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    Home » Hot & Cold Beverages

    Aam Panna (Indian Raw Mango Cooler)

    Published: Jun 10, 2014 · Modified: Apr 20, 2023 by Tanvi Srivastava · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Aam Panna is a refreshing sweet and tart indian summer drink made with raw (unripe) mangoes, sugar,and cooling spices like fennel and roasted cumin.

    Beat the heat sipping on this irresistible mango drink packed with vitamins and minerals. Aam panna is simple and quick to make, it is hydrating besides being naturally gluten free and vegan.

    A chilled glass of aam panna, an indian summer cooler made with unripe green mangoes, spices and sugar placed on a brick red background.

    In this post, I am sharing a traditional aam panna recipe that I grew up drinking. You could use the recipe to make a batch of the aam panna concentrate, keep it refrigerated and enjoy panna whenever you want!

    Check out other refreshing summer drinks like mohabbat ka sharbat, mango shikanji, rose falooda, thandai and DIY masala chai concentrate.

    About Aam Panna

    In Hindi, Aam = Mangoes and Panna = Sweet Tart Drink

    Aam panna is also known as kacche aam ka panna or kairi panna. It is a massively popular drink in northern, western and eastern parts of India. As with most traditional recipes in indian cuisine, there are many ways it is prepared across the length and breadth of the country. There are different methods of cooking the unripe mangoes as well as the spices or sweeteners that go in.

    Primarily, aam panna is made using unripe or raw mangoes. Kaccha (meaning raw) aam is quite tart and fruity. Hence aam panna has a unique tart flavor that is balanced by adding sweetness like sugar or jaggery to make a tangy sweet drink.

    Besides raw mango and sugar, fresh or dried mint, kala namak (tangy indian rock salt), roasted cumin & fennel seeds along with a touch of balmy green cardamom powder give aam panna a unique fragrant & cooling taste.

    In modern times, aam panna is used to make cocktails and mocktails by addition of spirits, however in its original form, it is one rustic recipe that will win over your heart and tastebuds with its melange of flavors.

    You could choose to boil the raw mangoes or roast them. I boil them because I thats the taste I am familiar with. At my in laws, they roast the raw mangoes and the flavor profile is smokier. I love them both!

    A white bowl with green unripe mangoes against a black background.

    Aam Panna Benefits

    Not only is it deliciously refreshing, this drink packs a lot of health benefits as long as you consume it in moderation.

    • Aam panna is rich in Vitamin C, thanks to nutrient loaded green mangoes. It may help in boosting immunity.
    • It is a good source of antioxidants.
    • I always heard from my grandmother that aam panna protects the body against loo (harsh indian summer winds). She used to insist that we chug down a glass before stepping out of the house especially on brutal summer afternoons. It may help against sun stroke.
    • The addition of black salt, and minerals from the mangoes make it rich in electrolytes. Consuming a cup of aam panna helps replenish nutrients and rejuvenate the body.
    • Raw mangoes are said to reduce acidity and aid our body's digestive system.
    White bowl containing boiled raw mangoes and sprigs of fresh mint.
    A spoonful of aam panna concentrate.

    How To Make Aam Panna

    Buying Green Mangoes in USA

    I was taught that small unripe , dark green skinned mangoes are best when available in the markets at the start of the mango season. In India, these mangoes start coming in late March and here in indian grocery stores in USA, I have seen them around the same time as well. These petite plump mangoes are super tart and that's exactly what we want.

    However, if you are unable to find green colored raw mangoes, choose yellow unripe mangoes (they are less sour, so you will need less sugar) but do work! I use them all the time. Again, I purchase mine from south asian grocery stores or mexican grocery stores.

    Whenever you cut mangoes, remove and discard the pointed black tip first thing. Cutting that tip reduces the bitter astringency of the unripe fruit. I do the same even for ripe mangoes.

    Cook the Raw Mangoes (Boil or Roast)

    I like to peel off the skins fully before I boil the mangoes. Add to a pressure cooker or steel insert of instant pot, add water and boil for 6-8 whistles or until soft. You could also cook the mangoes in a cooking pot for 20-30 minutes or as needed until they are soft and squishy.

    You may boil the mangoes with skin on if you wish, the only reason I don't do so being that I feel that scraping the pulp off the skin later is messy and involves bit of a wastage. I could be wrong!

    To make aam panna without boiling the mangoes, you could also roast them. Place the mangoes directly over gas flame or open grill. You will need to flip them from time to time (use tongs) to cook from all sides. This is similar to how we roast eggplant for making bharta.

    Mash the Boiled Mangoes

    Let the cooked mangoes cool down completely. Once the mangoes are safe to touch, pick them out of the water and place in a large bowl. Don't discard the liquid from boiling, we are going to use it.

