Mango Shikanji is a refreshing indian drink made with mango pulp, ground spices (shikanji masala) and fresh squeezed lime. It is fruity, tangy, spicy and absolutely rejuveneting to sip on a hot summer day. Shikanji is also known as shikanjvi or masala shikanji. In this recipe, I elevate the taste traditional shikanji by adding real mango flavor to this popular north indian spiced lemonade. This drink will remind you of the tropics!
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What is Shikanji?
Shikanji or Nimbu Pani (nimbu = lime, pani =water) is essentially indian lemonade. Depending on which part of India you are in, the same drink (with minute variations) is referred to by different names.
Now, since it belongs to the indian subcontinent, spices invariably make their way into this cooling drink. A unique spice mix, known as shikanji masala is added to pep things up! Some people add ginger juice & dried mint. Another unique feature of indian lemonade is that it has a prominent salty profile from use of both kala namak and table salt. Compared to its counterparts in other countries, indian lemonade is not sweet, sugar is mostly added to balance the salty & citrusy flavors.
You will find it in most indian homes as well as on streets sold by vendors during summer. Similar to how one would stock your refrigerator with lemonade during the hot weather, in indian homes this is stocked. The only difference being that 9 out of 10 times, shikanji is homemade- with fresh squeezed lime juice and home blended spices.
My grandmother had a ritual to make a few tall jugs every morning. She made two kinds- one with sugar and the other without (namkeen shikanji). Interestingy enough, many members of my family including myself love to sip the salty kind. She used to get her stash ready by around 8 am everyday and stick it in the fridge. Anyone who returned home after work or school was welcomed with a ice loaded glass of shikanji. .
About Mango Shikanji
Mango Shikanji is my variation to this ever popular drink. I simply add glorious sweet mango pulp to traditional shikanji. Thats all. Think of it as spiced Mango Lemonade, mouthwatering, right?
This mango shikanji is
- Easy & Quick to make. You just need a few ingredients and 10-15 minutes to make it.
- Fruity - Due to addition of ripe mango pulp, it gets a very pleasing mango flavor.
- Perfect Make Ahead- You can make a big batch of shikanji masala and store it. You can also make a batch of shikanji to last for a few days.
- Less Sugar- Since we add ripe mango pulp, the amount of added sugar is cut reasonably.
- Better than store bought drinks - You can regulate the amount of sugar as well as the quality of ingredients that go in. Making at home saves you quite a bit of money since you dont need any special ingredients.
- Inexpensive - To make this drink, you need basic things from your pantry.
What is Mango Shikanji Made of? (Ingredients)
- Lime or Lemons - Choose juicy ones when you purchase. You can use either, there is not much of a difference in the taste.
- Sugar- Use granulated or super fine sugar that dissolves quickly in water.
- Mango Pulp- Fresh or store bought. If you are making at home, make sure to blend well so that the pulp is not fibrous. Strain if needed.
- Water
- Shikanji Masala - Everyone has their own spice blend. I use just 4 spices - Cumin, fennel, cardamom & black peppercorns.
- Kala Namak - Indian rock salt. It is tangy and different from Himalayan salt. Kala namak is a common ingredient in indian chaat recipes. With its tangy and salty profile, it is considered to aid digestion among numerous benefits. You can buy at any indian store.
Easy Instructions to Make Mango Shikanji
- Begin by grinding the shikanji Masala. This recipe makes extra. You can store the masala in air tight container .
2. Dry roast cumin, fennel, black peppercorns and cardamom. Cool down and grind to a fine powder. Mix with Kala namak. Your homemade shikanji masala is ready.
3. Puree the mangoes if using homemade mango pulp. Strain to remove the fiber.
4. Squeeze the limes/lemons.
Tip: - Roll the lemons pressing down slightly for maximum juice from them.
5. To a tall pitcher, add the mango pulp, sugar, shikanji masala, lemon juice and top with chilled water or sparkling water. Mix very well. Do a taste test and adjust the sugar or lime juice if needed.
