Panaka or Panakam is a traditional Indian cooler popular during Summers in South India!!
Panaka is sweet, mildly tangy, warm with the ginger, earthy because of tulsi or holy basil and fragrant from the freshly ground cardamom. It is very similar to a lemonade but with different proportions.
Panaka or Panakam is a traditional Indian cooler popular during Summers in South India. It is served along with spice buttermilk and a lentil salad called kosambri during the festival of Ram Navami.
This was one of those posts with a writer's block. I did not want to write about the weather, I did not want to write about my memories or childhood. Nothing special happened this week either. So I was kind of lost. I started to write, then deleted it at least 3 times!!
So now I have settled on just talking about the ingredients that make up this mocktail like drink called Panaka.
This was one of those posts with a writer's block. I did not want to write about the weather, I did not want to write about my memories or childhood. Nothing special happened this week either. So I was kind of lost. I started to write, then deleted it at least 3 times!!
So now I have settled on just talking about the ingredients that make up this mocktail like drink called Panaka.
Panaka is sweet, mildly tangy, warm with the ginger, earthy because of tulsi or holy basil and fragrant from the freshly ground cardamom. It is very similar to a lemonade but with different proportions.
One of the main ingredients in Panaka is jaggery. Jaggery is unrefined cane sugar. The closest in texture is Muscovado sugar. Jaggery has a complex flavor profile as compared to regular refined sugar. The darker the jaggery, the more complex the flavor. Dark jaggery is the least refined and purified, while the yellow jaggery has less impurities. With people looking for more organic stuff these days, the organic brown jaggery has become very popular.
Ginger is added for its health benefits. It is known to cleanse the body of toxins. If you cannot find fresh ginger, you can substitute it with dry ginger powder
. Ginger also adds an earthy flavor to the drink while making it mildly hot.
Cardamom is the main flavoring agent. I used fresh cardamom pods that I lightly crushed with a mortar and pestle. You can use a store bought cardamom powder, but I highly recommend making it yourself.
Tulsi or Holy Basil leaves are added for health reasons again. I did not have any readily available, so I substituted with home grown mint leaves.
The squirt of lime is optional, but recommended. Some folks use a tamarind juice instead. You can add any souring agent, just don't let it get overpowering. Panaka is much milder than a regular lemonade. The predominant flavor is from jaggery and the cardamom.
Panaka or Panakam is a traditional Indian cooler popular during Summers in South India.
Recipe Type: Beverage
Cuisine: South Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Yield: Serves 6-8
1.5 litres Water
1.5 cups powdered Jaggery
6-8 green Cardamoms
2-3 Tbsp grated Ginger
1 lime
A handful of Tulsi or Mint leaves
Crush the seeds of the cardamom until fine.
Add the cardamom, grated ginger, powdered jaggery and juice of 1 lime to the water and stir until the jaggery has dissolved.
Add the tulsi leaves or mint leaves.
Refrigerate until serving.
Strain before serving. Serve chilled
Ginger is added for its health benefits. It is known to cleanse the body of toxins. If you cannot find fresh ginger, you can substitute it with dry ginger powder
. Ginger also adds an earthy flavor to the drink while making it mildly hot.Cardamom is the main flavoring agent. I used fresh cardamom pods that I lightly crushed with a mortar and pestle. You can use a store bought cardamom powder, but I highly recommend making it yourself.
Tulsi or Holy Basil leaves are added for health reasons again. I did not have any readily available, so I substituted with home grown mint leaves.
The squirt of lime is optional, but recommended. Some folks use a tamarind juice instead. You can add any souring agent, just don't let it get overpowering. Panaka is much milder than a regular lemonade. The predominant flavor is from jaggery and the cardamom.
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---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ram Navami special Panaka recipe | Panakam Recipe
Panaka or Panakam is a traditional Indian cooler popular during Summers in South India.Recipe Type: Beverage
Cuisine: South Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Yield: Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
1.5 litres Water
1.5 cups powdered Jaggery
6-8 green Cardamoms
2-3 Tbsp grated Ginger
1 lime
A handful of Tulsi or Mint leaves
Method:
Crush the seeds of the cardamom until fine.
Add the cardamom, grated ginger, powdered jaggery and juice of 1 lime to the water and stir until the jaggery has dissolved.
Add the tulsi leaves or mint leaves.
Refrigerate until serving.
Strain before serving. Serve chilled
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