Spicy, sweet and tart, this Spiced Tamarind Mocktail is inspired by the flavors of Imli Chutney! The fennel, ginger add the zing and lime and mint make it super refreshing.
Put a pan on medium heat and add water to it. Then add tamarind chutney, fennel seeds, kala namak and sugar to it. Also, add 1-inch grated ginger and stir everything using a wire whisk.
Now let the mixture heat up. Let the mixture come to a gentle boil ( just 1 boil is fine) and then turn off the heat and cover the pan with a plate and let it sit for 30 to 45 minutes for the flavors to steep in.
Strain the tamarind liquid using a strainer and then chill it for a couple of hours. You can easily make this 2 to 3 days in advance.
To serve
Mix 1 teaspoon of kala namak and 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder together in a plate (reduce to 1/4 teaspoon or skip the Kashmiri chili powder if you don't want the drink spicy or making it for kids). To make 1 drink: take your glass (I used a 7 to 8 oz glass) and rub a lime wedge around the rim of the glass. Dip that into the plate with the kala namak and red chili powder mix. The glass rim will get a nice red color look.
Now, take a lime wedge and 3 to 4 mint leaves and add them to the glass. Using a muddler or a wooden spoon, press to release their juices. Fill the glass with ice cubes and then 2 oz of the prepared tamarind water. Top with Canada dry zero until the glass is full. Garnish with more mint leaves and serve! Make all drinks similarly.
Notes
If serving this to kids, skip the Kashmiri red chili powder from the spice mix that's being used to coat the rim of the serving glasses.
This recipe makes 7 to 8 glasses if you use an 8oz glasses. It will make more servings if you use smaller glasses
Plain soda can be used in place of Canada Dry Zero. However that will make the drink less sweet. Canada dry zero also adds more ginger flavor to the drink.