Posted by It was a hot summer afternoon. Things were a little slow in the university laboratory since there was a sudden power failure. All the students had a free hour to spend chatting and gossiping while waiting for the bus. One of the students who lived close by had a crazy idea and I am so glad he did. He ran home and came back with a small bottle of green liquid in a paper packet.
To be honest I had no idea what was in it. Our dear friend was carrying a bottle of concentrated Aam Panna. A refreshing summer drink prepared with unripe mangoes. I had never tried Aam Panna before. My summertime back home was limited to the sweet and salty lemonade, prepared by mom. Everyone around got really excited at the sight of the Aam Panna. Eating or drinking in laboratory is strictly prohibited. We all went to the close-by canteen to borrow glasses and a little sugar. The owner was bribed with a glass of Amm Panna. We rushed back to our buses and on the way back my friend taught me the procedure of preparing the concentrate.
I had to share it with you.
And last weekend when I came across unripe mangoes in the market all I could think was this super simple and healthy drink. I substituted sugar with honey but you can try maple or date syrup to make it vegan. This beautifully balanced drink is healthy, easy to prepare and definitely delicious. Aam Panna is sour, sweet and salty. However, I have an urge to add an element of heat with green chilies. Will definitely try it out soon and let you know.
Preparation time: 15 min
Serves: 3-4
Cooking time: 5 min
Ingredients
Unripe mango 2 (small)
Water and 100 ml
Honey 100 ml
Black salt 1 tsp (leveled)
Pudina leaves 1 cup
Method
- Bring a pan of water to boil and place the mangoes in it. The skin of the mangoes change color and they become soft once cooked.
- Peel them and scrape the pulp of the fiber. It is a messy affair but all worth it.
- Place the rest of the ingredients along with pulp in a processor and blend to make a puree.
- At the time of serving just add to water and adjust the sweetness.
- Add ice cubes and fresh mint to your glass of aam Panda and enjoy.
Note: the black salt is crucial to this drink don’t replace it, this can be easily found in Indian grocery stores.
Magic Ingredient 