I am going to share with you all today the recipe for Kaffir Lime Syrup, a gorgeously fragrant and delicious syrup made using makrut limes. The syrup is infused with the heady scent of these limes, and acquires a pretty green colour from the zest used in it. It is a simple confection to put together, but very versatile; it goes wonderfully in all kinds of cocktails and mocktails, over ice cream, warm cakes, and various Oriental-style desserts. This Kaffir Lime Syrup is just the thing you should try out this Diwali – the sky is the limit to the things you can do with it!

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A closer look at Kaffir Limes

Makrut limes (also called ‘Kaffir Limes’) are an important part of Thai cuisine. They also find significant usage in cuisines like Indonesian, Malaysian, Burmese and Vietnamese.

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These wrinkled limes are best known for their very fragrant skin and leaves. The zest from these fruits and leaves are, therefore, used to impart a heady scent to various dishes. There isn’t much of juice in the limes, though.

Kaffir limes are said to possess good amounts of essential oils that are wonderful for skin and hair health.

How to make Kaffir Lime Syrup

I found some wonderful fresh kaffir limes on Trikaya recently, and decided to use them in this syrup. It is a simple syrup made with sugar and water, to which I have added kaffir lime zest. I have used the juice from regular Indian limes (lemons?) for added flavour.

Here is how I made the Kaffir Lime Syrup.

Ingredients (makes about 1 cup):

1. 1 cup water

2. 1 cup sugar

3. Zest from 1 large kaffir lime, about 2 heaped teaspoons

4. Juice from 1-1/2 lime or as per taste

Method:

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1. Zest one kaffir lime and keep ready. Take care to ensure that you zest only the green skin and do not get any of the white pith beneath – this might turn the syrup bitter.

2. Take the water in a heavy-bottomed pan. Place on high flame and let the water come to a boil. Now, add in the sugar. Reduce flame to medium. Allow the sugar get completely absorbed in the water. Stir intermittently.

3. Now, add the kaffir lime zest to the pan. Mix well.

4. Cook on medium flame for 10-12 minutes or till the syrup thickens up a bit. Stir intermittently. Do not overly thicken the syrup as it will then harden too much with time. Switch off gas when it has thickened.

5. Allow the syrup to cool down to room temperature. Then, mix in the lime juice. Your Kaffir Lime Syrup is ready. Store refrigerated in a clean, dry, air-tight bottle and use as needed.

Tips & Tricks

1. This is not a very concentrated syrup, but one that is ready to go over desserts and in drinks – so it doesn’t need to be diluted much. Please do keep this in mind.

2. Remember not to make the syrup too thick. It will become too thick with time, in that case.

3. This Kaffir Lime Syrup stays fresh for up to 10 days in the refrigerator in a clean, dry, air-tight bottle and used hygienically. Though refrigeration keeps it well for months, I would suggest it is best used within 7-10 days.

4. Use fresh kaffir limes to make this syrup – there’s really no substitute. However, if you are able to get only kaffir lime leaves where you live, you can tear up about 4-5 of them and use it instead of the zest. In case you don’t find kaffir limes or leaves, you could use the zest from regular Indian limes (popularly called ‘lemons’) instead – it’s definitely not a substitute, but it works, though the flavour and fragrance profiles are completely different.

5. I have used a regular vegetable grater to zest the kaffir lime. If you have a microplane zester, you can use it instead.

6. Make sure you avoid grating the white pith of the lime and get only the green skin. The pith might make the syrup bitter.

7. I used the zest from one large kaffir lime. You may adjust the quantity as per personal taste preferences, but make sure you don’t overdo it. Too much zest can make the syrup overpoweringly fragrant.

8. Don’t overcook the syrup after the zest is added to it. 10-12 minutes of cooking on medium flame is good enough to thicken it.

9. Make sure the syrup comes to room temperature before mixing in the lime juice.

10. You may filter out the zest before bottling the syrup, but I prefer leaving it in. We love the tiny bits of lime skin that add texture to the syrup.

Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!