Tip - I use granulated sugar, which dissolves quickly but if you are using raw sugar or powdered jaggery, dissolve in room temperature water first and then add to the pitcher along with rest of the ingredients. Thereafter, top with chilled water.
6. To serve, pour shikanji over ice cubes. Sprinkle an extra pinch of masala. Garnish with mint leaves, Serve!
Few Tips & Variations
- To make it fizzy, you can use sparkling water instead of water.
- Dry roast the spices till you see that they are smoking else they will taste raw. Keep on moving around the spices while they roast to avoid burning.
- Don't add a lot of sugar, this lemonade is supposed to be on the salty-tangy side. Sugar is mostly added to balance the saltiness.
- Use powdered jaggery or honey instead of sugar.
- Instead of mango, you can use watermelon or pineapple or peaches as well.
- You can add ginger juice for ginger flavor in shikanji. Goes well with mangoes too.
- Add sabja(sweet basil seeds) for added fragrance and chewiness. I have written about these sweet basil seeds in my Rose Falooda post.
- Use both Kala namak and regular salt for a balanced saltiness. Only using kala namak will make it a bit bitter.
- You can freeze it in ice trays and use in cocktails for a tropical spicy salty punch.
Storage
Store in the fridge. Pour and serve as you like. Stays good for 2-3 days.
Mango Shikanji (Indian Mango Lemonade)
Ingredients
- 1 large Mango very ripe (~100g)
- 2 large lemons (or 4 limes) (yield little less than ½ cup lime juice)
- 5 cup water
- 5 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon regular salt adjust to taste
- Fresh mint leaves to garnish
For Shikanji Masala
- ¼ cup cumin seeds
- ¼ cup fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorn
- 3 green cardamom
- 1 teaspoon kala namak
Instructions
Make Shikanji Masala
- In a small pan, dry roast cumin & fennel seeds, black peppercorns and cardamom on slow heat. Keep moving around the spices so that they dont burn. Make sure that the spices are a bit smoky else they will taste raw. Cool down and grind to a fine powder. Mix with Kala namak. Your homemade shikanji masala is ready. Store extra in an air tight container.
- Peel and add mango flesh to a small blender. Puree to a smooth pulp. Strain to remove the fiber if needed. You can use canned mango pulp as well.
- Squeeze the limes/lemons. You can squeeze directly in the jug/pitcher you will make the shikanji in. Tip: - Roll the lemons pressing down slightly for maximum juice from them.
- To a tall pitcher, add the mango pulp, sugar, shikanji masala, lemon juice and top with chilled water or sparkling water. Mix very well. Do a taste test and adjust the sugar or lime juice if needed. Tip - I use granulated sugar, which dissolves quickly but if you are using raw sugar or powdered jaggery, dissolve in room temperature water first and then add to the pitcher along with rest of the ingredients. Thereafter, top with chilled water.
- Taste test and adjust sugar, salt and masala as per your preference.
- To serve, pour shikanji over ice cubes. Sprinkle an extra pinch of masala. Garnish with mint leaves, Serve!
Notes
- To make it fizzy, you can use sparkling water instead of water.
- Dry roast the spices till you see that they are smoking else they will taste raw. Keep on moving around the spices while they roast to avoid burning.
- Don't add a lot of sugar, this lemonade is supposed to be on the salty tangy side. Sugar is mostly added to balance the saltiness.
- Use powdered jaggery instead of sugar if you want to make jaggery shikanji.
- Instead of mango, you can use watermelon or pineapple as well.
- You can add ginger juice for ginger flavor in shikanji. Goes well with mangoes too.
- Add sabja(sweet basil seeds) for added fragrance and chewiness. I have written about these seeds in my Rose Falooda post.
- Use both Kala namak and regular salt for a balanced saltiness. Only using kala namak will make it a bit bitter.
- You can freeze it in ice trays and use in cocktails for a tropical spicy salty punch.
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