Panha (Green Mango Drink)

Panha is a cool refreshing drink made with unripe green mango. It is a seasonal drink that can be made only when unripe mangoes are available in the market from March to May.

Panha takes me back to my school days. My mother used to make this drink for us when we got back from school. We would reach the house around 4:30 pm famished and hot. Goa where I grew up had one season - summer. It was milder in December and unbearable in April. This cool drink was most welcome on those hot days.

During the month of Chaitra Ambyachi dal (ambe dal) and panha both featuring unripe green mangoes are very popular in Maharashtrian homes. There are a couple ways of making panha. Today I am posting the recipe for panha made with cooked unripe green mangoes.

This is the 150th post on this blog. I wanted it to be something sweet and sour.

You will need
1 large unripe green mango
1/4 cup sugar
1 pod cardamom
a pinch of salt

Pressure cook the mango with a little water.

Peel the mango and strip the cooked pulp from the seed. Transfer the pulp to a blender. Add 1 cup of water and the sugar. Blend together. Shell and pound the seeds of the cardamom. Add them to the concentrate. This concentrate can be refrigerated until it is needed. Pour the concentrate into three glasses. A half a cup of water to each glass and mix together. Serve chilled.

Enjoy!

Ambe dal / Ambyachi Dal / Green Mango with Channa Dal

Ambyachi dal is made with green mangoes that are available only during the spring. It is a sweet and tangy but filling snack. It reminds me of my school days in Goa, a place with just one season - summer. December was mild but March/April was unbearable. We got home from school around 4:30 pm and my mother would always have some snack waiting for us. On hot spring days she would make ambyachi dal and panha. This post is in her memory.

My mother was a very positive person and always looked at the bright side. This season reminds me of her. Flowers and trees are in bloom and mango season is right round the corner. These are some blooms from the local arboretum.

Green (raw) mangoes are available in the market only during this season. While they are mostly used for pickling there are some dishes that use fresh green mango and therefore are made during this month. I had shared the jaggery mustard pickle earlier this month. Ambyachi dal is another such dish.

Ambyachi dal is usually served with panha a delicious raw mango drink.

You will need
2 cups channa dal
1 raw green mango
2 tbsp. fresh shredded coconut
1/4 cup cilantro
1 Serrano pepper, deseeded and minced
salt to taste
1 tbsp. paprika or 1 tsp. red chili powder (adjust to taste)
2 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. asafoetida
2 tsp. turmeric powder

Soak the dal for at least 5-6 hours until soaked through. The dal should not be crunchy but should not be mushy either. On a cold day this may take up to 8 hours. Drain and discard all but 3 tbsp. of the water in which the dal was soaked. Coarsely grind the dal with the reserved water in a food processor. Do not make a paste.

Mince the serrano pepper after removing the seeds. Dice the cilantro. Shred the raw mango and discard the seed in the middle.

In a pan heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle turn off the heat and add the asafoetida and turmeric powder. Keep aside.

In a bowl combine the ground dal, the shredded mango, the minced pepper, the diced cilantro and the shredded coconut.

Add salt, sugar and paprika. Mix it all together.

Pour the oil and mustard mixture over the top and mix well. Check seasoning, adjust salt and paprika if needed.

Enjoy!