Raw Mango Punch

Aam Panna Recipe

My friend says that every Indian has a Mango story. Mine is definitely not related to stealing mangoes from a near by orchard but is of this drink. Also known as Baflo in Gujarati, this can be made as early in the year as February when we get the first batch of raw Mangoes in the market. It is very versatile and can be used as a cocktail mix, punch, or slushy. Needless to say, mango is the magic ingredient.

Ingredients:

1 1/4th cup raw mango - peeled, deseeded and roughly diced
1/3rd cup crushed or powdered rapadura/jaggery
1/3rd cup honey
1 tbsp roasted cumin powder
1/8th tsp ginger juice
1 1/2 cup water
1 cup icy water
salt to taste

Method:

1. Add peeled and deseeded mango cubes in a sauce pan and 1 1/2 cup water. Cook the mangoes on a medium flame for 15-17mins until cooked thoroughly. It should be easily mashable with a spoon once cooked.

   

   

2. Turn off the flame and add 1 cup icy water to bring the mango mixture to room temperature.

   

3. Add jaggery, roasted cumin powder and honey.

   

4. Mash every together with a spoon or hand. It should look like a puree once the jaggery is melted.

5. Add salt and a few drops of ginger juice.

6. Serve chilled with ice cubes and fresh mint leaves.

Notes:

1. You can replace icy water with room temperature water and let the mixture cool down on its own in a few hours. Icy water just speeds up the process. Feel free to dilute it further by adding more water if this is too strong for your taste.

2. You can use a blender but traditionally this was roughly mashed with hands to preserve some mango chunks.

3. You can skip honey or rapadura and add 2/3rd cup of either of the sweeteners. The finer the jaggery the sooner it will melt. I wouldn’t recommend using sugar for this because the minerals in the jaggery and honey add to the flavor profile.