Jugaad Mixology: Creating Cocktails With Indian Street Food Flavors

What are we if not a bunch of jugaadus just surviving on this planet? Especially us, Indians. We have been known to mix, combine, and create some things that are so magical that they leave a mark everywhere they go. We are sure that you, our dear reader, have also created some impressive jugaads to make things happen and now it’s our turn to impress you!

Here are some kickass judaadu cocktails with Indian street food flavors like the tangy Kala Khatta and the sweet and comforting mango lassi. Surprise your taste buds by giving them what they always loved, but with a boozy twist. Jugadugiri rukni nai chahiye!

7 Cocktails That’ve Been Created Using Indian Street Food Flavors

1. Jal Jeera Cooler Cocktail

2. Mango Lassi Cocktail

3. Spicy Nimbu Pani Cocktail

4. Spicy Chai Cocktail

5. Kala Khatta Margarita

6. Vodka Shikanji

7. Paan Martini

1. Jal Jeera Cooler Cocktail

If we’re talking about Indian street food, it has to start with chaat. Jal Jeera is one of the key elements used in almost every chaat there is in the market. For all the spicy flavor that you taste in your pani puris and bhel puris, one of the components to be credited for is Jal Jeera.

Sometimes also served as welcome drinks at weddings, ever wondered what’ll happen if we add some alcohol like gin to this? We get this amazing summer cooler with a balanced tangy flavor of cumin, mint, and tamarind. But just make sure that this cocktail doesn’t get mixed with the big bowl present at the chaat counter or maybe just do it for content purposes! Let’s see what we need to make this drink.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz dry gin
• 1 oz Jal Jeera concentrate
• 0.5 oz fresh lime juice
• 0.5 oz simple syrup
• Fresh mint leaves

How To Make Jal Jeera Cooler Cocktail

1. Add dry gin, Jal Jeera concentrate, lime juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker and mix it well.

2. Pour the drink into a glass filled with crushed ice.

3. Garnish this drink with some mint leaves.

Also Read: Red Bull Cocktails To Supercharge Your Parties

2. Mango Lassi Cocktail

Mangoes are peak summer delight and are easily one of India’s favorite fruits. There are several mango-flavored things out there, but here’s one you may have not heard of before. A cocktail made out of mango lassi! Yes, it exists and as blasphemous as it sounds, the taste will justify our confidence in it. Imagine Alphonso mango plus white rum. Still don’t get the picture? Read the recipe below and try it out yourself.

Ingredients

• 13 oz Alphonso mango pulp
• 13 oz plain or natural yogurt
• 6 oz milk
• Cardamom powder
• 3 oz white rum
• 1 oz orange liqueur 

How To Make Mango Lassi Cocktail

1. Mix mango pulp yogurt, milk, cardamom powder, and white rum in the mixer.

2. Add crushed ice and mix it till you get a smooth and creamy consistency.

3. Garnish it with saffron 

3. Spicy Nimbu Pani Cocktail

Let’s go down the memory lane for this one. Imagine it’s summertime, you are out all day long smashing bowlers out of the park. Tired, you go under that tree where the nimbu pani wala sits. You’ve had some of the best nimbu panis ever made in the history of humanity under that tree. Now as time progressed, we have moved on to consuming different kinds of drinks to relax (which our mothers might not approve of). 

But we all still crave that taste of nimbu pani to this day. That’s why we like this cocktail. After a tough day at work, it will not only take you back to the good old days but also calm you down. Check out the things that you’ll require to go back to the golden days of your life.

Ingredients

• 5 oz sugar
• 5 oz water
• 1-2 serrano peppers (Kali Mirch)
• 1 oz black salt
• 2 limes
• 1.5 oz vodka or gin
• 1.5 oz spicy nimbu pani syrup
• 4 oz lime hard seltzer

How To Make Spicy Nimbu Pani Cocktail

1. Add sugar, water, serrano pepper, black salt, and lime in a vessel. Mix it thoroughly and make a spicy nimbu pani. Keep the vessel in the refrigerator to cool down completely.

