Recipe

• 1 large lime

• 500ml water

• 2 tbsp sugar

• ¼ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp Indian spice mix (I used vegetable masala)

• ⅛ tsp ground cumin

• A little black pepper

Squeeze the lime, and mix thoroughly with the other ingredients, for long enough to dissolve the sugar and salt (I shook it together for 30 seconds). Strain into a small glass, with plenty of ice. Should do about 3 glasses.

I read about nimbu pani in Vikram Seth's novel A Suitable Boy, where several of the characters make it fresh and drink it like lemonade on a hot day. One diabetic character makes a point of taking it with salt instead of sugar, and this caught my interest in particular. It sounded interesting enough that I had to try it, and after going through a few recipes online I found a promising one here.

It's quite something! A really interesting take on traditional lemonade, which I think I'll be trying again. Firstly, lime is almost always better than lemon, being a much more interesting citrus flavour. Secondly, a little salt works much better in drinks than people think, and this little bit of "seasoning" complimented the spices well without actually making this a savoury drink (although I imagine some people would prefer less, perhaps ⅛ tsp). Finally, the spices themselves are delightful, adding a certain depth and warmth to everything, without being "hot". It's another indication that Indian cuisine really does put curry spices in everything, but I hope it's also a reminder that this really works sometimes.

Don't knock it till you've tried it!