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Rooh Afza Sharbat with Basil Seeds
The pink glass that defines a South Asian iftar: Rooh Afza stirred into ice-cold water with lemon, mint and swollen basil seeds (tukhmalanga) that cool the stomach after a day of fasting. Nothing quenches quite like it.
Drinks · Pakistan · Ready in 10 minutes · Serves 4
Rooh Afza Sharbat with Basil Seeds comes from Pakistan and belongs on the drinks table. The quantities below are written for 4 servings and scale cleanly: double them for a family iftar or halve them for a quiet suhoor for two, keeping the proportions — and especially the seasoning — in the same balance. It is tagged classic, no-cook, refreshing.
Hydration is the quiet work of Ramadan evenings, and a proper Ramadan drink does more than quench thirst: it restores, refreshes and gives the table something festive between Maghrib and taraweeh. Serve it cold, in generous glasses, and keep a jug ready for refills.
Timing matters in a Ramadan kitchen, and this recipe asks for 10 minutes from start to finish. That makes it a genuine last-minute option: you can begin after the Maghrib adhan is close, or at suhoor when every extra minute of sleep counts, and still sit down on time. For a gathering, multiply every quantity by the number of guests divided by 4, round spices down very slightly on large batches, and taste before serving — big pots season differently from small ones.
Make the drink ahead and chill it thoroughly — a Ramadan drink served merely cool is a disappointment on a fasting table. Stir before pouring, taste for sweetness after chilling (cold dulls sweetness slightly), and set out extra glasses: drinks disappear faster than any dish at iftar. Anything remaining keeps a day in the fridge, covered.
Ingredients
- 120 ml Rooh Afza syrup
- 800 ml cold water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp basil seeds (tukhmalanga)
- 8 piece ice cubes
- 8 piece mint leaves
Method
- Soak the basil seeds in a cup of water for 10 minutes until they swell and turn jelly-like; drain.
- Pour the cold water into a jug and stir in the Rooh Afza syrup until evenly pink.
- Add the lemon juice and taste — it should be sweet first, then bright.
- Stir in the swollen basil seeds.
- Fill glasses with ice, pour the sharbat over, and finish each glass with a mint leaf or two.
Tips
- For sharbat-e-mohabbat, swap half the water for milk and add finely diced watermelon.
- Make the jug just before Maghrib; basil seeds keep swelling and thicken the drink if it sits too long.