Aam Panna

Summer is here and so is the raw mangoes. It’s getting hot here. It is so dehydrating and feels like drinking something cool. Not many fruits available in India during summer but we get king of all fruits mangoes. This summer fruit also helps in preventing heat stroke. We get so many varieties some are sour, some are very sweet, some are fiberous. During the start, when we get raw sour mangoes, I make fresh pickle, chutney, thecho and also make pickle for the whole year. Once we start getting ripe mangoes, I make mango salsa, raita, kadhi (fajeto), raas, shrikhand, sweets, kulfi, mousse, fruit chaat and the list is endless. We even make mouth freshener using mango seeds…. haha nothing goes to waste.

I heard about aam (mango) panna many times but never made it at home. So this time when I invited families over, I made aam panna for welcome drink. I looked up Ranveer Brar’s recipe. I made slight changes to the recipe, instead of sugar, I used jaggery. I also used club soda instead of water. It turned super delicious, it was very refreshing and everyone loved it.

You can make aam panna paste ahead of time and make extra. It will stay good for 2 weeks.

Preparation Time: 20 mins

Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:
5-6 raw big raw mangoes
12-15 black pepper
3-4 cardamon
1 tbsp cumin seeds
Small piece of ginger
Salt and/or black salt
1 cup jaggery
Fresh mint leaves
Club soda or water

Procedure:

1. Remove top woody part (stem) from mango. Wash mangoes and pressure cook 3-4 whistle until skin breaks and easy to remove pulp. It took 4 whistle in my cooker. Let it cool completely for easy handling.

2. In a small pan, dry roast black pepper, cardamom and cumin on low heat stirring frequently. Roast for 1-2 mins until it changes colour and you can smell the flavours.

3. Once mango cools down, remove pulp using sharp know. You will have to scrap it from skin and seed too.

4. Add mango pulp, roasted spices, ginger, little salt/black salt and jaggery in blender and make smooth paste. You can make this ahead of time and keep it in fridge for few days.

5. When you are ready to serve, in a jug add paste and chopped mint leaves. Also add 3-4 ice cubes. Then add water/club soda. Keep the ratio to 1/3 cup of pulp to 1 cup water. Mix well. Taste and adjust sugar if needed. Serve chilled.

You can serve this during heat wave as this refreshing drink helps in preventing heat stroke. The flavour of fresh mint, cardamom, cumin, black pepper and little salt takes it to the next level. You can also add sprite while making drink but don’t add sugar/jaggery to mango paste or it will be too sweet. I kept it simple. I used jaggery instead of sugar, it is better for health.