Refreshing Ginger, Mint and Cumin Limeade
Is it just me, or is this summer the hottest so far? I’m downing bottles of water all through the day, with little effect. Until I made this refreshing ginger, mint and cumin limeade. It kept me going for an hour and a half; I didn’t drink water in all that time! While limeade remains the simplest summer drink you can make, I urge you to spend 15 minutes more to make this drink, a sure summer heat beater. It’s quite simple really, and it’ll last you the whole day.
The idea came about on a hot summer afternoon (when else?) as I started out to make lime juice. And then I thought that I should add a few mint leaves to make it more bracing. And then ginger, and then, cumin seeds. I was so happy with the resulting ginger, mint and cumin limeade — it somehow took me back to my childhood, and the smell! For a lack of a better description, I’m going to say that it smelt so South Indian.
This gloriously refreshing drink is my current favourite summer drink. It refreshes, cools, revives and cheers a tired, sapped and sweaty you. And as an added bonus, it’ll also help you detox. You could also pair it with gin or vodka, and you’ll land lovely cocktail, that’ll be equally refreshing.
This recipe makes 4 servings. If it’s just you in the house, you can store the remaining drink in the fridge for later.
Scram, summer heat.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1Lightly roast the cumin seeds. Use a pestle and mortar to grind it to a powder.
- 2In a jug, add the water, salt and sugar and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve.
- 3To this, add the cumin powder. Grate the mint leaves and ginger into it.
- 4Add the ice cubes too and stir it. By the time you serve the drink, the ice cubes would have melted. Or become small in size, depending on where you live!
- 5With the palm of your hand, roll the limes back and forth over the counter — so squeezing out the juice is easy. Then cut the limes and squeeze the juice in. It doesn’t matter if you get the seeds in, as you’re going to strain it. Add about half the rinds in and give the drink a good stir.
- 6Let the drink rest for a good 15 minutes.
- 7Then pour it all through a strainer into pitcher.
- 8Garnish with mint leaves (optional), and serve.