Shikanji is the Indian go-to cooling and refreshing drink on hot, sunny days. You’ll find stalls on every street of North India during the summer season. It is also known as shikanjvi aka spiced Indian lemonade.
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❤️About This Recipe
Simple Ingredients: Shikanji recipe requires 5 ingredients (plus, salt and water) and those are easily available in your Indian pantry.
Easy to make: It takes only 10 minutes to prepare.
Make ahead: You can make shikanji in the morning and keep it in the refrigerator. Whenever you come home from outside heat, have a glass of it to get instant energy.
Variation: There is a simple version (without spices) - nimbu pani.
Better than store-bought shikanji masala: Yes, homemade is 1000 times better than ready masala packets as it is free of any additives and you know you have used quality ingredients. Homemade shikanji gives better flavor and aroma.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Lemons: Make sure the lemons are at room temperature, so you get the maximum juice out of them.
- Sugar: Traditionally white sugar is used. But you can use maple sugar, coconut sugar, etc.
- Water: Use the chilled water to make shikanji.
- Ginger: It helps in digestion and adds a nice flavor.
- Black salt (kala namak): It adds a nice zing and taste to the drink. There is no substitute for this ingredient. If you don’t have it then skip it.
- Roasted cumin powder: here’s how to make it at home - Dry roast the cumin seeds on medium-low heat with stirring constantly until aromatic and dark in color. Once cools down grind into a powder using a spice grinder (or mortar and pestle if making a small quantity). You can keep this in the air-tight container for up to 2-3 months.
👩🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions
1) Peel the ginger and grate it using a fine grater or zester. Squeeze it to get the juice. Discard the shredded part or use it in any other recipe that calls for ginger paste.
2) Squeeze the fresh lemon juice in a bowl.
3) Add sugar.
4) Add ginger juice.
5) Add black salt.
6) Add roasted cumin powder.
7) Add regular salt.
8) Add chilled water and stir, stir, stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour shikanji into the serving glass (add ice cubes if needed) and serve.
💭Expert Tips
- Always use chilled water to get an instant chilled shikanji drink.
- Fresh lemon juice is the best choice. But in a pinch, you can use store-bought bottled lemon juice. If so, the flavor and taste will be different but manageable.
- Try to use powdered or fine grain sugar, so it dissolves quickly into the water.
- You can add club soda or sparkling water instead of water to get a fizzy shikanji drink aka masala soda. If so skip the sugar.
Check Out Other Cooling Indian Drinks
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📋 Recipe Card
Shikanji (Spiced Indian Lemonade)
Ingredients
- 3-4 tablespoons Lemon juice ~from 2 small-medium lemons
- 2 tablespoons Sugar
- ½ inch Ginger grated and squeezed into juice
- ¼ teaspoon Black salt (Kala namak)
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon Roasted cumin powder
- 2 ½ cups Chilled water
- 5-6 Ice cubes
Instructions
- Peel the ginger and grate it using a fine grater or zester. Squeeze it to get the juice. Discard the shredded part or use it in any other recipe that calls for ginger paste.
- Squeeze the fresh lemon juice in a bowl.
- Add sugar, ginger juice, black salt, roasted cumin powder and regular salt.
- Add chilled water and stir, stir, stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Pour shikanji into the serving glass (add ice cubes if needed) and serve.
Notes
- Always use chilled water to get an instant chilled shikanji.
- Fresh lemon juice is the best choice. But in a pinch, you can use store-bought bottled lemon juice. If so, the flavor and taste will be different but manageable.
- Try to use powdered or fine grain sugar, so it dissolves quickly into the water.
- You can add club soda or sparkling water instead of water to get a fizzy drink. If so skip the sugar.
- Storage: You can store it in an air-tight bottle or jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Tara
This was delicious! Such a refreshing drink for the hot summer days lately. Love the addition of the spices.
Kanan
Yes good for summer.