Because we couldn’t wait a few more days…

… for Sri Rama Navami, we made loads of delectable panakam at home today. Also, because Bangalore seems to have turned into a dusty and arid desert these days, and we needed to feel the icy cool of the liquid in our throats.

Here’s how we made it:

Ingredients (enough for 2-3 people):

4 glasses of water

About 1 glass of jaggery, powdered

Juice of 1-1/2 lemons

A pinch of edible camphor, powdered (not to be confused with the camphor that we light in temples and for poojas)

A pinch of salt

About 2 teaspoons dry ginger powder

Cardamom powder, to taste (retain the skins of the cardamom)

A few holy basil (tulsi) leaves

Method:

1.Dissolve the jaggery in the water entirely.

2. Add all the other ingredients, except the cardamom powder and the skins.

3. Mix well.

4. Use a strainer to strain out the impurities and retain the liquid.

5. Add the cardamom powder and the skins. Mix well.

6. Taste and make changes accordingly.

7. Let the panakam sit for a couple of hours before you drink it, so that all the flavours get incorporated in the water nicely. It tastes best when refrigerated.

How do you make panakam at your place?