Shikanji is the Indian go-to cooling and refreshing drink on hot, sunny days. You’ll find stalls on every streets of North India during the summer season
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.