Beverage
made from raw mangoes
An Indian
alternative to lemonade. During the
summer months when mangoes are widely available in India, this is a
very tangy sweet refreshing drink.
Panha is
made especially for the Maharashtrian New Year's Day called Gudi Padwa,
which is celebrated in March/April, on the first day of the Hindu
month of Chaitra.
This day marks
the beginning of spring or "Vasant" when all the summer
foods like melons, jack-fruit, mangoes, sprouted gram make an
appearance in the local markets.
Gudi Padva is
considered one of the auspicious days in the year when people start
new ventures. Try this recipe. Raw
mangoes are available in here in the US many grocery stores and local
markets.
- 1 cup raw
mango, 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/4th cup sugar
or jaggery
- 1/4 tsp
saffron strands
- 1/2 tsp
cardamom powder
Lemon juice as
necessary
Sprinkle of nutmeg
powder is optional. Add a little bit of yellow and red coloring for a
nice bright color.
Peel the mangoes, throw away the green skin. Chop mango into one inch
chunks to make 1 cup of raw mango chunks In a pot,
place the mango, sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Boil till
the mango is soft. Cool.
Blend in a
blender till smooth. Sieve this mixture. Add the
cardamom, saffron and bring to boil, stirring
continuously.
Take
it off the heat. Cool. Check if the mixture is sour enough for
you. If not add a little lemon juice according to your taste.
This is a concentrated form of the drink to make the drink
follow the directions below. The pulp
may be stored in the freezer for over a month.
To make a
glass of refreshing "Panha" Take a
tablespoon or two of the mixture. Add it to a to a glass of
chilled water and mix well. Add ice if you like. Sprinkle
with a pinch of nutmeg powder. Stir. Enjoy !
Note : In the US it is
very hard to find raw mangoes. Make the same with
plain apple sauce. Also traditionally jaggery is used to sweeten the
panha. It does
look light brownish when you add jaggery.
