Masala Mojito, Anyone? 5 Staple Indian Ingredients That Take The Cocktail Up A Notch
One of the more fascinating drinks that can be prepared across summers and drizzling monsoons, the mojito is complete with lots of minty flavours, a sweetness that comes from simple syrup and the citrusy element of fresh lime juice. Building depth and a slightly fruity and tart finish into the cocktail is about 30 ml of good quality white rum.
This classic recipe, quite well-known among mixologists, is in fact a very versatile cocktail. It can embody lots of different tangy, sweet and sour flavours that take the mojito’s profile to a different level. This is where Indian masalas and ingredients come in.
Complete with a bright and thoroughly apparent taste, some of these elements can be used to accentuate the mojito recipe to lend it a bit of a desi touch. Read on below to know more about what happens to the classic mojito recipe when it is infused with staple Indian masalas and ingredients that take its flavours up a notch:
Kala Namak (Black Salt) On The Rim
Have you ever imagined a mojito encapsulating the flavours and aromas of a streetside pani puri stall? Well, that’s just what black salt or kala namak brings to the mojito recipe. Use this salt mixed with chilli powder to rim a mojito glass such that it adds an umami and slightly salty depth to the cocktail concoction. Kala namak also has a very distinct smell of its own, which seeps into the drink to introduce into it a chaat-like quality, adding vibrancy and complexity to the recipe.
Raw Mango Pulp In The Shaker
Another ingredient which would fill the mojito glass with a summer vibe is raw mango pulp. Add just a bit of sugar or jaggery to the pulp to undercut some of the more overpowering tangy notes of the fruit. This pulp can be directly added to all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker so it mixes well with the mint, lime and rum integral to the recipe. Shake the drink with lots of ice before topping it off with 45 ml club soda or sparkling water. Raw mango will lend the cocktail a lot of tangy sharpness which will build into its acidic flavours.
Also Read: 4 Traditional Staple Dishes To Enjoy On Thanksgiving
Jeera Or Cumin Powder Drizzle
Cumin powder or jeera powder is a staple across Indian kitchens. It builds an earthy, fragrant depth into the recipes in which it is added and it also manages to highlight some of the other flavours in the concoction. Drizzling just a pinch of cumin powder on a finished mojito introduces its umami and masala-like flavours into the cocktail, bringing forth a tangy finish and minty zinginess while highlighting the jeera’s own savoury and aromatic potential.
Mint Chutney For Shaking
A mojito without mint would always be incomplete. But what if there was another way to introduce the flavours of mint into the cocktail? While making a desi masala mojito, go for mint chutney prepared by finely grinding fresh mint leaves with just a hint of salt and green chillies. Shake the cocktail by adding to it this dark green coloured chutney that will introduce a very deep hue into the blend.
Chaat Masala While Muddling
Introducing chaat masala into the mojito recipe brings a lot of vibrant flavour into the drink, building an earthy depth and a slight tanginess. Add just a pinch of chaat masala to mojito ingredients like mint and lime while muddling them in the cocktail shaker. Its flavours will gradually release themselves into the cocktail to lend it a slightly spicy, sour, tangy and umami finish, characteristic of the famed Indian chaat. Such a masala mojito with an Indian twist can be served at a brunch time or evening time monsoon gathering hosted indoors.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
