Tukh Malanga — basil seeds, also called sabja or tukmaria — have a specific texture that no other seed produces: soaked in water, each tiny black seed swells within minutes to several times its size, developing a translucent grey halo of gel around the dark centre, so that a glass of tukh malanga sharbat is full of tiny, dark, pearl-like spheres suspended in the liquid. It is a Ramadan and summer drink in Karachi and across Sindh, made with rose water, lemon, sugar and cold water, the basil seeds providing both visual drama and a very gentle cooling effect that Unani medicine attributes to sabja. It is drunk at street carts during Ramadan, where it is prepared in large batches and served chilled to those breaking their fast.
Zone: Indus Plains
SOURCE: Karachi household, Ramadan recipe shared on Pakistani food group, 2022
LOCAL NAME: تُخ ملنگہ شربت
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp basil seeds (tukh malanga / sabja)
- 200 ml water for soaking
- 800 ml chilled water
- 4 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp rose water
- juice of 1 lemon
- ice to serve
- a few drops of rose syrup (optional, for colour and sweetness)
METHOD
- Place the basil seeds in a small bowl. Pour over 200ml of water and stir once. Leave to soak for 15 minutes — the seeds will swell to many times their size and develop a grey translucent gel coat around each one. Do not soak longer than 20 minutes.
- In a large jug, combine the sugar and a little of the chilled water. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Add the remaining chilled water, rose water and lemon juice. Stir.
- Gently fold in the soaked basil seeds with all their gel. Do not stir vigorously — you want the seeds suspended evenly, not broken.
- Taste and adjust sweetness and rose water.
- Add the rose syrup if using, for a pale pink colour.
- Pour over ice in glasses. Serve immediately, making sure each glass gets a good portion of the swollen seeds — they are the visual and textural centrepiece of the drink.
NOTES
UK adaptation: Basil seeds (tukh malanga, sabja, tukmaria, falooda seeds) from South Asian grocery stores and online retailers — sometimes also sold in health food shops as ‘sweet basil seeds’. Rose water from the baking aisle of most supermarkets. Everything else widely available.
US adaptation: Basil seeds (sabja or tukh malanga) from Patel Brothers, H-Mart or online. Rose water from Whole Foods, Middle Eastern stores or online. Everything else widely available.
Cook’s note: Do not skip the soaking step, but do not over-soak — 15 minutes is enough for the seeds to swell fully. Over-soaked seeds become soft and lose their pleasant, slightly crunchy texture.
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