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Indian Drinks for Summer: 27 Traditional Cool Drinks

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5.0 from 1 vote
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Welcome to The Storied Recipe, a podcast about food, culture, and love.

I've curated this list of Indian Summer Drinks as the first in a six-part Summer Drinks Around the World series. For this first post, make sure you listen to Mornings, Math, and Chai Masala and try Homemade Chai Masala from my podcast guest, Karthika Gupta.

Now that the summer season is quickly approaching the northern hemisphere, hot summer days are coming and the best way to get your body temperature down is by drinking a refreshing drink to cool off. The traditional Indian drinks listed below are the perfect antidote for a hot summer day. In many Indian households, guests are welcomed with a drink, often one of the delicious options mentioned here. These welcome drinks differ based on the region, such as Jal Jeera is popular in Northern India. Hopefully, some of the recipes below inspire you to make your own Indian beverages for your guests at a summer cookout or simply to keep your body cool and your taste buds happy.

warm, summery red background contrasts with soft yellow mango lassi, styled with deep red and golden yellow flowers and mango chunks
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How to Use This List

  • Surprisingly, there are so many different spellings for many of these drinks. In many recipes, I saw people spelling sharbat drinks like "sherbet" and some people spelled jal jeera, "jalijeera". I tried to research as much as possible to see if it was a different recipe than what I was referring to, but I couldn't find any difference besides the spelling. If this is incorrect or if you know the reason behind the spelling discrepancies, please let me know! We are always learning over here!
  • There is a FAQ below so make sure to check it out!
  • The list is organized as follows: Sharbat Drinks, Indian Milk Drinks, Indian Buttermilk Drinks, Indian Yogurt Drinks, Indian Lemon Drinks, Indian Sugarcane Drinks, Indian Fruit Pulp Drinks, Panagam Drinks, Jal Jeera Drinks, Kanji Drinks, and Nanniari Sarbath Drinks.

Sharbat Drinks

Sharbats are typically made from fruits mixed with a blend of spices and a souring agent that make them a popular drink for the hot summer months. There are many health benefits in sharbat drinks due to the fresh produce and the variety of spices that promote digestive health. They are full of fiber, protein, and vitamins. A sattu drink is one example of these nutritious and fibrous-packed drinks due to the unusual ingredient (for drinks anyway) of roasted black (chickpea) gram flour alongside lemon and cumin powder. Ingredients such as black salt in Phalsa Sharbat and rose petals in Gulab Sharbat also have wonderful digestive properties.

  • Kokum Sharbat Recipe

    Cooks in 5 minutes

    This is a delicious and easy Indian summer cooler recipe called kokum sharbat. Do make it for its great health benefits.

    44 votes 5.0 Cuisine: Indian, Konkani

  • Bel Ka Sharbat

    Cooks in 10 minutes

    Bael fruit or wood apple or stone fruit is the queen of summer fruits. Bael sherbet helps keep you cool in summers & best of all it is so easy to make a drink with 

    Cuisine: Indian

  • Gulab Drink (Rose Sharbat)

    Cooks in 5 minutes

    Quench your thirst with this healthy gulab drink or rose sharbat. It will hardly take 5 minutes to prepare with gulab syrup.

    2 votes 5.0 Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

  • SATTU KA GHOL / SHARBAT

    Cooks in 5 minutes

    Delicious and protein rich summer cooler that can be made easily at home during summer season. Good to keep ourselves hydrated.You just need 5 mins to whip up this drink.

    9 votes 5.0 Cuisine: Indian

  • Phalse Ka Sharbat | Falsa Juice Recipe

    Indian Summer Berry called Phalsa or Falsa is a treat from summers.

    Cuisine: Indian

  • Kesar Chandan Sharbat Recipe (Saffron Sandal Syrup)

    Cooks in 50 minutes

    Kesar Chandan Sharbat (Saffron Sandal Syrup) is a traditional Indian beverage perfect to cool down your body. Here is how to make it.

