Masala Virgin Mojito

On a really hot summer day, the humble Virgin Mojito is an evergreen favorite. The citrusy taste pairs extremely well with the fresh mint and cools you down real quick every time. But what if you want something different? Something even the kids can enjoy? For your exact demand, I have the Masala Virgin Mojito using a little Indian secret ingredient.

What is Masala Virgin Mojito?

If you venture onto the streets in the summer, you’ll notice Indian Street vendors sell something called Masala Soda in small carts. They characteristically have a few glasses and bottles arranged on the cart, fresh lemons, limes, and some green sachets of mystery powder. This mystery powder is Jal Jeera, a cumin-based salt spice mix that’ll totally flip your Mojito game. It is predominantly salty and tangy but has myriad other spice notes that go extremely well with citrus flavors. This magical spice blend can completely overhaul the bland sweetness we associate with Virgin Mojito. And it’s time tested! Masala Soda is just a simplified name for Masala Virgin Mojito. People love it and have been craving it to beat the heat in India for decades. 

Ingredients at a Glance

Jal Jeera – The magic ingredient that will make you fall in love with this style of lime juice-based coolers. It has a characteristic blend of salty, sour, and savory flavors that really tickles your taste buds and keeps you coming back for more. It has black salt in it, which gives it the salty, savory pungency that makes it irresistible. The dried mango powder in it also makes it sour and sweet, making it a very difficult-to-replicate flavor that’s absolutely lip-smacking. It is a rare ingredient, but most Indo-Asian grocery stores should carry it.

Lemon juice – Use freshly squeezed Lemon juice. Using bottled juice won’t do this Mojito justice. You’ll need about 2 teaspoons of juice per serving. After squeezing out the juice, you can also Microplane in some of the lemon zest for additional lemon fragrance. The zest has lemon oil that is released. When the cells are ruptured, like when using the Microplane.

Mint leaves – Any kind of Mint or Basil leaf would be fine. But do keep it fresh. These leaves are highly perishable and need to be used immediately after picking them for the best results.

Sprite – You can use the Regular or Diet varieties. It won’t make much of a difference to the taste. You can substitute it with any lemon-flavored soft drink of your choice.

How to prepare Masala Virgin Mojito?

In a glass tumbler, add some chopped mint leaves, lemon juice, and the Jal Jeera. Muddle the ingredients together to disperse the flavors evenly.

Slowly fill the glass with chilled Sprite. The tumbler might overflow with foam if the Sprite is added too fast at once, so add slowly in small quantities. Then fill to the brim.

Optionally you can add some Ice-cubes as garnish. The mint leaves should float to the top giving off an exquisite aroma at the very first sip.

Some expert tips for preparing Masala Virgin Mojito

• You can replace the Sprite with Soda water and add more salt than sugar to create a less sweet variation of this drink which also tastes excellent.
• Jaljeera can be substituted with Chaat Masala if you are unable to find it in the market.

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