Panakam recipe aka panagam is a special traditional drink which is prepared on the auspicious occasion of ram navami and offered to lord Rama as naivedyam along with kosumbari and neer mor. This jaggery lemonade is a south Indian cooling drink which is originated in Tamil Nadu. It is considered as a perfect vitamin C rich thirst quencher drink which is suitable for all ages, starting from kids to grown-ups. Ram navami panakam recipe is basically an Indian summer drink which is prepared by mixing water, lime juice and jaggery along with ginger powder, cardamom and little bit of pepper powder. Other than prasadam, it is served chilled as a beverage during summer.
Table of Contents
About the recipe
Health Benefits of Panakam
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Panakam (step wise photos)
Recipe Card
What is panakam?
Panakam is a non-alcoholic summer drink which is frequently prepared in the subcontinents of south India. Panakam is a Sanskrit word which means sweet liquid. This cooling drink is also known as panagam and jaggery lemonade. It is prepared in south India on the special occasion of Shri Ram Navami, the celebration of lord Ram’s birthday. The celebration occurs on the 9th day of chaitra mahina.
Ram navami panakam recipe aka panagam recipe is a healthy, refreshing, Vitamin C rich sweet drink which has got the amazing flavour of citrus, cardamom, ginger and black pepper. When it is offered to god then few people prefer to add holy basil leaves into the drink. In many temples of south India, panakam is served in small tumbler.
Summer means scorching sun, heat, dehydration and water loss due to sweating and thirst. All these things absorb our energy and leave us lethargic, especially after coming from outside during these days. Nothing can be better and healthier way to quench our thirst and instantly regain our lost energy than a glass of panakam. A glass of chilled panagam is thousand times better and healthier than any market bought soft drink.
According to me, panakam recipe aka panagam recipe is one of the easiest summer beverages that I have ever prepared. This ridiculously easy to make summer drink hardly takes 5 minutes to come to your glass. Only few basic ingredients which are easily available in any Indian kitchen pantry are enough to prepare this splendid traditional drink. It could be a great option of beverage during hot summer days.
Panakam with step by step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. I have included all the tips and tricks below to make the recipe easier for you. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share few interesting facts about the recipe.
Panakam ingredients
Water: The most important ingredient which provides body to the drink and dilutes the panakam base.
Jaggery: It adds the required sweetness to the panakam. Soak the jaggery in water and stir it until it gets dissolved completely.
Lime: One of the most important ingredients of panagam is lime or lemon juice which provides tangy taste and flavour to the refreshing drink.
Ginger powder and cardamom powder: Both the spices are equally important for the drink. Don’t skip any of them.
Black pepper powder: Addition of black pepper powder gives nice flavour and heaty touch to the drink.
Salt: A tiny pinch of salt helps to balance the taste of the drink.
Basil leaves: Addition of basil leaves is completely optional. Many people prefer to add holy basil leaves to the naivedyam.
Panakam health benefits
- It helps to get hydrated.
- It is a good source of vitamin C which is very essential for our skin health. It rejuvenates our skin and reduces skin wrinkling and dry skin due to age.
- It is good for our digestive system and helps to prevent constipation.
- It helps to prevent kidney stones.
- Dry ginger aka sonth present in the drink contains antioxidants.
- Jaggery is a good source of iron, potassium and magnesium.
- It is good for high blood pressure patients. Lemon juice contains potassium which helps to hydrate the lymphatic system and controls the blood pressure.
Tips to prepare perfect panakam recipe
Firstly, there is no hard and fast rule to prepare panakam. You can customise the recipe according to your own preferences and likes.
- Always use chilled water to prepare the panakam for immediate serve.
- Addition of ice cubes make the drink more chilled and soothing.
- If you have sweet tooth, then increase the amount of jaggery.
- If you prefer tangy taste, then either increase the amount of lime juice or reduce the amount of jaggery.
- If you like heaty touch to your drink, then increase the amount of black pepper powder.
- Don’t skip cardamom powder and ginger powder from the recipe. Both of them flavour up the drink and enhance the taste of panakam.
How to make panakam?
To prepare panakam recipe, first grate or powder the jaggery and then soak it in water for some time. Stir it regularly so that the jaggery gets dissolved in water.
Then squeeze lemon juice and mix it well. Strain the content with a sieve to remove impurities.
Add cardamom powder, dry ginger powder, black pepper powder and salt, one by one into it and give a mix. Serve the drink straight into the glasses. Add some basil leaves or a pinch of edible camphor if you want to offer the drink to God.
Many summer drinks recipes have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check few of them like
Mango milkshake
Avocado Milkshake
Mango lassi
Banana smoothie
..And Many more…
Ingredients:
1 cup = 250 ml
- 1/4 cup Jaggery, grated or powdered
- 2 cups chilled Water or as required
- 1 Lemon
- ¼ teaspoon Ginger powder
- ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon of Salt
- 8-10 Basil leaves (Optional)
Instructions:
- First grate or powder the jaggery and then soak ½ cup of grated jaggery in 2 cups of water. Stir it regularly so that the jaggery gets dissolved in water.
- Squeeze 1 lemon juice and mix it well.
- Strain the content to remove the impurities.
- Add ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder, ¼ teaspoon dry ginger powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder and ¼ teaspoon salt, one by one into it and give a mix.
- Pour the drink straight into the glasses and serve.
Note: Add some basil leaves or a pinch of edible camphor if you want to offer the drink to God.
Serving Instruction
Pour the panakam aka panagam straight into the glasses. Garnish it with some cardamom pods or basil leaves. Serve chilled and enjoy every sip of the delicious and refreshing summer drink.
How to store panakam?
After preparing the panakam recipe aka panagam, you can refrigerate it for 48 hours but not more than that. The spices would settle down at the bottom. So, don’t forget to give a nice swirl before serving.
Ingredients
1 cup = 250 ml
- 1/4 cup Jaggery, grated or powdered
- 2 cups chilled Water or as required
- 1 Lemon
- ¼ teaspoon Ginger powder
- ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon of Salt
- 8-10 Basil leaves (Optional)
Instructions
- First grate or powder the jaggery and then soak ½ cup of grated jaggery in 2 cups of water. Stir it regularly so that the jaggery gets dissolved in water.
- Squeeze 1 lemon juice and mix it well.
- Strain the content to remove the impurities.
- Add ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder, ¼ teaspoon dry ginger powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder and ¼ teaspoon salt, one by one into it and give a mix.
- Pour the drink straight into the glasses and serve.
Note: Add some basil leaves or a pinch of edible camphor if you want to offer the drink to God.
KITCHEN TOOLS for the recipe:
Measuring Spoons
Measuring Cups
