Cumin & Tamarind Water

Name: Cumin & Tamarind Water (Zeera Pani)
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 1 litre (4 cups) cold soda water; handful mint leaves; Juice of a lime; 3 tablespoons tamarind paste; Ice, to serve; ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt; 1½-2½ tablespoons sugar; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Zeera Pani

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Nutmeg Trail

By Eleanor Ford

Published 2022

About

A quintessential Indian summer refresher - tangy and sour with a background salty sweetness. It is herbal and earthy too from mint and cumin, both known for their cooling properties. You could add a pinch of ground chilli, as tamarind and mint both love spice.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1½-2½ tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon

Asia
India
Drinks
Summer
Gluten-free
Vegan

Method

In a dry pan, toast the cumin to release its nutty, lemony notes, then grind to a powder with a pestle and mortar.

Tip into a jug with the sugar, sea salt, tamarind and the lime juice. Stir briefly and leave a while to let the sugar dissolve.

Crush the mint leaves in your hands to release the oils and drop these into the jug. Top up with soda water, muddle everything together an