2. Once out from the refrigerator, you can either keep the serrano pepper for a spicier taste or remove it.

3. Mix this solution with ice and your favorite drink (vodka or gin) in the shaker.

4. Garnish with some mint leaves for additional effect.

Also Read: Best Sundowner Cocktails For This Summer

4. Spicy Chai Cocktail

Winters call for a great chai session…sorry, chai is a timeless drink. And won’t it make sense if this all-season drink gets a bit of a boozy touch? Presenting you with the spicy chai cocktail. Chai itself can just blow you away, but adding a bit of alcohol will add many more layers to the experience. Imagine having the nukaadwali masala chai with hints of bourbon and ginger beer. This perfectly mixes well with the taste of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and clove. Ready to be thrown into a world of flavors? Read the steps below to make the perfect chai cocktail.

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon
• 2 oz chai concentrate
• 0.5 oz orange juice
• Orange bitters
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 2-3 cloves
• Cardamom powder

How To Make Spicy Chai Cocktail

1. In the shaker, add ice, bourbon, chai concentrate, orange juice, ginger beer, and orange bitters.

2. Mix the solution using a spoon or stirrer.

3. Pour the cocktail into a tumbler after adding an ice cube to it.

4. Add cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom powder (as per your taste preferences) to get that masala-esque flavor to your cocktail.

5. Kala Khatta Margarita

All the ‘Gola’ fans might have gone nuts after hearing about this combination. You all must remember the taste of the Kala Khatta ice lolly you had at that local fair years ago, right? The way that guy dipped the lolly in the purple grape syrup and then topped it… My editor stopped me from getting into more details or else I would’ve kept going!

Now imagine that Jamuni flavor combined with some tequila! But why keep you waiting? Let’s see how it is made so you can enjoy a dose of sweet nostalgia.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz tequila
• 0.5 oz Kala Khatta syrup
• Chat masala (as per your preference)
• 0.1 oz lime juice
• Coriander leaves (chopped)
• Green chilly (finely chopped)

How To Make Kala Khatta Margarita

1. Add ice to the blender.

2. Mix all ingredients in the blender.

3. Pour the cocktails into a margarita glass after covering the rim with chat masala.

6. Vodka Shikanji

Be it Shikanji or nimbu pani, these lemon-based drinks make for delicious and mouth-watering cocktails. Shikanji is one of those drinks that was used for rehydration, but this version of it would require you to hydrate!

In the olden times, Shikanji was served to the royals until some legend thought of mixing a bit of vodka in it, and voila! A legend is born. What you get is a balance of sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors, which should be tried out at least once. Read below to find out how to make this cocktail.  

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz vodka
• 1 oz lime juice
• 1.3 oz sugar syrup
• 8-10 mint leaves
• 1 oz Shikanji salt
• 2-3 lemon wheel

How To Make Vodka Shikanji

Also Read: Best Low ABV Cocktails To Make

7. Paan Martini

After such a long list of desi cocktails, it’s time for some mouth freshener. And what better option than our very own paan? It is an after-dinner treat made from betel leaf. The most common ones are the meetha paan and Calcutta paan. Now think about it, that same flavor in your cocktail.

This drink is prepared by mixing gin and vermouth along with some betel leaves. Just think about it, a mix of grassy flavors and notes of sweetness and citrusy taste. That’s what you get in a Paan Martini.

Ingredients

• 1 oz gin 
• 0.5 oz vermouth 
• Paan essence
• Betel leaves (finely chopped)
• 0.5 oz lime juice

How To Make Paan Martini

1. Fill your mixer with ice cubes and pour lime juice into it.

2. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix them well.

3. Garnish this cocktail with chopped betel leaves.

Summing up

There you have it! We began with crowd favorite Jal Jeera then moved on to lassi, halted mid-way for a chai stop to finish things off with a paan. It’s time you try these mouth-watering cocktails yourself. Along with filling you up with lots of nostalgia, these are going to delight you with their exciting flavors. Enjoy these cocktails with Indian street food flavors while thinking of old memories and making new ones.

FAQs

What Cocktails Go Well With Indian Food?

Spicy margaritas, mango martinis, and ginger mojitos all pair well with Indian flavors.

Can You Mix Alcohol In Lassi?

Yes, you can add alcohol to Lassi. While not entirely traditional, mixing alcohol into a lassi gives a mature twist to this already enjoyable drink.

Is Lemon Juice Good For Cocktails?

Yes, it is! Lemon juice, like lime juice, is rich in citric acid and low in sugar. However, lemons are more acidic and packed with extra Vitamin C. They’re versatile in cocktails year-round.

What Alcohol Goes Well With Chai Tea?

Spiced rum and a hint of orange liqueur complement the warm notes of the spiced tea while adding a subtle touch of smoothness.