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Falsa sherbet
فالسہ شربت (falsa sherbet): a tart, purple summer drink of crushed falsa berries with black salt and ice
For a few short weeks in May and June, Punjabi fruit sellers from Multan to Lahore pile their carts with falsa, tiny purple-black berries with a big seed and a sweet-sour, grape-like flavour, and roadside stalls crush them in big jugs of iced water with sugar and a pinch of black salt. The sherbet is a striking magenta, tart and salty-sweet, and people swear by it as a cooler against the loo, the scorching summer wind; it is also a favourite at iftar when Ramadan falls in summer. Outside Pakistan look for frozen falsa in South Asian grocers, or use blackcurrants, which give a similar colour and sharpness. A common slip is blending the berries hard, which cracks the seeds and turns the drink bitter. Chef's tip: just rub the berries with the sugar and a little water by hand or pulse very briefly, then strain, so you get all the juice and colour and none of the bitterness.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the sherbet
- 9 oz falsa berries (or blackcurrants)stems removed, rinsed
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar
- 3 ¼ cups cold water
- 1 /2 tsp black salt (kala namak)
- 1 /4 tsp roasted ground cumin
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 12 ice cubes
- 4 sprigs fresh mint (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 9 oz falsa berries (or blackcurrants) and 2 ⅞ oz sugar in a large bowl and crush them with your hands or a potato masher for 3–4 minutes, until the berries have burst and the sugar has turned purple.
Step 2: Add 200 ml of ¾ cup cold water and keep rubbing the pulp off the seeds; alternatively pulse two or three times in a blender, no longer.
Step 3: Pour through a sieve into a jug, pressing the pulp hard with a spoon, then discard the seeds and skins.
Step 4: Stir in the rest of 2 ½ cups cold water, 1 /2 tsp black salt (kala namak), 1 /4 tsp roasted ground cumin and 1 tbsp lemon juice and taste; add more sugar or salt to balance sweet, sour and salty.
Step 5: Fill glasses with 12 ice cubes, pour over the sherbet and garnish with 4 sprigs fresh mint.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does falsa sherbet take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of black salt (kala namak)?
- Ordinary salt, same amount (loses the tangy, sulphurous note).
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