Last evening during a
shopping spree in a store, we passed through shelves with rows and rows of
carbonated drinks in varied flavours, fruit juices – some natural, others with
flavours and colours added, some ready to mix fruit powders, some energy drinks
and also in the same shelf were small tetra packs of Aam Panna. I was wondering
how my grandmother would have reacted to see Aam Panna in a 200ml pack in a
store. Perhaps she would have scoffed at the idea of buying it from the store and
wondered if we are hard pressed for time or we lack the inclination and desire
to make things at home or are we now so spoilt that convenience rules over everything
and we love the easy way out.
I have a little bit of my grandmother in me and the idea of buying
readymade food and drinks from the stores has never appealed me. There is
nothing like fresh homemade food made with love and choicest of ingredients.
Mynas in a meeting.....
The mercury is on the rise and on the way to break new
records. Blame it on global warming or whatever, the heat is becoming
intolerable. Throat is perpetually dry and nothing seems to bring relief. A
freak storm last night left us with some raw mangoes and I used them to make
Aam Panna. A glass of cold Aam Panna is soothing for the parched throat. It is
a traditional recipe made in almost every Indian household during summers. With
the goodness of fresh mint, roasted cumin seeds and black salt, it is cooling,
refreshing, rejuvenating, digestive, and carminative and the ultimate cold
drink. Mint is packed with antioxidants and is good for digestion. Cumin
improves digestion and appetite. Indian black salt is regarded as a cooling
spice in ayurvedic medicine. It is good for upset stomach, constipation and
digestion. All these ingredients make Aam Panna a tangy and tasty drink that is
really healthy.
This is how I made Aam Panna
Aam Panna |Raw Mango Summer Drink
Ingredients
4 to 5 medium size raw mangoes
2 ½ teaspoons roasted cumin seed powder
2 ½ teaspoons back salt
1 bunch of mint leaves
¾ cup sugar
1 liter cold water
Method
Wash the raw mangoes. Take them in a pressure cooker with enough water to submerge the mangoes. Pressure cook the mangoes (2
whistles). Remove the mangoes and keep them in a plate to cool. Scoop out the
pulp with a spoon.
Wash mint leaves and chop them roughly.
Take mango pulp and mint leaves in a blender, add half cup
of water and blend till smooth. Pass the mixture through a strainer.
Add roasted cumin seed powder, black salt and sugar to the
mixture and mix well.
Add cold water and garnish with mint leaves. Add ice cubes
and serve.