Bringing to you today a simple, summery, traditional Indian beverage which is very famous in the Northern regions of India. I have grown up enjoying this beverage every single summer at home. Here, i am spiking up the flavours of this beverage and creating a “slush” version which you can enjoy on a hot summer day ! Presenting Jaljeera Lemonade Slushie
Jaljeera is a very popular beverage in India. It is a combination of the 2 words, Jal (Water) and Jeera (cumin seeds). As a kid i enjoyed this drink a lot during hot summers. This beverage is not only tangy but it is a great drink to aid digestion, thanks to the presence of roasted cumin in this. The lemon and mint makes this drink a “must have” for summers 🙂
In India, we have a very interesting chaat dish (street food) known as “Pani -Puri” (Pani = Jal = water and Puri is a kind of crispy puffed bread). It is a very unusual but equally intriguing and interesting appetizer. The traditional way would involve making a slight hole in the puri (by tapping on the puri), filling it with a mixture of chickpeas and spiced potatoes and then dunking them into a tangy,sweet- sour water so that the puri is filled with the water and then before the puri gets soggy, just pop it into your mouth and eat away ! This is a really delightful experience and for those who have not tasted this, they should definitely try it !
IMAGE courtesy Google.com – This Image is not mine and i have taken it off the internet to just give u all a glimpse of what Pani-Puri is.
Now, you must be wondering.. why did i mention the humble Pani-puris here? Any Guesses? It is to describe that tangy,sweet-sour water off course!! Though there are in-numerous varieties, 2 of the most prominent are the green mint-coriander water (made using water in Mint-coriander Chutney. This one is the spicy variant) and the red, tamarind chutney water (made using the Tamarind chutney. This one is the sweeter variant). Frankly speaking, i love these tangy waters more than the dish itself and i always make sure that i ask for an extra shot of these drink.
With such a love for this tangy drink, it is simply impossible for me to resist it. Now, sitting so far from my homeland, getting those pani-puris here is not possible, so i thought of making it at home itself and share this awesome drink with you all. Since slushes is something i have picked after moving abroad, i thought of giving this traditional beverage a twist … So, i combined the Jaljeera spice mixture with the Pani puri tangy water and converted into a Slush !
Jaljeera Lemonade Slushie
Recipe
- Juice of 1 big lemon
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp lemon rind (approx, from 1 lemon)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tsp mint-coriander chutney (Recipe here) or few fresh mint leaves
- 2 tsp jaljeera powder
- 6-8 ice cubes
- 1/2 tsp rock salt/pink salt
- 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds, grounded
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup boondi (optional)
- thin slices of lemon for garnishing
Method
- In a blender, add in the ice cubes and crush to a fine shred. I use the Ninja Prep blender for this and it works great !
- Now, add in the all the ingredients except water and blend on high.
- Lastly, add water to it and blend well. The Jaljeera Lemonade Slushie is ready.
This is such a refreshing drink to have. Adding the mint-coriander chutney and making it into a slushie brings out a unique taste in this traditional drink. I also added the chickpea fritters in it for incorporating a fun texture. You can off course enjoy this with the Pani- puris.. the water is perfect for making those Pani-puris even more irresistible ! Make this drink to accompany those lazy sunny afternoons and believe me, you would be making it often 🙂
Loved it
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