Panakam Recipe (Panagam)

Panakam is a traditional cooling drink from South Indian cuisine that is especially prepared during the festival of Sri Rama Navami. It is a simple beverage made with jaggery, lemon juice and a few spices. The drink is known for its refreshing taste and cooling effect. Panakam is commonly offered to the deities and then served as prasad during the festival.

About Panakam

Panakam (Telugu), also called Panagam in Tamil and Panaka in Kannada, is a traditional cooling drink from South India that is closely associated with the festival of Ram Navami.

The drink is made with jaggery dissolved in water and flavored with lemon juice, ginger powder, green cardamom powder and black pepper. The combination gives it a sweet, tangy and mildly spiced taste.

Traditionally, Panakam is first offered to Bhagwan Ram and then distributed as prasadam among devotees. When prepared for offering, tulsi leaves (holy basil) are often added for flavor.

Because of the ingredients used, Panakam is known for its cooling effect on the body and is a refreshing drink for hot summer days. It can be served chilled or with ice.

Preparing Panakam is simple. Jaggery is dissolved in water and then mixed with lemon juice, spice powders and a little salt.

You can adjust the quantity of water, lemon juice and spices according to taste. During Ram Navami, Panakam is often served along with Kosambari and Neer Mor as part of the festival offerings.

If preparing it as naivedyam, tulsi leaves (holy basil leaves) and a small pinch of edible camphor may also be added.

Homemade drinks like Panakam are also a healthier choice compared to packaged soft drinks as they contain no artificial flavors, preservatives or additives.

More Traditional Festive Drinks

• Ugadi Pachadi
• Panchamrit Recipe

How to make Panakam (Stepwise)

Soak Jaggery

1. In a bowl, take ½ cup chopped jaggery and 2 cups water. You can add water as required.

2. Mix very well and let the jaggery soak in water for 30 to 40 minutes or till all of it is dissolved. If there are impurities in the jaggery syrup, then filter the solution.

Make Panakam

3. Then, add 2 tablespoons lemon juice or juice of 1 medium size lemon.

4. Next, add ¼ teaspoon dried ginger powder (ground ginger).

5. Then, add ⅓ to ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder.

6. Add a pinch of edible camphor. If offering Panakam to deities, then you can add edible camphor. Edible camphor is optional and can be skipped.

7. Next, add ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper powder.

8. Add a pinch of salt.

9. Mix very well.

10. Offer Panakam to deities. While offering to the deities, you can add a few holy basil leaves (tulsi leaves) in it.

If serving to your family and friends, you can refrigerate or add some ice cubes in it.

Dassana’s Recipe Tips

1. Jaggery: If the jaggery syrup you’ve made has impurities in it, then you will have to filter the solution. You could swap the jaggery with palm jaggery but not sugar.
2. Alterations: You can adjust the quantities of water, spice powders and lemon juice as per your preferences and requirements.
3. Optional Ingredients: Edible camphor and tulsi leaves can be added to this beverage, while offering to deities. Otherwise, these are optional and can be skipped.
4. Quality Ingredients: Use best quality and unused ingredients when offering this jaggery drink to the deities.
5. Variation: One variation of the panakam drink is made with tamarind. So feel free to swap the lemon with 1 teaspoon of tamarind (or as needed). Remember you will need to soak the tamarind in hot water for 20 minutes before extracting its juice and pulp.
6. Scaling: You can scale this simple recipe easily by increasing or decreasing the ingredients proportionately.

Panakam recipe from the archives was first published on April 2017.