Bright, refreshing, and vibrantly pink there’s nothing quite like Mohabbat ka Sharbat. This watermelon rose drink is a great addition to my series that explores how people around the world eat watermelon. So far, the series has revealed tons of interesting ways to eat watermelon, but of course this recipe shows us a fun way to drink it.

We have Kiran to thank for this delicious watermelon drink recipe. Although she currently lives in Naples, Italy, she grew up in India, where she frequently had the joy of drinking her submission. She has fond memories of her family gathering together on hot summer evenings to crack open a watermelon and make a batch of Mohabbat ka Sharbat. Even now in Italy, a glass of Mohabbat ka Sharbat is a comforting reminder for Kiran of both her home and family. Like Kiran, people throughout Northern India usually consume Mohabbat ka Sharbat during the sweltering Indian summers. It’s also a common drink for the Iftar meal during Ramadan.

To make this refreshing watermelon drink, you’ll only need a few key ingredients. First and foremost, watermelon fruit along with milk, sugar, ice, and Rooh Afza. If there is one ingredient in this recipe that could upstage the watermelon, it’s the Rooh Afza. A fragrant rose syrup, Rooh Afza was originally invented by an Indian medicine company in 1907. The syrup was named the “refresher of the soul” and was sold across Old Delhi as a cure for dehydration and heat stroke. The “refresher of the soul” contains a number of refreshing tasting ingredients like rose, apple, orange, coriander, and kewra that are all combined together in this sweet syrup.

But, let’s not forget that the Rooh Afza isn’t the only refreshing part of this drink. You’ll add a bit of the rose syrup to a blender along with the watermelon fruit, your milk of choice, and a bit of the sugar, and ice. That’s really all the work that stands between you and a chilled glass of Mohabbat ka Sharbat. The end result is almost like a sweetened, creamy watermelon smoothie. However, the dash of Rooh Afza adds a bright pink color and an underlining floral flavor. If you need to refresh your soul on a hot day, look no further than the Indian watermelon rose drink – Mohabbat ka Sharbat.