Author Notes
This recipe is inspired by a drink I fell in love with in India called masala soda. It's a fresh lime (or lemon) soda that is intensely flavored with masala (a mix of Indian spices), typically jal jeera or chaat masala. It's sour, spicy, salty, sweet, a bit funky from the black salt and positively addicting. The simple syrup used in this recipe is easy to make: just heat equal parts water and white sugar until the sugar dissolves, and then store in the fridge until ready to use. The masala can be purchased online or in Indian grocery stores. —Leena Trivedi-Grenier
Ingredients
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2 tablespoons
fresh lime or lemon juice
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2 tablespoons
simple syrup
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4 ounces
chilled club soda
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1/2 teaspoon
jal jeera masala
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1 dash
kosher salt
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1 1/2 ounces
Whiskey (optional)
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2 dashes
Angostura bitters (optional)
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1 tablespoon
Any flavored syrup (optional)
Directions
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Stir all of the ingredients together in a cup. The black salt in the masala will cause the mixture to foam up a bit. Don't worry, this is normal.
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Taste and adjust. If it's too sweet, add in some more lime juice. If it is too sour, add more simple syrup. If it's too strong, add in more club soda. Then enjoy!
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For Nimbu Masala Whiskey Sour: Make the recipe as is, and add in 1 1/2 ounces of your favorite mixing whiskey plus 2 dashes of Angostura bitters.
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For Nimbu Masala Blackcurrant Soda: Reduce the lime juice to 1 tablespoon, replace the simple syrup with equal parts black currant syrup or other flavored syrup/squash/cordial of your choice.
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