Aam ka Panna
A cooling, sweet and tangy Indian summer drink made from poached green mangoes, lightly spiced with roasted cumin and chilli.
Finishing spices
3.9 gStirred into the strained mango water (step 5)Everything else
Method
- Place 3 peeled mangoes into a saucepan of water and boil for 5 to 10 minutes until softened.
- Remove the mangoes, let them cool enough to handle, and strip the flesh from the pits by hand.
- Place the fruit pulp into a large mixing bowl and stir in 1.2 litres of water and 37.8 g granulated sugar.
- Filter the liquid through a layer of damp muslin cloth set over a clean bowl.
- Stir in the finishing spices and salt to taste, then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator before serving.
Don't have something?
Raw green mangoUse the same weight; peel and slice. Practically interchangeable.
Unripe mangoUse the same weight; peel and grate. Close, but may be slightly less sour.
Sour green mangoUse the same weight; peel and deseed. More sour, so reduce lime or amchoor.
JaggeryUse equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.
Cumin seedDry-roast briefly and grind finely; use equal weight (1:1). Imparts an even punchier, nuttier, toasty aroma than pre-ground cumin.
Ground corianderUse equal weight (1:1). Adds mild, lemony sweetness rather than cumin's smoky, earthy bite; curries will taste lighter and less savoury.
Black cumin seedsGrind finely; use 60% to 75% of the weight. Produces a darker, more complex, smoky-herbal flavour suited to rich gravies.
Red chilli powderUse 100% of the weight. Provides direct, sharp heat and red colour in equal measure.
Kashmiri chilli powderUse 150% to 200% of the weight if matching colour, but add a pinch of black pepper or hot chilli if you need equivalent fiery heat.
Cayenne pepperUse 75% to 100% of the weight. Offers a sharp, clean heat with slightly less earthy depth and less crimson colour.
Similar dishes
- Same: Gurh Keri also relies on green mangoes balanced with a sweetener, chilli powder, and salt.
- Different: Instead of poaching mangoes into a cumin-spiced liquid drink with granulated sugar, Gurh Keri cures them into a thick preserve using unrefined jaggery, turmeric, and asafoetida.
- Same: Kairi ka Sherbet is also a cooling summer drink made by cooking unripe green mangoes with sugar and salt.
- Different: Kairi ka Sherbet uses green cardamom pods instead of ground cumin and chilli powder, and it contains vastly more sugar than this dish.
- Same: Kairi Murg shares raw mango, chilli powder and salt with this dish.
- Different: Kairi Murg adds chicken, vegetable oil, green chilli, turmeric, onion, ginger paste, garlic paste and coriander, and it lacks this dish's sugar and ground cumin, so it is a browned-onion curry rather than a poached-mango drink.
- Same: Aam Ka Gola and this dish are both cooling Indian mango preparations with a sweet-tangy mango base.
- Different: Aam Ka Gola is a frozen slushie made with mango, canned mango pulp, lime, stem ginger and tequila, while this dish is a drink made from poached raw mango with sugar, ground cumin, chilli powder and salt.