As the summer heat crawls upon us, we all crave thirst-quenching, cooling drinks. This refreshing kiwi drink reminds Sujata of her summer childhood days in India gulping Panna, a delicious raw mango drink.
Summers and mangoes go hand-in-hand in India. Since mangoes are available only during the summer, people waste no time in devouring the tropical fruit. Not only are ripe mangoes popular, but raw mangoes are delicious too and can be used to make pickles, chutneys and a refreshing drink called Panna. Panna simply means a tangy drink. In Maharashtra, Sujata’s home state, they call it kairi (raw mango) Panna. To make a traditional Panna, raw mangoes are boiled and the pulp is mixed with aromatic spices to make the nourishing and cooling drink. The drink is sweetened either by jaggery or sugar and served chilled.
Since raw mangoes are hard to find in the States, especially in Arizona, we decided to re-create a summer drink similar to Panna. We are definitely not trying to trick you by replacing raw mangoes with kiwis. Instead, this is a delicious alternative.
Kiwis are sweet and sour and full of vitamin C, similar to the sweet and sour taste of raw mangoes. With a bit of saffron and cardamom, you can turn the fruit into an exotic drink. Though jaggery or brown sugar is recommended, it is optional. The balance of the sweet and sour flavors and spices is the key to this drink.
If you want to make this drink a little fun, add a splash of your favorite alcohol. The perfect cocktail for a hot summer day!
If you make this Kiwi Panna (Refreshing Kiwi Cardamom Cooler), drop a comment and/or give it a rating! We’d love to hear how it turns out. Also, if you make this recipe, make sure to tag us on Instagram!
Kiwi Panna (Refreshing Kiwi Cardamom Cooler)
Ingredients
- 2 semi-ripe or ripe kiwis
- 1 ¼ cups ice-cold water
- ⅛ tsp cardamom powder
- ¼ cup grated jaggery or brown sugar
- pinch saffron
- ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
- Peel the kiwis and cut them into chunks. Blend the kiwis with all the remaining ingredients in a blender. Pour the drink into your favorite glasses with some ice and serve.
- The refreshing drink can also be spiked with your favorite alcohol to make a refreshing cocktail. We recommend some vodka or tequila.
