Cucumber Sekanjabin Sharbat
Sekanjabin is a combination of sugar or honey, water, vinegar, and mint, simmered into a sweet-tart syrup. Keep a jar on hand for making cordials (sharbats) or flavoring desserts. This refreshing cucumber version, which gets additional tanginess from whey, is a favorite of Homa Dashtaki, author of cookbook Yogurt & Whey and founder of Brooklyn-based yogurt company The White Moustache.
All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
What you’ll need
Small Saucepan
$160 $150 At Amazon
Glass Pitcher
$13 At Target
Chef’s Knife
$115 At Hedley & Bennett
Box Grater
$19 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
20 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring 1 cup sugar, ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ⅔ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until syrup is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add 2 mint sprigs, then stir in 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar to combine. Let syrup sit at least 15 minutes and, preferably, up to 2 hours. Discard mint.
Step 2
Transfer syrup to a pitcher. Pick leaves from remaining mint sprigs and finely chop. Add water to whey from labneh to make 2 cups. Add 6 Persian cucumbers, grated on the small holes of a box grater, mint, and whey to pitcher; stir to combine. Add 3 cups ice and stir until sharbat is very cold. Taste and add more water or vinegar if needed.
Step 3
Pour sharbat into tall glasses and serve with spoons for scooping up cucumber bits.
Do ahead: Syrup can be made 3 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill.
