Tamarind Mint Cooler

Name: Tamarind Mint Cooler
Prep time: 19 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 oz (60 g) seedless tamarind pulp, torn into small pieces; 1 cup (240 ml) hot water, just boiled, for soaking; ⅓ cup (75 g) jaggery, grated or finely chopped, packed; ½ cup (120 ml) water, cool tap water, for rinsing and simmering; ¼ tsp (1½ g) black salt (kala namak); ½ tsp (1 g) roasted cumin powder; 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lime juice, freshly squeezed and strained (from about 1 lime); 1 cup (15 g) fresh mint leaves, loosely packed, stems removed, washed and patted dry; 3 cup (450 g) ice cubes, regular-size cubes; 2 cup (480 ml) soda water, well chilled, freshly opened; 4 sprigs (8 g) mint sprigs, small, for garnish; 1 small (60 g) lime, cut into 4 wedges, for garnish

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A tangy, lightly sweet Indian-style mocktail that pairs homemade tamarind-jaggery syrup with muddled fresh mint, lime, roasted cumin and a pinch of black salt. Shaken over ice and topped with soda water, it's fizzy, refreshing and fully vegan.

Prep: 19 min
Cook: 6 min
Wait: 50 min
Total: 1 hr 15 min
Makes: 4 drinks (about 1 cup / 240 ml each)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the tamarind-jaggery syrup
2 oz (60 g) seedless tamarind pulp, torn into small pieces
1 cup (240 ml) hot water, just boiled, for soaking
⅓ cup (75 g) jaggery, grated or finely chopped, packed
½ cup (120 ml) water, cool tap water, for rinsing and simmering
¼ tsp (1.5 g) black salt (kala namak)
½ tsp (1 g) roasted cumin powder
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lime juice, freshly squeezed and strained (from about 1 lime)
To shake and serve
1 cup (15 g) fresh mint leaves, loosely packed, stems removed, washed and patted dry
3 cup (450 g) ice cubes, regular-size cubes
2 cup (480 ml) soda water, well chilled, freshly opened
4 sprigs (8 g) mint sprigs, small, for garnish
1 small (60 g) lime, cut into 4 wedges, for garnish

Equipment (8)

Small saucepan (1.5-quart / 1.5 L)
Heatproof bowl or measuring jug (2-cup / 500 ml)
Fine-mesh sieve
Cocktail shaker or lidded jar (24 oz / 750 ml)
Muddler or wooden spoon
4 tall glasses (10–12 oz / 300–350 ml)
Measuring cups and spoons
Kitchen scale

Steps

Before you start

Buy seedless tamarind pulp (a soft, dark block) or tamarind with seeds; if it has seeds, allow an extra 5 minutes to pick them out while mashing.
The syrup must be completely cool before shaking, or the ice will melt and the drinks will taste watery. Plan about 30 minutes of cooling.
Chill the soda water and four tall glasses (10–12 oz / 300–350 ml) in the fridge or freezer before you begin.
Jaggery varies in sweetness. The recipe is balanced for a mildly sweet drink; you can adjust it in step 4.

