Namkeen Sattu Sharbat

Before you start

• Sattu is sold already roasted, so it goes straight in. If you are standing in besan, dry-roast it over low heat for 8-10 minutes until it darkens a shade and smells like roasted grain, then cool it completely — unroasted besan tastes raw and pasty. It must be cold either way — hot flour will not disperse in cold water.
• Chill the water beforehand. This is drunk cold, and a lukewarm sattu sharbat is heavy and dull.
• Roast and crush the cumin fresh; pre-ground cumin powder has none of the smokiness this needs.

Method

1. Dry-roast the cumin seeds in the same pan for about 1 minute, until they darken and pop, then crush them coarsely.
2. Whisk the sattu with just 100ml of the chilled water to a completely smooth, thick paste.Paste first, then thin. Pour all the water in at once and you get lumps that never break up.
3. Whisk in the remaining 400ml chilled water in a steady stream until the drink is thin and even.
4. Stir in the black salt, plain salt, roasted crushed cumin and the juice of the whole lemon.
5. Add the green chilli, onion, mint and coriander leaves and stir once.
6. Taste and adjust — it should be sour and salty first, with the roasted flour underneath. Serve immediately in tall glasses.Sattu settles fast; give the glass a stir between sips or serve straight from the jug.

Storage

Drink within 20 minutes of mixing, before the flour settles and thickens. The roasted flour itself keeps a month in an airtight jar at room temperature, so only the mixing is last-minute.