Aam Panna
Come, Summer, every Maharashtrian household gets ready to beat the heat with a traditional and natural coolant drink, Aam Panna. Since a variety of mangoes are native to Maharashtra, a number of traditional recipes are prepared from them, ranging from pickles, chutneys, as a seasoning in many dals, sabjis, cooling drinks etc. Aam Panna is made using any variant of raw mango and the sweetening agent used can either be jaggery or sugar. It is mildly flavored with cardamom. Additional flavors that are added range from black pepper, black salt, powdered cinnamon, nutmeg, roasted jeera powder etc. The ratio of the raw mango and jaggery/ sugar depends on the sourness of the mangoes. Hence it is adjusted accordingly with the sweetening agent being increased if the mangoes are too sour though the basic ratio is 1:1.
Ingredients
- 300 grams Mango Pulp (extracted from 2 Roomali raw mangoes, method included in recipe)
- 300 grams Jaggery
- 4 Cardamoms
To serve
- ⅛ teaspoon Cumin Seeds Powder (roasted)
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Salt
- 1 glass Chilled Water
- 8 Mint Leaves
Instructions
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Grind the cardamom pods finely. Keep aside.
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To prepare the mango pulp, take a couple of medium sized raw mangoes.
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Wash them thoroughly.
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Place them in a pressure cooker and add enough water to immerse them completely.
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Pressure cook on high flame for 3 to 4 whistles.
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Open the lid after the pressure releases on its own.
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Check to see if the raw mangoes have cooked fully and turned soft.
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If not, cook for some more time.
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Drain when done and let them cool completely.
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Remove the skin and squeeze out the soft pulp.
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Take it in a mixer jar and pulse a few times to get a smooth paste.
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Now, measure/weigh this pulp and also taste it.
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Take the jaggery/sugar accordingly.
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In this recipe, since the pulp was on the sweeter side the ratio has been kept equal.
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If the pulp is sour, add more jaggery/sugar.
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Take the jaggery/sugar in a pan.
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Add the mango pulp and elaichi powder.
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Place it on low heat and let it cook till the jaggery/sugar melts.
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Whisk the mixture well and drain it in a sieve.
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Use a spoon to push the mixture as it will be quite thick.
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The jaggery impurities and the threads in the pulp will remain back and the sieved mixture extracted will be smooth like a paste.
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Cool it to room temperature and then chill in the fridge.
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To serve, take a glass of cold water and add 1 tablespoon of aam panna.
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Season with black salt and jeera powder.
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Mix well and add a few ice cubes.
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Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve chilled
Recipe Notes
Add additional seasonings like rock salt, lemon juice etc as per taste preference.
