RECIPE: 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 easy 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
- 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.
- Fresh Mint Leaves – pluck the leaves. Don’t use the stem.
- Ice Cubes – for serving.
MASALA NIMBU SODA OR PANI / MASALA 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.
- Black Salt – sanchar. Also known as kala namak it is a kiln fired rock salt popular in the Indian Sub Continent. It has a sulphurous, pungent smell. Mostly available in Indian Stores or online.
- Pepper Powder – usually black pepper, kali mirch is used.
- Cumin Powder – lightly roast cumin and grind it at home or available in most grocery stores.
- Chaat Masala – is a famous spice mixture from the Indian Sub Continent. It is popularly used for all chaat dishes. Easily available in Indian Stores or online.
- Chilled Soda Water– or normal tap water that has been chilled in the fridge.
- Fresh Mint Leaves – pluck the leaves. Don’t use the stem.
- Ice Cubes – for serving.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE 4 DIFFERENT NIMBU PANI RECIPES:
4 DIFFERENT NIMBU PANI / LEMONADE RECIPES
Ingredients
FOR NORMAL PLAIN NIMBU PANI / LEMONADE
- 2 tbsp lemon juice fresh
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- ⅛ tsp Himalayan Rock Salt
- 1 cup water chilled
- ¼ tsp cumin powder
- some ice cubes
FOR KESAR NIMBU PANI / SAFFRON LEMONADE
- 2 tbsp lemon juice fresh
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- ⅛ tsp saffron strands
- 2 tbsp hot water
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- 1 cup water chilled
- some ice cubes
PUDINA NIMBU PANI / MINT LEMONADE
- 2 tbsp lemon juice fresh
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 cup water chilled
- ¼ cup mint leaves fresh
- ⅛ tsp Himalayan Rock Salt
- some ice cubes
MASALA NIMBU SODA / MASALA LEMONADE
- 2 tbsp lemon juice fresh
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 cup soda water chilled
- ⅛ tsp pepper powder
- ¼ tsp cumin powder
- ⅛ tsp black salt
- ¼ tsp chaat masala
- some ice cubes
Instructions
PREPARATION OF NORMAL PLAIN NIMBU PANI / LEMONADE
- Add all the ingredients in a glass except for the ice cubes.
- Give it a good stir.
- Add ice cubes and serve.
PREPARATION OF KESAR NIMBU PANI / SAFFRON LEMONADE
- Add saffron to the hot water. Allow it to infuse for at least 10 minutes.
- Add all the ingredients including the saffron water in a glass, except for the ice cubes.
- Mix well.
- Add ice cubes and serve.
PREPARATION OF PUDINA NIMBU PANI / MINT LEMONADE
- Add all the ingredients except for ice cubes in a blender.
- Blend well till the mint leaves are crushed completely.
- Add ice cubes to a serving glass.
- Pour the mint lemonade into it and serve.
PREPARATION OF MASALA NIMBU SODA / MASALA LEMONADE
- Add lemon juice, sugar, salts, spices into a glass.
- Mix it well.
- Add ice cubes.
- Add soda water and serve.
Notes
- Add spices according to your taste. You can easily replace them with your favourite spice.
- To make the drinks with soda water, simply replace the water.
- Add sugar according to your taste.
- You can prepare the water based drinks ahead and keep them in the fridge till required.
- If you use soda water, then you need to consume the drinks immediately.
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