- On a 42-degree Hyderabad afternoon, this is the cooler that gets me through the day. Watermelon does most of the hydrating heavy lifting; gond katira and sabja seeds turn it from “juice” into something more interesting — a drink with texture, gentle on the stomach, and naturally cooling for the body.
- If you’ve never tried gond katira (tragacanth gum / badam pisin), the dry crystals swell overnight into a clear, slippery jelly that adds bite to any cold drink.
- Combined with fresh watermelon and a hit of lemon and mint, it’s a 5-minute summer ritual once your gond katira is soaked.
- The full how-to is in the video below — but here’s the written recipe so you can keep it handy.
- Watch the recipe – Gond katira summer drinks
- If you’ve never tried gond katira Gond katira benefits- uses- recipes
- More gond katira recipes – Gond Katira Sabja Lemon Cooler – gond-katira-rose-milk-cooler
Gond Katira Watermelon Cooler
Course: DrinkCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy2
servings5
minutes00
minutes75
kcalA refreshing 5-minute summer drink combining fresh watermelon juice, soaked gond katira jelly, basil seeds (sabja), mint and a squeeze of lemon. Naturally hydrating, body-cooling, and ready in 5 minutes once your gond katira is soaked.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons soaked gond katira (from 1 teaspoon dry, soaked overnight)
1 tablespoon soaked basil seeds / sabja (from ½ teaspoon dry, soaked 30 minutes)
2 cups (about 300 g) fresh watermelon chunks, plus extra for garnish
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
8–10 fresh mint leaves, plus extra for garnish
½ teaspoon black salt (kala namak), optional
6–8 ice cubes
Directions
The night before: soak 1 teaspoon dried gond katira in 1 cup water for 6–8 hours. Separately, 30 minutes before serving, soak ½ teaspoon sabja seeds in ½ cup water — they'll bloom into a gel-coated state.
Add 1½ cups of watermelon chunks to a blender. Blend on medium for 30 seconds until smooth. Don't over-blend — you want juice, not foam.
Strain the watermelon juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug to remove any seeds or pulp. (Skip straining if you like the pulp.)
Stir in the lemon juice and black salt if using. Tear in 6–8 mint leaves.
In each of 2 tall glasses, layer: 1 tablespoon soaked gond katira at the bottom, ½ tablespoon soaked sabja seeds, a few extra watermelon chunks, then pour the watermelon juice over the top.
Top with ice cubes and a sprig of mint. Serve immediately.
Notes:
- **Don't pre-mix.**The seeds keep releasing liquid, so combine right before serving — otherwise the drink dilutes and the texture goes mushy.
- **No sabja?** Chia seeds work, but they need 20+ minutes to soak and feel chewier rather than slippery.
- **Sweetness:** Watermelon is naturally sweet; no added sugar needed. If your melon is bland, add 1 tsp honey.
- **Add a twist:** A pinch of chaat masala on top turns this from a cooler into a salty-sweet summer chaat-style drink.
NUTRITION (per glass, approx.)
– Calories: 75 kcal
– Protein: 1 g
– Carbs: 18 g
– Fat: 1 g
– Sugar: 14 g
– Fiber: 2 g
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