    1 vote 5.0 Cuisine: Indian

Indian Milk Drinks

Thandai is a traditional drink commonly drunk during the Festival of Holi. It is a milk-based drink made with a mixture of almonds, fennel seeds, cardamom powder, rose petals, and other spices. Indian milk drinks don't have to be cow milk, instead, some traditional Indian summer drinks use coconut milk as the base, such as Sol Kadhi; in addition to coconut milk Sol Kadhi is made with kokum fruit, green chili, and coriander.

  • Thandai Recipe for Holi

    Cooks in 40 minutes

    Popular Indian chilled beverage made with nuts, seeds, spices and saffron. It is a cooling traditional drink made with nuts, seeds, spices and milk.

    39 votes 5.0 Cuisine: Indian

  • Solkadhi Recipe | Solkadi (Kokum Curry)

    Cooks in 40 minutes

    Solkadhi (also known as solkadi, sol kadhi, kokum kadhi or kokum curry) isa cooling drink best had during hot summers. This mauve-hued, tart digestive beverage from the Goan cuisine is easy to make.

    1 vote 5.0 Cuisine: Goan, Indian

  • Fig Milkshake (Anjeer Shake)

    Cooks in 15 minutes

    This fresh Fig Milkshake recipe is a quick and healthy milkshake made with fresh figs. Also called as Anjeer Shake in India.

    1 vote 5.0 Cuisine: World

Indian Buttermilk Drinks

These cold drinks include a spiced buttermilk, Chaas, a traditional beverage perfect for the summer months. This delicious drink not only aids digestion thanks to the probiotics found in buttermilk, but also is a good source of calcium, protein, and vitamin B12.

source: Refresh Your Life, PharmEasy

  • Masala Chaas (Indian Spiced Buttermilk)

    Cooks in 5 minutes

    Masala chaas,or spiced buttermilk, is a refreshing, healthyIndian summer drinkmade withhomemade yogurt (curd),water, herbs, and a fewspices.

    1 vote 5.0 Cuisine: Indian

  • Neer mor recipe

    Neer mor is spiced buttermilk, south Indian style, perfect as summer drink to beat the heat and keep yourself hydrated in natural way!

    4 votes 5.0 Cuisine: Indian

Indian Yogurt Drinks

Besides Chai Masala, Lassis are the most popular Indian drink outside India. It is a traditional yogurt-based drink with a sweet taste and creamy texture that is perfect for cooling down your body heat in the scorching summer heat. 

  • Mango Lassi (10 Minutes Recipe)

    Cooks in 10 minutes

    Creamy Mango Lassi is a delicious blend of sweet mangoes, yogurt and flavored with cardamom. You can make this homemade version in 10 minutes!

    9 votes 4.9 Cuisine: Indian

  • Sweet Lassi

    Cooks in 4 minutes

    Sweet lassi is a traditional Punjabi drink that is made with sweetened yogurt with a creamy, satisfying taste.

    2 votes 5.0 Cuisine: Indian

  • Strawberry Lassi

    Strawberry Lassi is a delicious blend of fresh strawberries and yogurt! A refreshing summer drink!

    1 vote 4.7 Cuisine: Indian

  • Jeera Lassi or Chaas Indian Drinking Yogurt in the Froothie Evolve

    Lassi or Chaas is a simple Indian drink made from any plainyogurtand water. Its a great cooling drink great and goes well with all the Indian dishes. Often people will add fruit or mild spices to the lassi. The amount of water, fruit and spices added to the yogurt depends on personal taste. Different Regions of India have their own versions of lassi or chaas. Its really quick to make and you can also make it and keep it in the fridge ready to drink.

    Cuisine: Indian

  • Piyush ~ Thick Yogurt/ Shrikand Lassi

    Cooks in 3 minutes
    1 vote 5.0 Cuisine: Indian

  • Piyush Drink | Piyush Recipe

    Cooks in 5 minutes

    Piyush recipe is a thick, creamy sweet beverage made with shrikhand, yogurt and milk. Summer cooling drink.

