crush or grind as the recipe needs; whole peppercorn is the same spice.
Ground black pepperUse the same weight; add nearer the end if the recipe calls for whole pepper, as ground loses aroma faster.
Ground white pepperUse about 75–80% of the weight; it is milder and earthier, with less bite.
Similar dishes
Nimboo ka Sherbet
Lemon Sherbet
Nimboo ka Sherbet has a purely sweet and mellow citrus flavor without the savoury, spiced edge of this dish.
- Same: Nimboo ka Sherbet is also a chilled lemon-based drink sweetened with granulated sugar.
- Different: Nimboo ka Sherbet is made as a concentrated, sun-matured syrup using significantly more sugar and lacks the salt and black pepper used in this dish.
Grilled Lemons
Grilled Lemons tastes smoky and tangy, while this dish tastes sweet, tart, salty, and peppery.
- Same: Grilled Lemons shares lemon as its main ingredient with this dish.
- Different: Grilled Lemons uses only lemon and is cooked cut-side down until charred, while this dish mixes lemon with sugar, salt, and black pepper and is not grilled.
Limbachi Chatni
Sweet & Spicy Lemon Pickle
Limbachi Chatni is a sweet, salty, spicy pickle with a warm chilli-cumin kick, while this dish is a sweet, tart lemonade with a savoury black-pepper edge.
- Same: Limbachi Chatni and this dish both use 150 g lemon, sugar, and salt.
- Different: Limbachi Chatni uses far more salt, adds Kashmiri chilli powder and cumin seed, and is a pickle rested overnight with softened rind, while this dish uses black pepper and is a lemonade.
Nimbuwali Chai
Lemon Tea
It tastes mild, tangy, and tea-infused rather than richly sweet and savory like this dish.
- Same: Nimbuwali Chai shares citrus juice and granulated sugar with this dish.
- Different: Nimbuwali Chai is brewed with black tea and uses lime juice with less sugar, omitting the salt and black pepper used here.