Rhubarb Shikanji - Tart & Sweet Summer Sherbet
Posted on March 26 2025
This rhubarb shikanji is a tangy, spiced twist on the classic Indian summer cooler, brought to life with fresh rhubarb, cardamom, black pepper, fennel, and ginger. Created by Suman Shah of Fork on a Road, the drink captures the essence of traditional sherbet but reimagined with local New England ingredients. Blended into a refreshing sherbet with Chaat Mela, mint, and frozen lemonade, it’s perfect for hot days — or make it a cocktail with a splash of vodka. Bright, bold, and deeply nostalgic.
Rhubarb Shikanji - Tart & Sweet Summer Sherbet
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Beverage, Mocktail
Servings
8-10
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Author:
Curio Kitchen
Recipe by Suman Shah of Fork on a Road
Serves 8–10.
Summers in India meant lip-puckering raw mangoes, tamarind, and kokum flowers transformed into shikanji or sherbet. Laced with spices, these icy beverages are tart, refreshing, thirst quenching, and aid digestion.
Memories of those summer treats inspired me to create this recipe for a rhubarb shikanji to enjoy during the hot months ahead. It’s delicious and is a perfect example of how recipes travel and adapt to fit the regions where families move and settle.
Enjoy the short spring harvest of local rhubarb in a new avatar!
Ingredients
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2 cups cleaned and diced rhubarb (from about half a pound)
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â…“ cup sugar
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¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
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¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
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½ teaspoon whole fennel seeds
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2 pods black cardamom
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1 pod green cardamom
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1 small dried red chile or ½ teaspoon Sicilian chile flakes
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1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
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¼ teaspoon sea salt
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1 tablespoon shikanji
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2–3 mint leaves
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½ teaspoon Chaat Mela
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½ cup frozen lemonade, or ½ cup crushed ice
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1 can plain seltzer or tart lemon soda
For the shikanji:
For the sherbet (1 serving)
Directions
Make the shikanji:
Put the rhubarb and sugar into a heavy bottomed saucepan and set aside. Crush the spices roughly using a mortar and pestle, then tip them into the pan with the rhubarb. Smash the ginger in the mortar and pestle and add it, along with â…“ cup of water, to the pan of rhubarb. Stir to mix these ingredients.
Set the pan over medium heat and simmer the mixture for 20–22 minutes until it reduces to resemble a loose jam. Set the pan aside and let the rhubarb cool for 15 minutes.Transfer the rhubarb mixture to the jar of a blender. Process until smooth, adding a bit of water (up to ⅓ cup) if needed to ease the blending.
Return the shikanji to the pan. Set the pan over medium/medium-low heat and simmer for 5–8 minutes, stirring constantly — use a long handled spoon as the mixture will bubble and spit at this stage. Note: This second boil evaporates the liquid added during blending.
Set aside to cool. Pour into a clean jar, cover tightly, and store in the fridge, up to 3 months.
Make the sherbet:
Put the shikanji, mint, Chaat Mela, and frozen lemonade (or crushed ice) into a cocktail shaker. Cover and shake for 20 seconds, pour into a glass and top up with the seltzer, if using. For a refreshing cocktail, stir in an ounce of vodka.
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