Panakam | Panagam

Panakam is a refreshing spiced drink made using jaggery, water spiced with black pepper, ginger powder and flavoured with cardamom and lemon. Panakam is a special drink made for Sri Rama Navami festival. Let’s learn Panakam Recipe with step by step pictures and video.

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Panakam is a  healthy refreshing summer treat using jaggery, lemon and spices as main ingredients.

About Panakam

Panakam is a special spiced drink made for Sri Ramanavami festival. It can also be made as a cooling drink for summer. Panakam is also known as Panagam or Panaka.

Panakam is a quick summer drink that can be made in a jiffy. Just get ready with the ingredients mix everything together, strain and serve. Jaggery pepper drink flavoured with cardamom is a natural body coolant and is perfect for hot summers.

You can alter the amount of water according to your taste and preference but make sure to adjust the spices accordingly to taste a well balanced spiced panakam.

Panakam as Summer Drink

Panakam is a natural healthy body coolant so can be made and consumed during summer. It is divinely delicious and refreshing drink for summer. It is one of our family favourites so make it every now and then to fulfill our thirst especially in summer.

This special holy drink in called Panagam in Tamil, Panaka in Kanada and Panakam in Telugu.

Panakam for Rama Navami

The festival of Rama Navami marks the birthday celebrations of the Hindu Lord Rama, who is considered to be one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. According to the Hindu calendar, it falls on the ninth day of the Chaitra month, which is the Spring season. The prasadam / naivaidhyam made on the day are usually coolant in nature.

Neer Mor and Panakam are essential drinks for the occasion. Rama Navami falls in either March or April.

Panakam, Vada Pappu, Kosambari and Neer Mor are made and served as neiveidyam for Sri Rama Navami. Panakam is made in temples then distributed among the devotees.

Source : Wikipedia

Sri Ramanavami Recipes

Panakam Ingredients

• Jaggery – I used powdered jaggery as I had it but you can crush jaggery or scrap and add it too. Make sure it dissolves in water completely.
• Spices – Spices like black pepper, cardamom, dry ginger powder are used for panakam.
• Tulsi – Fresh tulsi leaves are used for flavour and aroma for panakam.
• Lemon – Lemon juice is squeezed and added to give the drink a slight tangy taste.
• Edible camphor – Edible camphor is optional but then it gives a divine flavour to the drink so I usually add a very tiny pinch.

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📖 Recipe Card

Panakam Recipe Step by Step

1.First measure and get ready with all your ingredients.

2.To a hand mortar and pestle add 2 nos cardamom(peel the skin and add it) and 10 nos whole black pepper.

3.Crush it well and Set aside.

4.To a bowl add 2 and 1/2 cups of water.

6.Then add 1/2 cup jaggery powder to it.

7.Mix well until it dissolves completely.

8.Add crushed cardamom, pepper powder.

9.Add a tiny pinch of salt and a very tiny piece edible camphor. You can skip edible camphor if you do not have it.

10.Add few tulsi leaves.

11.Add 1/4 teaspoon dry ginger powder.

12.Add lemon juice of 1/2 lemon.

13.Mix it well and set aside atleast for few mins.

14.Strain the panakam. Discard the remains.

15.Ready to serve. You can add the cardamom skin for more flavour.

Panakam is ready to serve!

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Expert Tips

• Use water as mentioned, if you add less water the flavour will be more strong. You can adjust the measure of water but adjust the spices accordingly.
• The color of the panakam purely depends on the jaggery colour. I used paagu vellam just to get the golden brown color, you can use normal jaggery too though paagu vellam is preferred.
• I used powdered jaggery so it dissolved quickly. If you use crushed jaggery it takes a bit more time to get dissolved. So if you have block jaggery you can grate it using a grater or scrap it using a knife or peeler.
• I would recommend to use freshly crushed pepper and cardamom for more flavour.
• Make sure to rest the drink for few mins before straining so that all the spices blends well.
• Adjust lemon juice according to your taste.
• You can plus / minus the ingredients according to your choice but balance the drink accordingly.
• You can also use chilled water to make panakam.

Variations

• You can use powdered jaggery or crush block jaggery and use it.
• You can scrap jaggery or crush it using a hand mortar and pestle.
• Using cane sugar comes close in taste but jaggery works best. White Sugar will not work for this recipe.

Serving and Storing Suggestion

You can serve Panakam as such or serve it chilled too. Panakam can be stored in fridge and consumed. It keeps well in room temperature for 1 day and in fridge for 2 days.

FAQs

1.What is Panakam?

Panakam is a refreshing spiced drink made using jaggery, water spiced with black pepper, ginger powder and flavoured with cardamom and lemon. Panakam is a special drink made for Sri Rama Navami festival.

2.How to make Panakam?

Panakam can be made quickly and easily using available ingredients in your pantry.

First measure and keep ingredients ready. Crush pepper and cardamom using a hand mortar and pestle. To a serving bowl add water along with jaggery dissolve it completely then add crushed pepper, cardamom powder, dry ginger powder, salt, edible camphor, lemon juice, tulsi leaves etc. Mix well and rest for few mins or until serving time. Strain and serve Panakam.

3.What is Panakam made of?

Panakam is made using water, jaggery, black pepper, dry ginger powder ,cardamom, lemon juice and tulsi leaves.

4.Is Panakam healthy?

Yes Panakam is definitely healthy when compared to soft drinks. Panakam is a natural body coolant, helps in digestion too.

5.Why Panakam is made for Sri Rama Navami?

Rama Navami is a Hindu spring festival that celebrates the birthday of Rama. The festival falls on the ninth day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of Chaitra, the first month in the Hindu calendar so it falls in either March or April. Panakam, Vada Pappu and Neer Mor are made and served as neiveidyam for Sri Rama Navami.

6.What to offer for Sri Rama Navami?

Panakam, Vada Pappu, Kosambari and Neer Mor are made and served as neiveidyam for Sri Rama Navami festival.

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