4 Different Nimbu Pani Recipes

4 different Nimbu Pani recipes are so easy to make. Within minutes you can enjoy or serve a refreshing and chilled nimbu pani with just a few ingredients at hand.

WHAT IS NIMBU PANI?

Nimbu Pani is a lemon water drink that is usually made during the summer time. Not only is it refreshing but also an instant energy booster during the hot season. It is what the West calls lemonade. Another famous name for this tasty summer drink is shikanji.

Usually, lemon juice, sugar, a bit of salt and a spice of choice is added to chilled water and served. However, one can easily replace the water with soda water to make a different kind of party drink.

 

CAN SUGAR BE REPLACED IN THE RECIPE?

Yes by all means. While I have prepared the common recipe of using sugar you can easily replace it with honey, maple syrup, jaggery powder, any other artificial or natural sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit sweetener. As my hubby is diabetic I replace the sugar with stevia for him.

HONEY, MAPLE SYRUP, JAGGERY POWDER can be replaced 1:1. That is in the recipe I have used 2 tbsp powdered sugar. So you can replace it with 2 tbsp of your choice of sweetener. However, it is always best to add according to your taste.

STEVIA – when I replace the sugar with stevia, I need barely ¼ tsp as natural stevia is very sweet. Try and source natural stevia. It comes as a fine green powder.

CAN WATER BE REPLACED?

To make nimbu pani /lemonade/shikanji more flavourful and thirst quenching replace the amount of water with soda water. If you choose to use Sprite, 7UP, Mountain Dew, or any other similar soda, be careful when you add sugar as these sodas already contain sugar or sweeteners.

Replace water with coconut water. The drink with coconut water is hydrating and so delicious.

WHICH KIND OF LEMONS TO USE?

I don’t think there is a hard and fast rule as to which lemons you can use to prepare Nimbu Pani. I use whatever is available wherever I am. In Kenya we mostly get the same kind of lemons as in India. Indian Lemons as they are more popularly known as are medium in size, can be yellow to green in colour. They have a thin peel and tend to be a bit more sour too.

When in UK or Canada, we get Eureka or Lisbon Lemons, the bright yellow oval shaped ones. These tend to be less acidic and are sweetish. Sometimes I mix both Meyer Lemon and Lisbon Lemons. Meyer Lemons tend to be less acidic and have an orange like taste.

Whenever, I’ve run out of lemons, I have also used lime.

So, go ahead and use whichever lemon you prefer.

RULE OF THE THUMB WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING NIMBU PANI

Simply remember 1 part lemon juice, 1 part sugar and 1-1½ part water with a pinch of salt. I usually take 1 part water or liquid as we tend to add ice cubes to the drink. And we all know that during the hot season the ice cubes melt pretty fast, diluting the drink.

MEMORIES

Growing up in Nairobi, the usual drink one offered when we went visiting was tea or coffee to the adults and soft drinks for the kids. I don’t think my mum made nimbu pani often. The time I had nimbu pani every single day was when I went to India right in the middle of summer. Summers in Ahmedabad are scorching hot. I was actually there, as I was heading to start school in Mt. Abu. My guardians would make nimbu pani every day. Even when I went to visit families in the villages, nimbu pani was the popular drink.

Got married and moved to the hot and humid Mombasa. Nimbu Pani became the most prepared drink especially during the months from December to April as they are the hottest. Would make some for the kids to carry to school especially when they had outdoor activities. If we hosted dinner parties during the very hot months, I would make saffron nimbu pani or the mint one.

It was during my numerous visits to India that I fell in love with masala nimbu pani. Love how different spices all comes together to create a unique, sweet, spicy and slightly salty drink.

SOME MORE SUMMER DRINKS ON MY BLOG

Fresh Orange Iced Tea – easy to make, refreshing summer drink.

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED FOR 4 DIFFERENT NIMBU PANI RECIPES:

NORMAL OR SIMPLE NIMBU PANI / LEMONADE

• Fresh Lemon Juice – for an ultra tasty drink, best to use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Bottled ones tend to taste a bit bitter and have citric acid added to it.
• Powdered Sugar – I prefer to use powdered sugar as it melts faster than sugar crystals in the water. However, DO NOT use confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar as it contains corn starch. It is very to powder sugar at home. Simply run normal sugar in the coffee mill.
• Salt – I like to use rock salt. Use any salt of your choice.
• Chilled Water – normal tap water that has been chilled in the fridge.
• Spice – one can use cumin powder, pepper powder or cardamom powder.
• Ice Cubes – for serving.

KESAR NIMBU PANI / SAFFRON LEMONADE

• Fresh Lemon Juice – for an ultra tasty drink, best to use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Bottled ones tend to taste a bit bitter and have citric acid added to it.
• Powdered Sugar – I prefer to use powdered sugar as it melts faster than sugar crystals in the water. However, DO NOT use confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar as it contains corn starch. It is very to powder sugar at home. Simply run normal sugar in the coffee mill.
• Salt – I like to use rock salt. Use any salt of your choice.
• Chilled Water – normal tap water that has been chilled in the fridge.
• Saffron – kesar. Soak the saffron in little hot water for about 10-15 minutes.
• Cardamom Powder – elachi. Goes so well with saffron flavour.
• Ice Cubes – for serving.

PUDINA NIMBU PANI / MINT LEMONADE

 

WATCH HOW TO MAKE 4 DIFFERENT NIMBU PANI RECIPES:

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