Masala soda

Name: Masala soda
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 3 tbsp lime juice; 4 tsp sugar; ½ tsp black salt (kala namak); ½ tsp ground cumin, dry-roasted; ¼ tsp chaat masala; 1 pinch black pepper; 6 leaves mint, rinsed and lightly bruised (optional); 150 g ice; 500 ml sparkling water, well chilled

Vegetarian

A fizzy street-cart drink: lime juice, sugar, black salt and roasted cumin stirred in the glass and topped with chilled soda water until it foams up.

Masala soda is an Indian cold drink, ready in about 5 minutes and made with lime juice, black salt (kala namak) and sparkling water. It serves 2 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep: 5 min
Cook: 0 min
Total: 5 min
Serves: 2
Level: Beginner
Calories: 41

Ingredients

2 glasses

3 tbsp (46 g) Lime juice (opens in a new tab)
4 tsp (17 g) Sugar (opens in a new tab)
½ tsp (2.5 g) Black salt (kala namak) (opens in a new tab)
½ tsp (1 g) Ground cumin (opens in a new tab), dry-roasted
¼ tsp (0.5 g) Chaat masala (opens in a new tab)
1 pinch (0 g) Black pepper (opens in a new tab)
6 leaves (0.5 g) Mint (opens in a new tab), rinsed and lightly bruised (optional)
150 g Ice (opens in a new tab)
500 ml Sparkling water (opens in a new tab), well chilled

Equipment

Citrus press / reamer (opens in a new tab)

Method

1
Step 1
Divide the lime juice (opens in a new tab), sugar (opens in a new tab), black salt (opens in a new tab), cumin, chaat masala (opens in a new tab) and pepper (opens in a new tab) between two tall glasses and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- 2 min
- Citrus press / reamer (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Add the ice and a few bruised mint (opens in a new tab) leaves.
- 1 min
3
Step 3
Top up slowly with the cold soda water (opens in a new tab), which will foam up sharply with the salt, stir once and serve immediately.
- 1 min
How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: Across India, India · Commonly attributedSold from carts with marble-stoppered goli soda bottles in many cities.More food from India
Dish: Snack · Cold drinks
Cooking method: No-cook
Taste: tangy, salty, refreshing, sweet
Diet: Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Street food · Budget-friendly
Cook more with: Lime juice · Black salt (kala namak) · Sparkling water · Sugar · Ground cumin · Chaat masala

Allergens

May contain: Wheatfrom chaat masala
May contain: Glutenfrom chaat masala

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

41 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 358 g · recipe makes 2

Where the energy comes from

Protein 2%
Carbohydrate 94%
Fat 4%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	41 kcal	12 kcal
Protein	0.2 g	0.1 g
Carbohydrate	10.8 g	3 g
Net carbohydrate	10.4 g	2.9 g
Sugars	8.8 g	2.4 g
Added sugars	8.4 g	2.3 g
Fibre	0.3 g	0.1 g
Fat	0.2 g	0.1 g
Saturated fat	0 g	0 g
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	581 mg	162 mg
Salt equivalent	1.5 g	0.4 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 46 mg
Calcium: 30 mg
Iron: 0.5 mg
Magnesium: 9 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 1 µg
Vitamin C: 7 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 3 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: mint.
Black salt (kala namak): Table salt (FDC 173468) used as a stand-in; kala namak is mostly sodium chloride with sulphur compounds that give its eggy aroma.
Chaat masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in for the tangy blend of amchur, black salt, cumin and pepper; real chaat masala also carries a lot of salt, so sodium is understated.
Ice: Frozen water; same composition as water.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Pour the soda down the side of the glass to control the foam.

Common mistakes

Stirring hard after adding the soda, which knocks out the fizz.

Storage

Make to order; it goes flat within minutes.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 29 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sip & BlendCompare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Lime juice3 tbsp · 46 g

Used in step 1

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Dry spice blend
Chaat masala
This recipe uses ¼ tsp (0.6 g for 2 glasses).
Make Chaat masala

Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sip & Blend

Reviews & corrections

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