1
Soak the tamarind
- Put the torn tamarind pulp in a heatproof bowl or jug and pour over the 1 cup (240 ml) just-boiled water.
- Let it sit undisturbed for 20 minutes so the pulp softens and the water turns deep brown.
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Ready when: Pulp is very soft and breaks apart when pressed with a spoon
Tip: Use a heatproof container; just-boiled water can crack thin glass.
2
Mash and strain
- Mash the soaked tamarind with the back of a spoon or your clean fingers for about 2 minutes until the pulp dissolves into a thick, muddy liquid.
- Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan, pressing the solids hard with a spoon.
- Pour the ½ cup (120 ml) simmer water over the solids, stir, and press again to extract the rest.
- Discard the fibers and any seeds.
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Ready when: Only dry fibers remain in the sieve; the liquid in the pan is smooth and dark brown, about 2 cups (480 ml) total
Tip: Don't skip the second pressing; it recovers a lot of tamarind flavor.
3
Simmer with jaggery
- Add the grated jaggery to the strained tamarind liquid.
- Set the pan over medium-low heat and stir until the jaggery dissolves, about 2 minutes.
- Simmer gently for 4 more minutes, stirring now and then.
- Remove from the heat.
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Ready when: Syrup is glossy, lightly thickened to the consistency of thin maple syrup, and no jaggery grains remain; about 1¼ cups (300 ml)
Tip: Keep it at a gentle simmer; a hard boil can scorch the jaggery and make the syrup bitter.
4
Cool and season
- Pour the syrup into a jug and let it cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, then stir in the black salt, roasted cumin and lime juice.
- Taste: it should be tangy first, then sweet, with a savory edge.
- Add a teaspoon more jaggery or a squeeze more lime if you like.
- Refrigerate while you prepare everything else if you want it extra cold.
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Ready when: Syrup feels cool, not warm, when you touch the jug
Tip: Black salt smells eggy; that's normal and fades in the drink. Add it a pinch at a time if you're new to it.
5
Set up glasses
- Fill the 4 chilled glasses about two-thirds full with ice (about 1½ cups / 225 g total).
- Divide the mint into two equal piles of about 7 g each.
- Keep the remaining ice (about 1½ cups / 225 g) next to the shaker for the two batches.
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Ready when: Glasses are frosty and filled with ice
6
Shake the first batch
- In the shaker, add one pile of mint and press it gently with the muddler 5–6 times, just to bruise the leaves and release the oil.
- Add ⅔ cup (150 ml) of the cooled syrup and about ¾ cup (110 g) of ice.
- Close tightly and shake hard for 12–15 seconds.
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Ready when: The outside of the shaker is very cold and frosty
Tip: Bruise, don't pulverize, the mint; shredded leaves turn the drink bitter and leave green flecks.
7
Strain and top up
- Strain the shaken mixture through the shaker strainer (or a small sieve) evenly into 2 of the prepared glasses, about ⅓ cup (75 ml) each.
- Slowly top each glass with ½ cup (120 ml) chilled soda water, pouring down the side of the glass.
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Ready when: Each glass has a light-brown drink with a fizzy foam on top
Tip: Never shake with the soda water; it will build pressure and spray when you open the shaker.
8
Repeat for second batch
- Rinse the shaker, then repeat the muddling, shaking and straining with the second pile of mint, the remaining syrup (⅔ cup / 150 ml) and fresh ice.
- Divide it between the other 2 glasses and top each with ½ cup (120 ml) soda water.
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Ready when: All four glasses look the same color and are equally fizzy
9
Garnish and serve
- Slap each mint sprig between your palms to wake up the aroma, tuck one into each glass and perch a lime wedge on the rim.
- Give each drink one gentle stir and serve immediately while the soda is still bubbly.
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Ready when: Drink is cold, fizzy and smells strongly of mint
Tip: Serve right away; the soda goes flat in about 10 minutes.

Good to know

Tips

Make the syrup a little stronger than you think you need; the ice and soda dilute it significantly.
Shaking with ice chills the syrup quickly and also gives a slightly frothy top, so don't skip it.
For a spicier, chaat-style version, rim the glasses with lime juice and chaat masala before adding ice.
If your tamarind block has seeds, mash it well and check the sieve; one stray seed is hard on teeth.

Make ahead

The seasoned syrup can be made up to 5 days ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Shake it well before using. Wash and dry the mint the day before and store it wrapped in a paper towel in a container in the fridge.

Storage & reheating

Syrup: store in a clean airtight jar in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze in an ice-cube tray for up to 3 months (thaw in the fridge or at room temperature). Assembled drinks do not store well because the soda goes flat; drink within 10 minutes. Don't leave the syrup at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Substitutions

jaggery → Packed dark brown sugar or coconut sugar. Use the same weight (75 g). The drink will taste slightly less earthy and caramel-like.
seedless tamarind pulp → Tamarind concentrate. Use 2 tbsp (30 g) concentrate stirred into 1½ cups (360 ml) hot water; skip the soaking and straining and go straight to simmering with the jaggery.
black salt (kala namak) → Fine sea salt. Use a small pinch (⅛ tsp). You'll lose the sulfurous, savory note but the drink will still be balanced.
soda water → Plain sparkling mineral water or lemon-lime soda. Mineral water works one-to-one. If using lemon-lime soda, reduce the jaggery to 50 g for a less sweet drink.