Table & Traditions Recipes, rituals & real meals
About Favorites 0

North India (shikanji), pan-Indian street drink · Indian

Nimbu Pani (Indian Spiced Lemonade / Shikanji)

India's everyday thirst-quencher: fresh lime, sugar or jaggery, a hit of black salt and roasted cumin, lengthened with water. Sweet, salty, tangy and instantly reviving in the heat.

By Table & Traditions Editors

Published June 21, 2026

Two glasses of cloudy pale-yellow nimbu pani over ice with mint leaves and lime slices, a jug behind, bright sunlit table.

Nimbu pani — 'lime water' — is India's universal summer drink, sold from roadside carts, train platforms and home kitchens the moment the heat arrives. The North Indian spiced version, shikanji, adds black salt and roasted cumin to the lime and sugar for a sweet-salty-tangy hit that does more to revive you than plain lemonade ever could. It doubles as a home remedy for heat and dehydration.

Yield
Serves 2
Prep
5 min
Cook
0 min
Total
About 5 min
Difficulty
Easy

Nimbu pani — ‘lime water’ — is India’s universal summer drink, sold from carts, platforms and home kitchens the moment the heat arrives. The North Indian spiced version, shikanji, adds black salt and roasted cumin to the lime and sugar for a sweet-salty-tangy hit that revives far better than plain lemonade.

Dissolve everything first

Whisk the lime, sugar or jaggery, black salt, roasted cumin and a little pepper with a splash of water until the sugar and salt fully dissolve — so there’s no grit and the seasoning is even.

Balance the sweet, salt and sour

This is the whole drink. Top up with cold (or soda) water, then taste and adjust — limes and palates vary, so the real recipe is balancing the three until it sings.

Serve ice-cold and fresh

Pour over ice with mint and a lime slice and drink it right away. The salt-and-cumin combination genuinely rehydrates, which is why India reaches for it in the heat. Try the green-mango cousin, aam panna, or the fizzy masala soda. More in the Drinks guide.

Ingredients

Serves
2
  • 2 limes (Indian nimbu) or 1 large lemon, juiced
  • 3–4 tbsp sugar or jaggery, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black salt (kala namak) Black salt gives shikanji its distinctive sulphurous, savoury tang — it's what makes it more than lemonade. Regular salt works but isn't the same.
  • 1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder (bhuna jeera)
  • pinch regular salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 500 ml cold water (or soda water for fizz)
  • ice, mint leaves and a lime slice, to serve

Method

Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.

  1. In a jug, whisk the lime juice, sugar or jaggery, black salt, roasted cumin, salt and pepper with a little water until the sugar and salt fully dissolve.

    Why: Dissolving everything in a small amount of liquid first ensures no gritty sugar or salt at the bottom and an evenly seasoned drink.

  2. Top up with cold water (or soda water), taste, and balance the sweet, salty and sour.

    Why: Nimbu pani lives on the balance of sweet, salty and tangy — limes and palates vary, so taste and adjust is the real recipe.

  3. Pour over ice, add a few mint leaves and a lime slice, and serve immediately.

    Why: Served ice-cold and fresh, the salt-and-cumin combination genuinely revives and rehydrates — it's why India reaches for it in the heat rather than plain water.

A quick, anonymous tap — no review needed.

Variations

  • Fizzy (masala soda style)

    Use chilled soda water instead of still for a fizzy shikanji — close cousin to a masala soda.

  • Mint-forward

    Blend in a handful of fresh mint for a green, extra-cooling pudina shikanji.

  • Jaggery

    Use jaggery (gur) in place of sugar for a deeper, more mineral sweetness and a traditional touch.

Serving & Storage

Serve ice-cold the moment it's mixed, garnished with mint and lime. It's the drink for a hot afternoon, after exertion, or alongside spicy street food and chaat.

Pairs with: Chaat, Samosa, Pakora, Spicy snacks.

Storage: Best fresh, but the mix keeps a day in the fridge; stir and add ice before serving. Don't add soda until serving if you want it fizzy.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 glass (~280 ml))

Calories
90
Protein
0 g
Carbs
23 g
Fat
0 g
Fiber
0 g
Sugar
21 g
Sodium
480 mg

Notable micronutrients: Vitamin C

Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between nimbu pani and shikanji?

Nimbu pani is the broad term for Indian lime water — it can be as simple as lime, sugar and water. Shikanji is the North Indian spiced version with black salt, roasted cumin and pepper. This recipe is the spiced kind, which is far more reviving than plain lemonade.

What is black salt and can I skip it?

Black salt (kala namak) is a mineral salt with a distinctive sulphurous, savoury tang that defines shikanji's flavour. You can make the drink without it using regular salt, but it won't have that signature savoury depth. It's worth seeking out at any Indian grocery.

Why is a salty lemonade good in the heat?

The salt replaces electrolytes lost through sweating, while the sugar gives quick energy and the lime adds vitamin C and brightness — it's effectively a homemade rehydration drink, which is exactly why it's India's go-to in summer.

From our kitchen community

Ratings & Reviews

My Rating

Tap a star to rate — no sign-in, no form needed.

Be the first to rate Nimbu Pani (Indian Spiced Lemonade / Shikanji).

Further reading