Nimbu Pani: The Sweet And Salty Indian Limeade That's Made For Warm Days

When Tasting Table's senior lead recipe editor Ryan McPhee recently traveled to India to visit family, he had a mental list of dishes he wanted to ask his grandmother to prepare. Crossing oceans for grandma's cooking wasn't the sole reason for the trip, but it was definitely one of them. He returned to New York with copious notes on how to make all sorts of Gujarati delicacies, but it was a humble glass of nimbu pani, a beverage akin to lemon or limeade, that he finds himself making with increasing frequency — especially as temperatures rise.

Nimbu pani goes by many names in India and across South Asia; you might hear it called limbu sharbat or shikanji. Whatever the name, the drink is a welcome treat under an unforgiving sun. While lemonade and limeade are a refreshing blend of sweet and tart, nimbu pani throws some additional flavors into the mix. A bit of salt provides electrolytes lost through sweating, and a particular variety of salt common in India adds a whole lot more than mere salinity. This version is the best of both worlds, offering something that is both sweet and salty (a combo known as khatta meetha).

Whether you're looking for a drink to beat the heat or a fresh alternative to a post-workout Gatorade, nimbu pani is here for you. Better yet, you barely need a recipe for it.

The ingredients list for nimbu pani includes your typical lemonade or limeade ingredients: water, granulated sugar, and freshly squeezed citrus juice. The Hindi word "nimbu" is used to refer to lemons and limes alike. While you can use either in this recipe, we prefer limes for their punchy tartness and slight bitterness. What makes nimbu pani stand out is its inclusion of salt. In addition to kosher salt, we also use kala namak (a.k.a. black salt), which adds a pungent, sulfurous note. While you can stick with just kosher or table salt, we find that the black salt creates a more exciting and rounded drink that's not just sweet and sour but also salty and savory. If you want, you can garnish with some extra lime slices and mint leaves.

The full recipe below is for two glasses, but you can easily scale the recipe up or down as needed. You can also adjust the quantities of each ingredient to your liking. Some like a sweeter nimbu pani; some, even, are so hardcore as to ditch the sugar altogether for an extra-salty brew.

In a jar, pitcher, or large glass, add the sugar to the water.

Add both the kala namak and kosher salt.

Pour in the lime juice.

Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

Pour the nimbu pani into two glasses filled with ice. Garnish with more lime and/or mint, if desired.

Not to be confused with Hawaii's black lava sea salt, kala namak is a black salt harvested from mines surrounding the Himalayas, which explains its presence in many South Asian kitchens. Whether you call it kala namak or black salt, once you smell, it you won't soon forget it. The aroma is unmistakably pungent thanks to the presence of sulfuric compounds (which also give it its pinkish hue).

As with many spices and aromatics found in Indian cooking, kala namak is believed to have several health properties. As such, it is a fixture in Ayurvedic medicine, treating such maladies as heartburn and indigestion. Kala namak is also considered a cooling spice, making it a welcome addition to nimbu pani on particularly hot days.

When not stirring it into your limeade, try sprinkling kala namak on popcorn, salads, or tropical fruits for an extra umami punch. Vegans often take advantage of black salt's sulphuric properties, which provide an eggy effect. That's why it's a must-use ingredient in our plant-based "egg" salad and chickpea scramble recipes.

Nimibu pani is endlessly customizable; just take a sip and adjust the ratio of the ingredients as you see fit. If you want to switch it up even further, you have plenty of options. Opt for seltzer instead of still water for a fresh lime soda. The acidity and bubbles make this an excellent pairing with fried Indian snacks like pakora and kachori. For the grown-ups, nothing's stopping you from throwing a shot of liquor in your glass. Vodka, tequila, and rum (or even cachaça) are solid picks.

Even if you keep your nimbu pani zero proof, some additional spices can provide a refreshing twist. Common additions include roasted cumin and chaat masala. The latter, an ubiquitous blend used on all sorts of snacks and street foods, contains amchur (dried mango), which adds some extra lip-smacking tartness. (Chaat masala also frequently includes black salt, so you may want to reduce the amount you add separately.)