Mitha Nimboo and Kalkand
(Sweet Lemon and Rock Sugar)
Citrus scent and sweet juice.
Completely non-acidic, no tartness whatsoever.
That is sweet lemon. Also known as Mitha Nimboo in Hindi.
Sweet lemon juice, sweetened with kalkand and chilled in earthen pot is a favorite summer drink of my childhood.
Today, I simmered the juice with rock sugar and cardamom powder. The thick, flavorful and fragrant syrup tasted like a pleasant food blog uncomplicated with acidic notes.
I will be using the syrup to sweeten my tea. May be I will add the syrup to toss the cut fruits like apples and pears.
I think this sweet lemon syrup with non-acidic properties would make an ideal sweetener for people who crave that exquisite lemony scent , but are going through painful acid reflux and heartburn.
Sweet Lemon Syrup ~ for the Spice Cafe’s Lemon Jihva
Cut sweet lemons to four pieces. Squeeze juice in to a cup.
Filter out the seeds.
Break rock sugar in a mortar using a pestle into tiny pieces.
Powder cardamom seeds to fine.
For one cup sweet lemon juice, add two tablespoons of rock sugar and quarter teaspoon of cardamom. Take them in a pot, simmer on low heat, stirring in-between, until the juice thickens and coats the spoon. Remove from heat to cool. Filter again if you like, then bottle. Add spoonful to sweeten the tea, coffee, or on cut fruits, coffee-cakes, scones etc.
Note to Metronaturals:
Sweet lemons are available at DK Market (previously Lenny’s Market, behind Wal-mart) at Renton. Rock sugar at Viet-wah. Cardamom at Apna Bazar.:)
~ Indira
