serves
4
prep
10 minutes
cook
5 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4
people
preparation
10
minutes
cooking
5
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 125 ml (½ cup) lemon juice (from about 2 large lemons)
- 8 cm piece ginger, peeled, chopped
- 900 ml chilled water
- 45–60 ml (¼ cup) light molasses
- 8-10 fresh mint leaves
- 8 thin lemon slices, plus extra, to serve
- ice cubes, to serve
Instructions
Toast the cumin seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat for 15 seconds or until just starting to turn brown and you can smell the aroma. (If the cumin seeds burn or turn black, discard and start again.) Immediately transfer to a mortar and gently crush once with the pestle (don't over-crush). Transfer the toasted cumin seeds to a large jug with the lemon juice.
Place the ginger and 60 ml (¼ cup) chilled water in the mortar and crush with the pestle to form a slurry and extract the ginger flavour. Pass the slurry through a tea strainer or small sieve into a small bowl and press the pulp with a spoon to extract all the juice. Transfer the ginger juice to the jug with the molasses.
Stack the mint leaves, then slice into thin strips with a sharp knife. Transfer the mint leaves to the jug with the remaining 840 ml chilled water. Stir to combine, then taste to make sure the lemonade is sweet enough; if not, add more molasses. Add the lemon slices and stir to combine.
To serve, stir the contents of the jug and pour into chilled glasses containing ice cubes. Top with extra sliced lemon.
Note
• This lemonade is best drunk as soon as it is made as the flavours of the cumin and ginger are lost within a few hours, and fresh mint tends to darken.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