    6 votes 5.0 Cuisine: Gujarati, Maharashtrian

Indian Lemon Drinks

Nimbu Pani is an Indian lemonade made with fresh lemons, black pepper and cumin and is drunk all over India. In the northern part of India, they have their own version of lemonade called Shikanji which is also a tangy drink due to the fresh lemons, but they add ginger, salt, saffron, and cumin to their version. There is also a lemon soda called Banta Soda that is a popular choice to buy from street vendors on a hot day in India.

  • Nimbu Pani | Shikanji (Indian Lemonade)

    Cooks in 5 minutes

    Nimbu Pani and Shikanji are the Indian versions of lemonade or limeade made with fresh lemon juice, water, sugar, black salt and optionally a few ground spices and sometimes garnished with mint leaves.

    3 votes 4.8 Cuisine: Indian

  • Shikanji (Indian Lemonade)

    16 votes 5.0 Cuisine: Indian

  • Easy homemade Nimbu Masala Soda

    Cooks in 2 minutes

    Nimbu Masala Soda also known as Banta, Batli Soda,  Goti Soda (Goti means small marble ball). Some know it as Goli Soda, others call it heaven in a b...st:

    Cuisine: Indian

Indian Sugarcane Drinks

Made with fresh sugarcane stalks, the taste has been described as slightly grassy with a faint molasses finish. It is also full of amino acids and vitamins A and B9!

source: Saveur 

Indian Fruit Pulp Drinks

Aam Panna is a spiced mango pulp drink made with green (raw) mangoes, jaggery (unrefined sugar), black salt, and cumin. Interestingly, this drink is most well-known for its cooling properties because of its heat-resisting properties. Imil Ka Amlana is also made with fruit pulp, more specifically tamarind pulp, balck salt, pepper, and cardamom. 

source: Fun Food Frolic

  • Aam Panna Recipe

    Cooks in 25 minutes

    Aam Panna is a natural coolant prepared with raw mango pulp, sugar, spices, and mint leaves. Learn how to make mango panna in a few simple steps.

    3 votes 5.0 Cuisine: Indian

  • Imli Ka Amlana Recipe

    Cooks in 10 minutes

    <p><strong>Imli Ka Amlana Recipe</strong>: This is a quick and easy drink for summer you can also called it tamarind squash. You need tamarind plup, black pepper, black salt and cardamom powder to make it.

Panagam

Panagam is often made during summer festivals like Ram Navami (a Hindu festival celebrated in April). It is made with a blend of aromatic spices mixed with cold water and lemon juice. It is easy to see why this refreshing drink is popular to combat the scorching heat in the summer.

  • Panakam Recipe | Panagam Recipe

    Cooks in 10 minutes

    Panakam Recipe with step by step pictures. This recipe is a traditional healthy drink given in temples and prepared mostly during Navami. Serve this during hot afternoons or during tea time.

    Cuisine: Indian

Jal Jeera

In Hindi, Jal Jerra (or Jalijeera) translates to jal meaning "water" and jeera meaning "cumin". Put those two words together and you get cumin water! But don't be put off by the name. It is one of the most popular summer drinks in Northern India for a reason. It is usually made with cumin, black salt, ginger, mint leaves, chilies, and citrus, like lemon juice. It is a refreshing drink meant to rejuvenate your body during a hot summer day.

Kanji

This beautiful drink has a deep magenta-red color that doesn't only look nice but is also very healthy for you. It is a fermented drink so it aids with digestion, but is also high in vitamins and minerals because it is made with carrots and beets, mustard seeds, and black salt.

  • Kanji Recipe

    Cooks in 15 minutes

    Learn to make Kanji that is a traditional North Indian fermented drink. This healthy probiotic drink is traditionally made with black carrots. But with all the health benefits, my easy recipe is made with regular red carrots and beets.

    3 votes 4.9 Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi

Nanniari Sarbath

These drinks are another example of refreshing beverages that help cool your body down. They are made with nannari roots that are native to India and come from the sarsaparilla plant. Because of their medicinal properties, they are very important in Ayurvedic medicine. 

source: Veg Recipes of India

  • Nannari Sarbath Recipe | Nannari Syrup Recipe

    Cooks in 500 minutes

    Nannari Sarbath is a cooling and refreshing drink made from nannari roots. Nannari Sarbath is a great body coolant and a refreshing drink. This is one of the excellent beverages perfect for summer. Follow the step by step guide and video to make nannari sarbath at home.

