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Sharbat-e khakshir
Sharbat-e khakshir (شربت خاکشیر): iced rosewater drink with tiny flixweed seeds
Khakshir are the tiny reddish seeds of flixweed, and in Yazd, Kashan and across the hot centre of Iran a glass of khakshir sharbat is what people drink on scorching summer afternoons and to break the fast on long Ramadan days. The seeds swell slightly and float through sweet iced water perfumed with rosewater, giving a gentle crunch; some add a squeeze of lime or a little sour cherry syrup. Find khakshir at Iranian grocers. Chef's tip: rinse the seeds in several changes of water and pour off anything that floats; dust and grit come away with it.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (1)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put the 3 tbsp khakshir (flixweed) seeds in a bowl, cover with water and swirl. Pour off the water with any floating husks and dust, then repeat 3–4 times until the water stays clear. Drain through a fine tea strainer.
5 minStep 2: Stir the 2 ⅞ oz sugar into the ¼ cup hot water until fully dissolved to make a quick syrup.
2 minStep 3: In a jug, mix the syrup with the 4 ¼ cups cold water, 2 tbsp rosewater and 1 lime juice, if using. Taste and add more sugar if you like.
2 minStep 4: Stir in the rinsed seeds and leave for 5 minutes; they swell and some float while others sink. Common mistake: skipping the rinse, which leaves a muddy taste and gritty bits.
5 minStep 5: Add the 12 ice cubes and serve straight away, stirring each glass as you pour so everyone gets seeds.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sharbat-e khakshir take?
- About 10 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.
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