← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 1½ tbsp Cumin seeds
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 1 handful mint leaves
• 3 tbsp coriander leaves
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 l chilled water
• 1 tsp Black salt (kala namak)
• ½ tsp Salt
• 1½ tsp Amchur (dried mango powder)
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Tamarind paste (optional)
• 1 handful ice cubes

Method

1. Dry-roast the cumin seeds in a small pan over medium-low heat for 1–2 min, until a shade darker and fragrant. Cool and grind with the peppercorns to a powder.
2. Blend the mint, coriander and lemon juice with a splash of the water to a smooth paste.
3. In a jug, stir the paste, roasted cumin powder, black salt, salt, amchur, ground ginger, sugar and tamarind into the rest of the chilled water until the sugar dissolves.
4. Taste and adjust: it should be tangy, salty and a little sweet. Strain if you prefer it smooth, and serve over ice with a few mint leaves.

Tips

• Black salt (kala namak) has a distinctive sulphurous tang that makes jaljeera taste right, so don’t skip it.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Hebbar's Kitchen Archana's Kitchen