Panagam is ususally prepared during Rama Navami Day along with Neer Mor. Panagam is a cooling drink made with jaggery, lemon juice, cardamom and dry ginger (Chukku). Jaggery and lemon has cooling properties. Jaggery cools down our stomach when mixed with water. So it is a perfect cooling drink.
The recipe for panagam is simple and easy to make. Jaggery, which is a type of unrefined sugar made from sugarcane or palm sap, is dissolved in water and then mixed with a blend of spices. The mixture is then left to infuse for a few hours to allow the flavors to meld together.
Panagam is not only delicious, but it also has some health benefits. Jaggery is a natural sweetener that is rich in minerals like iron and calcium, making it a healthier alternative to refined sugar. The blend of spices used in panagam also has some health benefits. Cardamom is known to aid digestion, while ginger has anti-inflammatory properties that can help relieve pain and discomfort.
What our ancestors did always had a meaning. All the festive recipes match the season. Panagam is prepared in hot summer month April to cool down our body. My mother used to make panagam very well and I like the taste of it very well.
Panagam - The Sweet and Spicy Drink of South India
Ingredients
- Jaggery – 1 cup grated
- Water – 6 glasses
- Cardamom powder – 1 tsp.
- Chukku Dry ginger powder – 1 tsp.
- Lemon juice – from 1 big lemon
Instructions
- Take water and mix jaggery in it.
- Filter it to remove any impurities.
- Add cardamom powder, chukku and lemon juice and mix well.
- Panagam is ready for neivedhyam.