Try Betel Leaf Mojito: A Cocktail with an Unexpected Herbaceous Twist

Betel Leaf, or Paan, is a significant part of India's culinary heritage. This parcel, filled with a variety of fruit jelly, candied fennel and other toppings, has a history that is over 5000 years old and continues to be everywhere in India.

So much so, that every urban street corner has a humble ‘corner paan shop’ with new customers pouring in every hour.

Given Paan’s relevance in Indian food history, it makes sense that it has graduated from being only a modest mouth freshener to the inspiration behind many-a cocktail recipes. Spicy, minty, sweet, all at once, paan has a nuanced and multidimensional profile. It is different from mint, in that betel leaves have a peppery hit that creeps up on you as you keep sipping a Paan-flavoured cocktail.

The easiest way to incorporate betel leaf in your cocktail is to substitute it for mint. Mojito, for example, beautifully showcases the nuanced flavour of betel leaves without being overpowered by it. There are countless versions of this drink.

How Do You Make a Betel Leaf Mojito?

Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

2-3 betel leaves 30 ml of White rum 20 ml of sugar syrup Soda water Ice cubes Lemon wedges for garnishing Gulkand (optional)

Whip Up Your Own Version of Paan Mojito

Thoroughly clean the betel leaves at least thrice under tap water. Any sort of dirt in the leaves are not only harmful for you, they can also tamper with the taste of the cocktail. Then remove the stems, and roughly chop the leaves up to 1 inch squares.

Take a few betel leaves and muddle them inside a shaker. Muddling the leaves releases the flavour compounds, and makes your drink even more robust with flavours. You can also add a few leaves of mint in the mix, adding another layer of flavour.

You can also use a mortar and pestle or a blender to roughly grind your herbs until you get a coarse paste.

Add the white rum, fresh lime juice, soda water, sugar syrup and ice cubes to the shaker. You can additionally also add Gulkand (a sugar and rose petal preserve popularly added to betel leaves) to intensify the paan flavour even more.

After vigorously shaking for a few minutes, strain the liquid out in a tall cocktail glass and garnish with a wedge of lemon.

Tips to Serve and Store Paan Mojito:

Both betel leaf and mint have strong flavours, and you don’t want your drink to taste like liquefied toothpaste. So add the herb paste in small instalments and keep tasting your cocktail to adjust its potency. In case you feel like you have gone overboard, add soda water and lime juice.

Chill the glasses beforehand so that your drink remains cooler for long. This drink tastes best when it is chilled. The betel paste can be used for 1-2 days after it has been made when stored inside an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you have pre-made your mojito, remember to stir your vessel every time before you serve the drink. The paan extract has a tendency to settle at the bottom of the glass.