Chhattisgarhi Mahua Sherbet

Name: Chhattisgarhi Mahua Sherbet
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chhattisgarhi
Ingredients: 50 g dried mahua flowers; 700 ml Water; 60 g jaggery or sugar; 1 tbsp Lemon juice; 5 leaves Mint leaves; 1 cup Ice cubes; 1 pinch black salt; 0.25 tsp roasted cumin powder

A cooling, lightly sweet non-alcoholic drink made from soaked and boiled mahua flowers, a traditional summer refreshment in Surguja's tribal belt.

🇮🇳India· Chhattisgarh

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 25 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 80 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

50 g dried mahua flowers — cleaned
700 ml Water
60 g jaggery or sugar — to taste
1 tbsp Lemon juice
5 leaves Mint leaves — for garnish
1 cup Ice cubes — for serving
1 pinch black salt — for a savoury-sweet balance
¼ tsp roasted cumin powder

Equipment

•Heavy pan
•Strainer

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 80 kcal
fat: 0 g
carbs: 20 g
fibre: 0 g
protein: 0 g
calories: 80 kcal

Instructions

1
Rinse the dried mahua flowers well. Soak them in water for 30 minutes.
2
Boil the soaked flowers in the same water for 10-12 minutes. The liquid will turn pale amber and smell fragrant.
3
Strain out the flowers and keep the flavoured liquid.
4
Stir jaggery (unrefined cane sugar) or sugar into the warm liquid until it fully dissolves.
5
Let it cool completely. Stir in lemon juice, a pinch of black salt, and roasted cumin powder.
6
Serve chilled over ice, garnished with mint leaves.

Chef's tips

Do not boil the flowers for too long, or the drink may taste too earthy. A brief boil keeps the flavour light and fragrant. Mahua flowers are naturally sweet, so adjust your added sugar to taste.