    6 votes 4.3 Cuisine: Indian

How to Make Chai Masala

My podcast guest, Karthika Gupta shared this special Indian Chai Masala powder that her mother used to make their daily tea – and she now makes for her family. I invite you to listen to her episode, Mornings, Math, and Chai Masala as you drink a cup of Indian tea spiced with her own Masala spice blend.

How to Make Indian Chai Masala Powder (Homemade Recipe)

Karthika's Memories of Morning, Math, and Chai Masala

Born and raised in the diverse city of Bombay (Mumbai), India, Karthika later moved to the US.

At the time Karthika’s beloved mother fell ill several years ago, Karthika was experiencing a personal renaissance as she transitioned from a career in computer science to photography.

When Karthika traveled back to India to care for her mother, she entered a period of self-reflection, and out of this search for identity was born her enlightening podcast and captivating website, both named “Culturally Ours”.

Karthika touches on all of these things in this episode, but especially on memories of her mother, with whom Karthika shared the calm, peaceful morning hours for years and years. During these peaceful hours morning hours, Karthika’s mom cooked, Karthika studied, and they both drank from a bottomless pot of chai masala. Could a memory be any sweeter?

FAQ:

Most Popular Alcoholic Drinks in India

I didn't make this a drink category since these can be drunk any time of year and aren't specific to summer. According to Forbes India, this industry has rapidly increased and is now worth around $50 billion annually. Some of the popular categories include Indian Whiskey (e.g. Woodburns), Indian Single Malt (e.g. Paul John), Indian Craft Scotch (e.g. Greater Than), Indian beer (I'm sure you've heard of Kingfisher beer), Indian Wine (e.g. Sula), and more. You can read the entire list on Forbes India.

The Mixer also suggested a list of Indian-inspired cocktails that sound delicious. Some examples are:

  • Indian Jalijeera Mojito
  • Mango Lassi with Kaffir Lime (paired with rum or vodka)
  • Nimbu Pani Mint Julep
  • Tamarind Ginger Margarita
  • Indian Winter (like a Whiskey Sour; cardamom-spiced vodka)
  • Masala Chai Sour
  • Masala Red Snapper (an Indian-inspired version of a Bloody Mary)

You can find the entire list and the corresponding recipes on The Mixer website.

Why are Indian Summer Drinks Spiced and/or Savory?

This article from NPR quotes Dr. Jay Apte who says that "All Indian and ayurvedic cooking tends to incorporate six different tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent (spicy) and astringent". Ayurvedic, a practice originally from India, is a holistic approach to medicine that seeks to incorporate the mind, body, and spirit in their practices. As you have seen above, many of the drinks listed have at least one health benefit, if not a plethora of them. So really, not only are you getting a cool drink that refreshes you, but you are also getting essential nutrients that greatly benefit your overall health. 

How to Make the Best Indian Summer Drink

These tips come from City Life, who suggest you follow these steps for making the best Indian summer drinks:

  • Use fresh, seasonal ingredients
  • Spruce up your drink with a garnish of mint, citrus peel, or basil seeds
  • Chill the drinks before you serve them so they have the most cooling effect when you give them to your guests
  • Add spice such as black pepper, cayenne pepper, black salt, or roasted cumin
  • Improvising and having fun mixing flavors!

More Summer Drink Recipes Around the World

Indian Drinks for Summer: 27 Traditional Cool Drink Recipes

Indian Drinks for Summer: 27 Traditional Cool Drink Recipes

Recipe by Friends and Guests of The Storied Recipe Podcast

27 authentic Indian recipes for cool summer drinks! Make in a batch and enjoy on the deck with friends and loved ones. Includes Sharbat Drinks, Milk Drinks, Buttermilk Drinks, Yogurt Drinks, Lemon Drinks, Sugarcane Drinks, Fruit Pulp Drinks, Panagam Drinks, Jal Jeera Drinks, Kanji Drinks, and Nanniari Sarbath Drinks

Course: DrinksCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy
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