Jal Jeera - Indian Tamarind & Cumin Cooler

Jaljeera is a popular north indian drink made with cumin, tamarind, water and fresh herbs. This refreshing smoky and tangy indian summer drink is super easy to make at home. Non- alcoholic, vegan friendly and gluten free recipe.

Sharing my "from scratch" jaljeera recipe in this post. You don't need store bought jaljeera powder to make it.

What is Jaljeera

In Hindi, Jal = Water, Jeera = Cumin seeds.

As the name suggests, jaljeera is indian drink with a prominent taste of cumin. It is different from jeera pani or cumin water that is a popular weightloss drink in India.

In north indiaYou will find a lot of street vendors serving chilled jal jeera stored in earthern pots sitting atop their decorated carts in India. It is another show stopper of indian street food scene. I just can't imagine rounding up summers without it.

Jaljeera has a smoky, tangy peppery taste. It is a favorite during summer months as a cooling thirst quencher.

Spices like black pepper and fresh herbs like cilantro and mint leaves are added to make jal jeera, however the taste of cumin is the key. Tamarind pulp or lemon juice adds a tang to this drink along with kala namak or indian rock salt giving it a sulfurous note.

To prepare jaljeera, we roast the raw cumin seeds until they are smoky (very important) and then grind together with tamarind, other spices and herbs. The paste or jalajeera concentrate can be kept for 2-3 weeks refrigerated. You can use it to instant make jaljeera anytime.

There are many ways of making jaljeera at home. Some people like to skip out the herbs especially the mint because it can get overpowering. Few dont like to use tamarind and prefer loads of lime juice instead.

If you are drinking jaljeera for the first time, you might find is too spicy and peppery, however I am telling you it can get very very addictive. It packs bold & unique flavors!

About My Recipe

My mom used to make jal jeera at home from scratch without using any pre made spice powders available in stores. As is true for most south asian moms- there is no written recipe.

I came up with measurements after trying a few times. It has a sweet(though not too sweet), salty, tangy and peppery taste. You can reduce or leave out the sugar if you prefer salty jaljeera.

Ingredients You Will Need

• Spices - Cumin Seeds & Black Pepper
• Fresh Herbs- Coriander & Mint leaves
• Kala Namak or indian black salt is the key ingredient when it comes to indian chaat recipes. It has a pungent tangy tase and adds mani kick to jaljeera.
• Sour Elements - Tamarind & Lemon or Lime Juice. I recommend soaking tamarind at home in hot water and using the pulp. See notes below.
• Sweetener- I like using raw sugar. You could use granulated sugar or jaggery as well.
• For Serving- Boondi or Gram Flour fried balls. These are tiny crunchy balls that are used in making indian raita. Here they added on top of jaljeera for garnish and texture while sipping.

Note # 1 Indian Tamarind is quite sour & fibrous in taste as compared to the Thai variety. For this recipe, we need sour tamarind. Dried tamarind is available in indian grocery stores in block form. You need to soak it in water to soften. Mash it to separate the seeds & fibre and extract the pulp.

Note #2 - Why Make Tamarind Pulp at home

Tamarind is one of the two main ingredients in making Jaljeera. It is perfectly okay to use store bought tamarind paste or pulp when you are using it in small quantities in your recipes. Store bought tamarind pulp is super salty and has preservatives mixed in that can interfere with the true taste of jaljeera. I don't recommend.

How to Make Jaljeera at home

Make the Jaljeera Paste

• Soak dried tamarind in hot water for 10-15 minutes or longer until it softens. Squeeze the tamarind using your fingers to separate all the seeds and mango strings(as much as you can). In my experience, even if we purchase seedless tamarind packet, it always has few seeds, so make sure that you separate them before grinding.
• Meanwhile, dry roast cumin seeds and black pepper. Roast the cumin until smoky, stirring continuously to avoid burning. The cumin seeds will be dark brown once toasted properly. Let cool a bit.
• You can use this time to wash the fresh herbs, peel and coarsely chop the ginger and green chillies.
• Add the tamarind pulp,fresh herbs, roasted cumin and black pepper, ginger, green chilli, sugar and kala namak and salt to a blender jar.
• Grind to a not too coarse or too fine consistency. You want everything to break down however don't make a fine chutney. (image8)

Mix With Water, Chill & Serve

Here are two ways you can make jaljeera with this paste.

• Make a large batch to last you a few days. Mix the jaljeera paste with 4-5 cups liter of water. Mix, taste and adjust the salt, sugar or sour (by adding lemon juice) as you like. Strain using a fine mesh strainer if you like a "smoother" drink.

• Make a serving whenever you like. To make a single serving, add 2-3 tablespoon jaljeera paste to a glass. Top with ice cubes. Squeeze some lemon. Top with 8-10 oz regular or seltzer water. Taste and adjust salt or sugar as needed.

Tip - Please adjust the above mentioned water quantity depending on how you like/want the jaljeera. For a thinner consistency and milder taste, add extra water. For a bold spicy punchy drink, add less water.

Recipe Tips

• Roast the cumin seeds until smoky, stirring continuously to avoid burning. The cumin seeds will be dark brown once toasted properly. This will give the real "bhuna" or smoky taste to your drink.
• Dont use stems of the cilantro leaves. Definitely leave out the stems of mint (they can make jaljeera bitter). Make sure that the herbs are fresh else the jaljeera sometimes gets bitter.
• Dont use lot of herbs or ginger. Jaljeera should taste mainly of tamarind and cumin.
• You could make it nicely sweet if you wish- just increase the amount of sugar.
• If you dont like crispy boondi, soak boondi in water before using.

Storing

• You could store large batch jajjeera for 3-4 days in the fridge.
• You could store the jaljeera paste in an air tight container for 7-10 days in the refrigerator. Always use a clean spoon to scoop it.

Jaljeera Serving Ideas

• Serve Jaljeera chilled topped with ice cubes and a sprinkle of boondi. You could also add a few lemon slices, spring of mint or pomegranate seeds for garnishing.
• Jaljeera is a perfect to be served at your next chaat party. Serve with samosas, aloo tikki chaat or pakoras.
• Make a slightly thin jaljeera batch and serve it with golgappa/pani puri pani. I do this all the time. Its deliciously "khatta-meetha".
• You could make it a carbonated bubbly drink by using seltzer/sparkling water.
• Jaljeera is great to use in cocktails. Mixed with tequila or vodka it makes for bold & spicy drinks at summer parties.