Panha is an Indian drink, that is very popular in summer months. It is valued for its heat resistant properties that come from its ingredients. Panha is traditionally made using raw mangoes and mint. If this is your first time making panha at home, it is important that you are aware of the fact that the color of panha changes according to the type of mangoes you use and their concentration.
Health Benefits
The main ingredient for this panha dish is the all mighty mango – the king of fruits. This is a good thing because mango has lots of health benefits. The majority of mango’s health benefits stem from its prodigious vitamin C content and its dietary fiber. These properties work together to help you maintain your overall health, prevent cancer, improve digestion, treat anemia, and even reduce acne among other things. Mangoes are also fantastic for expecting mothers due to their high iron content.
Ingredients
large raw green mango – washed: 1 medium
ice cubes / crushed ice: A few
cold water: 2 ½ cups
cumin powder: 2 tsp
black salt: 2 tsp
sugar, to taste : 4 tbsp
a few mint leaves or cilantro leaves to garnish
How To Make Panha
- Peel and slice the mango and cut it to pieces leaving out its seed.
- In a vessel, add the cut mango pieces and about 1 cup water, boil for about 10 minutes.
- Let it cool to room temperature and remove the pulp.
- Place the pulp into a processor/blender and puree it into a smooth consistency.
- In a serving jar, add the pulp along with 2 tsp black salt and 2 tsp cumin powder, 4 tbsp sugar (more or less can be added to taste). Mix well.
- Add about 2 ½ cups of cold water and generous amount of ice cubes or crushed ice. Stir well.
- Pour out the drink in serving glasses and garnish with mint leaves or cilantro leaves.
Trivia
The best mangoes for making panha are unripe.