Jaljeera (cumin mint cooler)

A sour, salty, minty cumin drink from North India, blended from fresh herbs and topped with sparkling water.

  • Lazy AF
  • Vegan
  • Gluten-free
  • Indian
  • Drink
  • Keto
  • Low carb
  • No cook
Hands-on
5 min
Total time
8 min, show breakdown
  • Prep 5 min
  • Cook 0 min
  • Clean up 3 min
Pans
0
Ingredients
8
Cost/serving
$0.75

Per serving

Calories
13
Protein
0.5 g
Fiber
0.6 g
Net carbs
2.5 g
Fat
0.3 g

Full nutrition facts, vitamins and minerals. All nutrition is estimated; check your own labels.

Already vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free.

Ingredients for 2

Tap an ingredient for other units and forms.

  • ½ cup fresh mint leaves (8 g), leaves, loosely packed

    Same amount as: 120 mL.

  • 3 tbsp lime juice (45 g)

    Same amount as: 45 mL, 1½ limes squeezed from fresh limes.

  • 1 tsp ground cumin (2.1 g), roasted, if you have it

    Same amount as: 5 mL.

  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated (2 g)

    Same amount as: 5 mL, ⅛ tsp ground ginger.

  • 2 pinches black salt (kala namak) (0.8 g)
  • ½ tsp chaat masala (1.2 g)

    Same amount as: 2 mL.

  • 1 cup water (240 g), cold

    Same amount as: 240 mL.

  • 1 can sparkling water, unsweetened (355 g), cold

    Same amount as: about 1½ cups.

Find alternative ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings. The blended base (before the sparkling water) keeps a day in the fridge. The mint darkens but still tastes fine.

Nutrition Facts

2 servings per recipe

Serving size 1 plate (327 g raw)

NutrientPer serving% DV*Whole recipe
Calories13
Total fat0.3 g0%
Saturated fat0 g0%
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Sodium201 mg9%
Total carbohydrate3.1 g1%
Dietary fiber0.6 g2%
Total sugars0.4 g
Net carbs†2.5 g
Protein0.5 g1%
Vitamin D0 mcg0%
Calcium33 mg3%
Iron1.3 mg7%
Potassium74 mg2%
Vitamin A9.6 mcg1%
Vitamin C7.4 mg8%
Vitamin E0.11 mg1%
Vitamin K0.38 mcg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.02 mg1%
Riboflavin (B2)0.02 mg1%
Niacin (B3)0.14 mg1%
Vitamin B60.02 mg1%
Folate6.8 mcg2%
Vitamin B120 mcg0%
Magnesium13 mg3%
Zinc0.13 mg1%
Selenium0.14 mcg0%

Estimated, not verified. These numbers are calculated from typical ingredient data and haven't been checked against a lab or your brands. Check the labels of what you buy and confirm anything that matters to you, especially sodium, sugar and allergens.

* % Daily Value shows how much one serving adds to a 2,000-calorie day. † Net carbs is not on US labels; it is total carbs minus fiber, allulose, erythritol and half of other sugar alcohols. "To taste" amounts are counted as written. Counted items (eggs, cloves, spoons) use the rounded amount shown in the ingredient list. Vitamins and minerals are from raw ingredients; cooking lowers some, especially vitamin C and folate. How this is calculated.

Steps

  1. Put the mint, lime juice, cumin, ginger, black salt, chaat masala and the still water in the blender.

  2. Blend on high for 30–45 seconds.

    Done looks like: Bright green and smooth, with no whole leaves left.
  3. Pour through a sieve into a jug. Press the pulp with a spoon, then throw it away.

  4. Taste. It should be sharp, salty and cumin-forward. Add lime or black salt if it tastes flat.

  5. Fill two glasses with ice. Pour in the base, then top each with sparkling water. Stir once.

    Done looks like: Pale green, cloudy and fizzy, with a faint sulphur smell from the black salt.

Equipment

Blender $30–100

What to look for

  • Handles frozen fruit without stalling
  • Jar that is easy to take apart and rinse

Skip: Expensive high-speed blenders unless you blend every day. A personal blender works for one serving.

What goes wrong

WhatCauseFix
Gritty or leafy in the mouthSkipped the sieve, or blended too briefly.Blend another 20 seconds, then strain through a fine sieve.
Flat, no fizzThe sparkling water went into the blender.Only blend the still water. Add sparkling water in the glass.

Notes

Allergies: removing an allergen from the recipe does not remove it from your kitchen or from other products. Check labels for "may contain" warnings.