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Sabeel sharbat
Rose milk with basil seeds
Sabeel ka sharbat: chilled rose milk with basil seeds, handed out in Muharram
In the first ten days of Muharram, and above all on Ashura, volunteers in Pakistani towns set up sabeel stalls at the roadside and pour free cups of cold sweet milk for anyone passing, in memory of the thirst of Imam Husain's family at Karbala. The drink is pale pink, lightly rose-scented and dotted with swollen basil seeds, and it is made in huge steel pots at the stalls; this is the home-sized jug. Chef's tip: soak the basil seeds in water first, never straight in the milk, or they stay hard and clump.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp basil seeds (tukh malanga)
- ¾ cup water
- 4 ¼ cups cold whole milk
- 5 tbsp rose syrup
- 2 tbsp sugarto taste
- 12 ice cubes
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Stir the 1 tbsp basil seeds (tukh malanga) into the ¾ cup water and leave for 10 minutes, until each seed is wrapped in a soft grey jelly.
10 minStep 2: In a large jug, whisk the 4 ¼ cups cold whole milk with the 5 tbsp rose syrup and 2 tbsp sugar until the sugar dissolves and the milk turns an even soft pink. Taste and add more syrup if you like it sweeter.
3 minStep 3: Drain the seeds lightly and stir them in with the 12 ice cubes. Serve straight away in small cups, stirring the jug each time. A common mistake is pouring without stirring, so the first cups get no seeds and the last get them all.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sabeel sharbat take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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 cold whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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