Drinks · Goa

Kokum Sharbat

A ruby-red Goan and Konkan cooler of soaked dried kokum, sugar and roasted cumin: sweet, sour and cooling.

Kokum Sharbat

Prep 10 min · Cook 10 min · Total 20 min + 2 hr soak · Serves 6

Ingredients

Syrup

  • 15 Dried kokum petals
  • 1 cup Water
  • ¾ cup Sugar

To serve

  • 1 ½ tsp Roasted cumin powder
  • ½ tsp Black salt (kala namak)
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 5 cups Chilled water
  • Ice, to taste

Method

  1. Soak the kokum. Soak the kokum in 1 cup warm water for 2 hours, or overnight, until soft and the water is deep red.
  2. Extract. Squeeze the petals in the water, then blend them with the soaking water and strain, pressing hard on the pulp.
  3. Make the syrup. Simmer the kokum liquid with the sugar, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and it turns slightly syrupy. Cool.
  4. Serve. Stir in the cumin, black salt and salt, then mix about 1/4 cup syrup into each glass with 3/4 cup chilled water and ice.

Tips

The syrup keeps two weeks in a clean bottle in the fridge. Kokum is sold as amsul or bindin in Indian grocers.