Sattu Drink Recipe (Sattu Sharbat)
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Sattu drink (sattu ka sharbat) is a lip-smacking North Indian summer beverage made from roasted gram flour, lime, and spices. This no-cook drink gets ready in 10 minutes. Here is how to make it.
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Every summer, when things turn unbearably hot, I go back to the same glass of sattu I grew up drinking during summer vacations at my grandmother’s house.
Mohit wasn’t so sure about it the first time I made it for him. He called it “the gray drink” for a good year before he actually asked for a second glass.
I get why it looks unassuming. It’s just roasted gram flour whisked into water. But that plain-looking glass fills you up, cools you down, and takes about ten minutes to put together with things already sitting in your pantry.
This is the version I’ve made every summer since I started Whisk Affair in 2012: no stove, no fancy equipment, just a whisk and a bowl.
What Is Sattu Drink?
Sattu drink (also called sattu ka sharbat or sattu ka namkeen sharbat) is what you get when you mix sattu with chilled water, lime juice, and spices like roasted cumin and black salt.
It is a staple in Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh, where people have been making it for centuries as a cooling, protein-rich drink for hot weather.
It tastes tangy, salty, and slightly nutty, similar to a spiced buttermilk but with more body.
Ingredients
- Sattu (Roasted Gram Flour) – This is the hero ingredient of this namkeen sattu drink. Buy it from an Indian grocery store or online, and check that it smells nutty and roasted, not flat or stale. Old sattu is the number one reason people say this drink tastes bitter.
- Water – You’ll use a little at first to make a paste, then the rest to thin it out.
- Lime Juice – It gives a nice tang. Freshly squeezed works best.
- Black Salt (Kala Namak) – Use it for the classic savory, slightly sulfurous edge that makes this drink taste right. Regular salt works in a pinch, but black salt is what you want here.
- Roasted Cumin Powder – It gives a smoky, earthy note. I always keep a batch of homemade roasted cumin powder in my pantry. It takes 15 minutes to make and tastes far better than the store-bought version.
- Green Chili – It is optional. Skip this if you’re making it for kids or prefer a milder glass.
- Onions – They give a nice crunch.
- Mint Leaves (Pudina) – Add them for a fresh, cooling finish.
- Roasted Cumin Seeds or Chaat Masala for garnish.
How To Make Sattu Drink
Step 1: Make a smooth paste. Add 4 tablespoons of sattu to a mixing bowl. Pour in ½ cup of chilled water, just enough to make a lump-free paste, and mix well. Doing this first is the one step that stops sattu from clumping later. Skip it, and you’ll be fishing out dry bits from the bottom of your glass.
Step 2: Loosen the paste. Stir in the remaining 1 and ½ cups of chilled water, a little at a time, whisking as you go.
Step 3: Season it. Add 2 teaspoons of lime juice, ½ teaspoon black salt, ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder, 1 teaspoon chopped green chili, 2 tablespoons of chopped onions, and 10-12 chopped mint leaves. Stir well.
Taste and adjust. Sattu can vary in saltiness batch to batch, so taste before serving. Add more lime for tang or more salt for punch.
Step 4: Serve immediately. Pour into 2 tall glasses over ice. Sprinkle a pinch of roasted cumin or chaat masala on top and serve right away. Sattu settles fast, so give it one more stir just before you hand over the glass.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Adding all the water at once. This is the fastest way to end up with floating lumps. Always make a paste first.
- Skipping the taste test. Salt levels in store-bought sattu vary, so tasting before you add extra salt saves you from an oversalted glass.
- Letting it sit too long. A sattu drink made an hour ago is a different (and less pleasant) drink than one made fresh.
Storage Suggestions
Sattu drink is meant to be made and drunk fresh, as it separates and turns gritty within an hour.
If you want to save time, you can pre-measure the dry spice mix (black salt, roasted cumin) into a small jar, so all you need to do each morning is whisk sattu with water and add a spoonful of that mix.
If you still have leftover drink, finish it within 3-4 hours of making it.
Sattu Drink FAQs
Yes, though the lime adds a fresh tang that balances the flour’s earthiness. You can substitute a small amount of tamarind pulp if you’re out of lime.
No. Besan is made from ground chickpeas and needs to be cooked. Sattu is made from roasted chickpeas (gram) and requires no cooking at all; that’s exactly why it works as an instant drink.
Other Indian Summer Drink Recipes We Recommend
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Sattu Drink Recipe (Sattu Sharbat)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons sattu
- 2 cups water (divided)
- 2 teaspoons lime juice (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chili
- 10-12 mint leaves (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons chopped onions
Instructions
- Make a smooth paste. Add sattu to a mixing bowl. Pour in ½ cup of chilled water, just enough to make a lump-free paste, and mix well. Doing this first is the one step that stops sattu from clumping later. Skip it, and you'll be fishing out dry bits from the bottom of your glass.
- Loosen the paste. Stir in the remaining 1 and ½ cups of chilled water, a little at a time, whisking as you go.
- Season it. Add lime juice, black salt, roasted cumin powder, green chili, onions, and mint leaves. Stir well.
- Taste and adjust. Sattu can vary in saltiness batch to batch, so taste before serving. Add more lime for tang or more salt for punch.
- Serve immediately. Pour into 2 tall glasses over ice. Sprinkle a pinch of roasted cumin or chaat masala on top and serve right away. Sattu settles fast, so give it one more stir just before you hand over the glass.
