Rose Lemonade | Orange Lemon Sherbet

Love lemonade

The best way to satisfy citrus cravings is to make lemonade! In India, we call it Nimbu Pani or Sherbet and it is one of the most basic drinks that's offered to guests besides tea or coffee, especially during summertime. 

Growing up, mom would always make a big batch of lemonade for us every summer and store it in the fridge. My brother and I would look forward to this chilled drink in the afternoons as we lazed around watching TV. 

This and the ceiling fan at full speed helped us beat the heat, given that back then there were no ACs in the house. There's seriously nothing more refreshing than a big glass of chilled, freshly-squeezed Nimbu Pani!

New flavor in town

I wanted to give this Nimbu Pani aka lemonade a floral twist. I wanted to dress up the plain old lemonade in a fun and interesting way and that's how this drink was born. 

Adding rose syrup to this Nimbu Pani made it fragrant and sweet. I didn't have to add any extra sugar! Also, rose and lemon make a great combo!

If you have been around for a while, you will know how much I love using rose favor in my recipes. The list below proves how much I love it! 

Vegan Rose Basundi, Rose Sandesh, Raspberry Rose Hot Chocolate, Rose Coconut Ladoo, Gulkand Sweet Tarts, and Gulkand Ice Cream are some rose flavored recipes that you must check out.

Lemons and oranges work great together. Pairing contrasting citrus fruits gets you a fuller and more balanced flavor. 

Oranges - Valencia oranges are considered the best when making orange juice. You can also use Tangerine, Clementine, or Navel varieties.

Approximately 3 oranges will give you 1 cup of orange juice. use this as a thumb rule when making for a crowd. 

Lemons or Limes - Fresh Meyer or Eureka lemons are preferred but use any kind available to you. Meyer lemons have smoother, thinner skin, a wonderful tangy aroma, and are also sweeter and less acidic than most other lemons.

Rose syrup - Roohafza rose syrup is what I have used. It's easily available in Indian grocery stores or on Amazon. Feel free to use any rose syrup variety available to you. 

Mint leaves - Gives the drink a refreshing boost. Use fresh mint leaves. 

Black Salt - Also known as Kala Namak makes the drink even more refreshing and helps with digestion. According to Ayurveda, it's a cooling salt because it balances our body temperature so we don't feel overheated.

Chia Seeds - Makes it more nutritious! It's a great way to include chia seeds into your diet. Since they are soaked before adding, they become easy to swallow and digest. 

Plus it makes this Orange Lemon Sherbet more interesting - visually and taste-wise. 

Before you begin, soak chia seeds in water for 10 minutes. Also, make sure the lemons and oranges are at room temperature before you start squeezing the juice out of them. 

1. In a mixing bowl, add freshly squeezed lemon juice.
2. Then add freshly squeezed orange juice.
3. Add the soaked chia seeds and black salt. Mix it all together with water. Pour this Orange Lemon Sherbet in serving glasses and then mix in the rose syrup. 

Serving suggestions 🍽

Garnish with mint leaves or even edible rose petals and serve chilled with eco-friendly straws. You can also add ice cubes or crushed ice in serving glasses to chill this Rose Lemonade instantly. 

This Orange Lemon Sherbet is perfect for any day or occasion. Beat the heat with a chilled glass of rose lemonade, serve it at your house party, serve it for breakfast as an instant pick-me-up, kids party, or on any other occasion. 

Another fun way of serving this would be to pour them in Popsicle molds and freeze them. Who can say NO to Rose Lemonade Popsicles?! 

You can also pour them into ice cube trays and add them to drinks to spruce them up. Or you can enjoy them as a slushie! 

Top recipe tips 💭

While I have not added any additional sugar to this recipe because the rose syrup is sweet enough. However, feel free to add sugar or simple syrup. As an alternative, you can also add rose water and simple syrup. 

Add some lemon zest and orange zest to this drink for more intense flavors! Try it! Instead of water, use Club Soda if needed. Instead of mint, you can also add basil. 

There are many uses to lemon and orange peels in the house. So don't throw them away. I use them to make zest. For the boozy version, add a shot of gin or vodka to it, and enjoy!

Recipe FAQs 📖