Nimbu pani

Name: Nimbu pani
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 80 ml lemon juice; 800 ml water, chilled; 50 g sugar; ¼ tsp salt; ¼ tsp black salt (kala namak) (optional); ½ tsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground; 1 pinch black pepper; 8 leaves mint, lightly bruised (optional); 200 g ice (optional)

Vegetarian

नींबू पानी · nimbu pani

Fresh lime or lemon juice stirred into cold water with sugar, a pinch of salt and roasted cumin. India's sweet-salty summer cooler.

Nimbu pani is an Indian cold drink, ready in about 5 minutes and made with lemon juice and sugar. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking

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Prep: 5 min
Cook: 0 min
Total: 5 min
Serves: 4
Level: Beginner
Calories: 54

Ingredients

4 glasses

80 ml Lemon juice (opens in a new tab)Swap: Lime juice
800 ml Water (opens in a new tab), chilledOr sparkling water for a fizzy version.
50 g Sugar (opens in a new tab)
¼ tsp (1.5 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
¼ tsp (1.5 g) Black salt (kala namak) (opens in a new tab) (optional)Kala namak gives the classic sulphurous tang; use more ordinary salt if you have none.
½ tsp (1 g) Cumin seeds (opens in a new tab), roasted and ground
1 pinch (0 g) Black pepper (opens in a new tab)
8 leaves (1 g) Mint (opens in a new tab), lightly bruised (optional)
200 g Ice (opens in a new tab) (optional)

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Stir the sugar (opens in a new tab) and salt into a little of the water until dissolved.
- 2 min
- Measuring jug (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Add the lemon juice (opens in a new tab), remaining water, cumin and pepper (opens in a new tab) and stir well. Taste and adjust sweet, salty and sour.
- 2 min
- Citrus press / reamer (opens in a new tab)
3
Step 3
Pour over ice and garnish with mint (opens in a new tab).
- 1 min
How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: North India, India · Commonly attributedAlso popular in PakistanMore food from India
Dish: Snack · Cold drinks
Cooking method: No-cook
Taste: refreshing, citrusy, sweet & sour, salty
Diet: Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Budget-friendly · Child-friendly · Everyday
Cook more with: Lemon juice · Sugar · Cumin seeds

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

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

54 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 234 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 1%
Carbohydrate 98%
Fat 2%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	54 kcal	23 kcal
Protein	0.1 g	0.1 g
Carbohydrate	14.1 g	6 g
Net carbohydrate	14 g	6 g
Sugars	13 g	5.6 g
Added sugars	12.5 g	5.3 g
Fibre	0.1 g	0 g
Fat	0.1 g	0 g
Saturated fat	0 g	0 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	150 mg	64 mg
Salt equivalent	0.4 g	0.2 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 27 mg
Calcium: 24 mg
Iron: 0.2 mg
Magnesium: 6 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 0 µg
Vitamin C: 8 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 4 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: black salt (kala namak), mint, ice.
“—” 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

Dissolve the sugar fully before adding the ice — it won't dissolve in very cold water.

Common mistakes

Squeezing the lemons too hard so the pith goes in — it turns the drink bitter.

Serve with

Serve on hot afternoons, or with spicy street food.

Storage

Best fresh; keeps 1 day refrigerated without ice.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 26 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

Lemon juice80 ml · 82 g

Used in step 2

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

Customise in Sip & Blend

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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