Kokum Juice (Kokum Sharbat)
on Jan 09, 2025, Updated May 26, 2025
Kokum Juice (Kokum Sharbat) is a Konkani beverage made using dried kokum. It is a perfect drink to sip on hot summer days.
Here are some more Indian drinks that you may like: Konkani Solkadhi, Haldi Doodh, Rose Lassi, Thandai, and Kanji Drink.
When we moved to Pune from Bangalore a few years back, I went to a friend’s house, who offered me a refreshing drink made with Kokum. I had never tasted it before. On asking, she said she had used ready-made kokum concentrate to make the sharbat.
I loved the drink, but I am always wary of using store-bought syrups and sharbat, as they are loaded with sugar, artificial colors, and preservatives. So I decided to make it at home. The process is fairly easy, and I got a good enough batch to last a few months. I have since been making it every year. I am sharing the recipe with you all.
About Kokum Juice (Kokum Sharbat)
Kokum Sharbat (Kokum Juice) is a refreshing beverage from the Konkan region (Goa and Maharashtra) popularly made during summer to beat the scorching heat.
To make this summer cooler, dried kokum is soaked in water, made into a paste, and then cooked with sugar, cumin, cardamom, and black pepper to make a concentrate. The concentrate is mixed with water or club soda just before serving.
Enjoy kokum juice after a heavy meal, or serve it on a hot summer day.
Ingredients
Kokum – This recipe uses dried or semi-dried kokum. You can find it in any Indian grocery store or online portals like Amazon.
Don’t use salted kokum to make this sharbat.
You can read more about kokum here.
Sugar evens out the sourness of the kokum. It also acts as a preservative.
Others – You will also need roasted cumin powder, green cardamom powder (elaichi powder), water, black salt (kala namak), and black pepper powder.
How To Make Kokum Sharbat
Rinse 200 g dried, or semi-dried kokum with water and soak it in 2 cups of water for 2 hours.
Transfer the soaked kokum along with the water to a blender and blend to make a smooth paste.
Add the kokum paste to a pan along with the following ingredients.
- 200 g granulated white sugar
- remaining 2 cups of water
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 teaspoon black salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
Mix well to combine.
Cook this mixture on medium-low heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring a few times.
Remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Press with the back of a spoon to get as much extract as possible. Discard the leftovers.
Store the kokum concentrate in a glass bottle in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. It is also freezer-friendly! You can freeze it for about a year in a freezer-safe zip lock bag or container. Thaw and use whenever required.
To make the sherbet, pour 3 tablespoons of kokum concentrate into a glass and top up with chilled water or club soda.
Note – Shake the concentrate well before using.
Add a few ice cubes to the glass. Garnish with a mint sprig and serve chilled.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make sharbat using fresh kokum, cut the fruit in half. Discard the pulp and seeds of the fruit. Chop the outer cover into small pieces and blend them in a blender with water. Strain this mixture and then cook it with sugar and other ingredients, as mentioned below in the recipe.
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Kokum Juice Recipe (Kokum Sharbat)
Ingredients
- 200 grams dried or semi-dried kokum
- 4 cups water (divided)
- 200 grams granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon green cardamom powder
- 2 teaspoons black salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
Instructions
- Rinse kokum with water and soak it in 2 cups of water for 2 hours.
- Transfer the soaked kokum along with the water to a blender and blend to make a smooth paste.
- Add the kokum paste to a pan along with sugar, the remaining 2 cups of water, cumin powder, ground cardamom, black salt, and black pepper powder. Mix well to combine.
- Cook this mixture on medium-low heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring a few times.
- Remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool down to room temperature.
- Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Press with the back of a spoon to get as much extract as possible. Discard the leftovers.
- Store the kokum concentrate in the refrigerator for up to 6 months in a glass bottle. It is also freezer-friendly! You can freeze it for about a year in a freezer-safe zip lock bag or container. Thaw and use whenever required.
- To make the sherbet, pour 3 tablespoons of kokum concentrate into a glass and top up with chilled water or club soda.
- Note – Shake the concentrate well before using.
- Add a few ice cubes to the glass. Garnish with a mint sprig and serve chilled.
Can wet kokum be used?Does store bought wet kokum need to be washed before use?
Hi Harper, I assume that you are talking about semi-dried kokum. If yes, then yes, it can be used. Rinse it with water before soaking.
yes I tried, it came out very well. loved it. thanks..
Lovely recipe and gorgeous fragrance. I will post a pic as soon as I can on Instagram. Thank you!
Thanks
Hi neha ,
I recently bought kokum rind so it would be kind of you too let me know how to use rind for the sharbat or in drinks !! Thanks. In advance ☺️🙏
I have used Kokum Rind in the recipes. Just follow it as is.
Nice and doable recipe.
Thnx 🙂
Hi,
I used your recipe and the sharbat came out very well. Thanks a lot! Though, the only concern was that there were residues in it, either because of sugar put directly or the rinds. How can i improve it next time?
Hi, You have to strain the mixture once it is ready. It will not have residue then.
Really this recipe helped, as I ve brought a bottle of kokum juice from goa, hope ur recipe will be ahit thnx
Thnx 🙂
Thank you