Lime Juice

Fresh Lime Juice in Orpington

Fresh Lime Juice at Crispy Dosa Orpington is made from real limes, cut and squeezed when you order, mixed with chilled water and poured over ice. In India this is nimbu pani, the standard answer to a hot afternoon.

You have a genuine choice here, and the two versions are different drinks rather than variations on one. Tell us which you would like when you order.

Sweet is the familiar one: lime, sugar and water, sharp and refreshing in the way you would expect. It is the version most British palates reach for first.

Salted swaps the sugar for salt, traditionally kala namak, the kiln-fired Indian black salt with its faint sulphurous edge. It sounds wrong to most people hearing it for the first time, and it is the one we would push you towards.

Salt does something unexpected to lime. It makes the citrus taste sharper and cleaner rather than making the drink taste salty, and it rehydrates properly. It is what you are handed in India when you come in out of the heat.

Some guests order both together, half and half. That works too, and we are happy to make it that way.

You may also see this drink called shikanji, which is the North Indian name for it. The distinction people draw between the two, that one is spiced and one is plain, is regional and inconsistent rather than a firm rule.

The sharpness makes it the best partner on our menu for rich or fried food. Order it with medu vada, bhaji or anything deep-fried and the acidity cuts straight through the oil.

It is also the drink to order if you want something fresh but not sweet. Salted lime juice is one of the few genuinely refreshing options anywhere that carries no added sugar at all.

There is no cordial and no bottled lime involved at any point. The limes are cut when you order, which is why it takes a couple of minutes longer than pouring a soft drink.

Available to dine in at 273 High Street, Orpington, BR6 0NW, as a takeaway, or added to your online order for collection or delivery.

Sweet or Salted, Squeezed to Order

Order Fresh Lime Juice in Orpington at Crispy Dosa Orpington and choose sweet, salted or both. There is no cordial involved: the limes are cut and squeezed when you order. Naturally vegan and dairy-free, and the salted version contains no added sugar. Call 01689 492201 to book a table, or add it to your online order.

What Goes Into Our Fresh Lime Juice

• fresh limes, squeezed to order
• chilled water
• sugar (sweet version)
• salt, traditionally kala namak (salted version)
• ice