three indian drinks i often make in the summers are shikanji, aam ka panna and kokum sherbet. they all are summer coolers and help greatly in beating the heat in the summers.
at home we avoid the unhealthy soft cola drinks in the summers and take recourse in the bountiful blessings that mother nature gives us. watermelons, coconuts, musk melons, cucumber, fresh kokum, lemons… all these are the fruits which are great summer coolers and help you a lot in tolerating the heat and heat stroke.
aam ka panna is made from raw mangoes. the drink is slightly sour and sweet to taste with a hint of cardamom & black salt. the aam ka panna recipe presented here is adapted from my home science notes.
sugar or jaggery is added to the panna as a sweetener. i avoid using white sugar in my cooking and always use organic cane sugar or golden sugar. recently i saw a pack of organic evaporated sugar cane juice in the fabindia outlet here. i had to buy it.
in the aam panna i added the evaporated sugar cane juice and it took the aam panna to a totally whole new level. it was not just the raw mango that appealed to the senses, but also a refreshing mild taste and flavor of sugar cane juice. the colors of the aam panna are also like the brown cola color due to the evaporated sugar cane juice.
i also made the aam panna with organic jaggery, cardamom and black pepper and this combo was much different. now the color changed to a golden yellow shade. i get so inspired by colors and try the same to portray in my photographs. don’t know if i do enough justice to it or not.
you can either make the aam panna with sugar or jaggery. if you do make it with sugar your aam panna will have a light creamish or pale or lemon yellow color to it. take your pick…. which colors inspire you?
a few health benefits of aam panna:
- it prevents you from heat stroke and keeps the body cool.
- raw mangoes are rich in vitamin c and iron, plus the jaggery also gives an iron boost.
- the aam panna helps in preventing stomach problems in the summers.
a step by step pictorial for making aam ka panna at home:
rinse the raw mangoes in water a couple of times. pressure cook the raw mangoes in enough water for 3-4 whistles till they become soft. you can also steam the mangoes in a steamer or a pot.
after cooking the raw mangoes, the peel comes off easily. scrape and remove the cooked mango pulp. scrape from the peel also. collect the cooked mango pulp in a bowl. discard the peels.
add powdered jaggery/sugar and crushed cardamom with black salt. as a rule always add double the amount of jaggery/sugar to the mango pulp. the ratio is 1:2 for mango pulp and jaggery respectively. i got about 1 cup of mango pulp. hence have added 2 cups of the evaporated cane juice.
mix well. you could also use a blender or hand churner to blend the panna. your aam panna is ready. store in a bottle or jar in the fridge.
for making the drink, dissolve 1 tbsp of the aam panna in one glass of water. add ice cubes and serve cold.
aam ka panna recipe details are below:
ingredients
- 1 large or 2 medium sized raw mangoes
- 2-3 cardamoms, crushed or powdered
- 4-5 black pepper, crushed or powdered (optional)
- 2 tsp black salt
- powdered jaggery/sugar - double the amount of the mango pulp... add more for more sweetness
method:
- rinse the raw mangoes in water.
- steam the raw mangoes in pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles till they become completely soft and pulpy.
- remove the peel and take out the mango pulp.
- mix the cardamom powder, salt and jaggery to the mango pulp.
- mix the ingredients or blend to make it smooth.
- store in an air tight jar or bottle.
- while serving, add 1 tbsp of the preserve to one glass of water.
- stir and add ice cubes.
- serve cold.
my notes
add more sugar or jaggery for a pronounced sweet taste.
you can also steam the mangoes or cook these in a pan. remember they have to become soft, so that the peel and the pulp comes out easily.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Made this yesterday and my family liked it sooo much.. Thanks!
welcome poornima.
Pls share some salad Recipes Lie Thai corn salad , Haricot bean salas , apple and cheese salad
some salad recipes will be posted soon.
I came across your blog last year, while looking for a recipe for various kinds of daals. Since then I have become a fan of your recipes. They are easy and the pictures a plus. Today I made the aam ka panna for the first time. It turned out good, right now is chilling in the fridge. I live in New Jersey and share your recipes with my family and friends which are spread all over the world and they really like them too. Almost all the things are available here but like one of your achaar recipes putting it in the sun that process becomes a little difficult. I am a Punjabi and not a vegan but still all your recipes are great. Thank you.
thanks huma for such encouraging comments. also thanks for sharing the recipes with your family and friends.
for the mango achaar recipe, if you do not have sun, then you can also mix all the ingredients and store in an airtight bottle for some days. actually living in india i forget that there are some cities and towns in some countries which do not get good sunlight.
i forgot to mention this point in the pickle recipe. thanks for this point. i will update the post soon.
Loved your pics
I am planning to make my first panna drink since last week, but did not know its was this quick.
You have an amazing blog
thanks divya for liking the pics as well the blog. aam panna is a very easy drink to make and healthy too.
i usually dried pudina herb also..makes aam panna more refreshing..
i know some of us add mint leaves. you can also add fresh mint leaves.
Hey…love all the clicks, missed your space a lot during vacations and now I am back
….loved all your posts, need to try out few soon, will start with the white bread first….Aam Panna is my all time fav during summers..
This is my favorite thirst quencher. My grand mom would make tons of this mixture and keep in the refrigerator. You have brought back some sweet memories with this post.
I love your panna and hopefully this year will get to try it in India again as I am heading in less than week for a holiday there.
thanks asmita. have fun back at home…
another one of my faves while growing up.. we had a bunch of mango trees, and would go pluck or rather climb and pick a bucket full of mangoes, then sit and peel some with mom for achar and some would go into the panna! love the cold refreshing look in the pictures! I want to try the one with jaggery since jaggery also has so many minerals. it will make it one nutritious and cooling summer must!
wow….i simply love the cola color
and the yellow seems to be irrestible too…
Best thing about summer is mango delight ….and ofcoz aam panna is best …looks so gud …