Watermelon Sangria
This easy to make Watermelon Sangria is equal parts refreshing and festive. The idea is flexible, can be varied with other fruit of your choice. So yes, while in summer I would not think of anything other than watermelon, in fall feel free to play around with cranberry or even pomegranate juice for the same effect. In this I had a hint of cayenne and black salt to give this a very nuanced and Indian touch.
I will confess, other than lassi’s there are not a lot of beverage recipes on this site. But there are exceptions such as this sorrel here.
I am a big believer that spice infused foods work best with water. This said, there is always room for a colorful and fruity beverage. This watermelon sangria is not very sweet, as I do not add any sweetener. I tend to use a sweeter red wine instead. Citrus slices such as lime or add both flavor and color to this drink. It is generally an uncomplicated affair. I use about 2 cups of watermelon juice and 2 cups of red wine. Some chopped pieces of watermelon and sliced lemon or lime make it sangria worthy.
About the Black Salt and Cayenne
Black Salt and Cayenne balance the sweetness of the watermelon. It is common to use them with summer fruit in India. The sweet, savory and hints of spice are all about umami. Black Salt is actually a brittle rock found near the Himalayas. It is greyish in its solid from and takes on a pinkish hue when it is powdered.
The spices in this drink are used for a gentle dose of flavor. They are lively and wake up the palate. Which is really what this is about.
Next time you find a large watermelon in your store, pick it up, cube it and make a batch of watermelon sangria.
How to Enjoy your Watermelon Sangria
The sangria is perfect as a cocktail. It also complements North Indian flavors, like a fancy butter chicken or an earthy rajma.
A lightly spiced watermelon sangria, with smoky black salt notes.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of watermelon, cut into large chunks with the obvious seeds removed (see note)
- 1 teaspoon black salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
- 2 to 3 lemons or limes, seeded and thinly sliced
- 2 cups of sweet red wine
Instructions
- Place most of the watermelon cubes in a blender, reserve about 1/2 cup for serving.
- Add in the black salt and the red cayenne pepper. Puree until smooth. If you want this super smooth you can strain the juice. I find the unstrained texture frothy and perfect for this.
- In a large pitcher add the lime of lemon slices, red winter and finally the juiced watermelon and the watermelon chunks.
- Chill for about 1 hour and then serve over ice.
Notes
Most of the time is for chilling The watermelon consists of black and softer white seeds. I find that if you remove the black seeds, the rest of seeds are soft and can be blended into the puree.