    Using your hands, squish the boiled mangoes long and hard and remove all their pulp. Depending on how unripe your mango is, you will have a tiny soft seed or a hard seed in the center. Take off all the flesh from the seed. Discard the seeds.

    3 ways in which you can mash the mangoes :-

    1. Add the liquid we saved from boiling, using your hands, mash the mango pulp. Many people blend the pulp too, however I don't. I saw my grandmother, mashing it with hands (to preserve the texture from strings found in the mango pulp). Aam panna is not supposed to be a blended drink, however if you wish so, you can process the mango pulp.
    2. Sieve the hand mashed mango pulp through a soup colander/sieve and press down the pulp using a wooden spoon to make it finer.
    3. If you want a really smooth pulp, you could blend the pulp in a blender jar. Do keep in mind that blending will completely change the texture of panna (will be thickish)
    Step photos showing how to prepare, pressure cook and mash green unripe mangoes.
    step photos showcasing crushing the spices for making indian green mango cooler.

    Make The Aam Panna Concentrate

    Quantity of Sugar - I am assuming that you have the ideal unripe mangoes. Meaning they are super tart. You will add more sugar (about 1.5 times) than the mashed mango pulp quantity. Sounds like a lot of sugar and it is. But you need this much sugar to balance out the tartness of mangoes and get the ideal aam panna taste.

    Crush the Spices - I prefer freshly dry roasting the cumin & fennel seeds in a small pan over low medium heat. Crush them using a mortar pestle.

    Use a separate mortar pestle and crush the green cardamom seeds to preserve their delicate scent. (images 5-8)

    Finely chop few leaves(5-6) of fresh mint. You could use dried mint as well.

    Add the spices, sugar, salt, kala namak(or rock salt) and mint to the mashed mango pulp. Mix well using a spoon until the sugar is dissolved. Your concentrate is ready. Store it for 2-3 weeks in the fridge and use as you like. Always use a clean spoon to scoop.

    Make The Aam Panna Drink

    Anytime you want to make the drink out of panna concentrate, add about ¼ cup of concentrate to a cup and top with 8 to 10 oz water or unflavored sparkling water (I do so) . Add ice cubes, a sprig of fresh mint and serve!

    I remember using a spoon at the end of drinking and eating the remaining mango pulp at the bottom of the glass. That's why I serve the panna with a spoon 🙂

    step pictures showing how to make aam panna concentrate from the boiled raw mangoes, spices and sugar.
    Step by step images of showing how to make the panna drink

    Variations

    • Aam Panna Cocktail - Add a shot of vodka or tequila to spike the aam panna concentrate.
    • Make Aam Panna Mocktail- Add pineapple juice, fresh citrus juices or berry syrups to make a variety of mocktails. Personally, I like pairing it with tropical fruit juices.
    • Use Jaggery instead of sugar - The taste and color of aam panna with jaggery (gud) is different but so good. You could use jaggery powder (it will make the panna deep brown in color) or kolhapuri jaggery (it preserves the color quite a bit). Grate the jaggery block and stir until it dissolves. Jaggery also boosts the iron content of panna.
    • Aam Panna With Soda - Simply pop open a can of club soda or sparkling water and use instead of regular water.
    • Pudina Aam Panna- Blend the mango pulp with handful of fresh mint leaves. The color will become green and the taste of aam panna becomes minty.
    • Aam Panna with ripe mangoes - For the real panna taste, it's best that you use green unripe mangoes. However I will direct you to recipe of this mango shikanji using ripe mangoes that is a perfect summer cooler!

    Recipe Tips

    • Preferably use tart unripe mangoes for the perfect taste.
    • Keep in mind to not overdo spices or mint. Panna needs to have a pronounced taste of the mangoes.
    • If your mangoes are sweetish, reduce the sugar quantity to keep the drink on the tangy side.
    • Using my recipe, there will be pulp at the bottom of cup, serve a spoon on the side.
    • Towards the end of green mango season, the mangoes that come in the market are quite stringy and fibrous with large hard shelled seeds inside, I would avoid using those.
    Indian green mango cooler in a cup and a large jug placed on a rustic wooden board.
    Aam Panna Featured Image.

    Aam Panna - Indian Green Mango Cooler

    Tanvi Srivastava
    Aam Panna is a refreshing indian summer drink made with raw mangoes, sugar, and spices.Beat the heat with this delicious cooling drink packed with vitamins and minerals.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Drinks
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 8 to 10 servings
    Calories 181 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 450 g green mangoes after mashing yielded about 350g of mango pulp
    • 1.5 cup water for pressure cooking
    • 300 g sugar or adjust to taste
    • 2 green cardamom pods seeds only
    • 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
    • ¼ teaspoon roasted fennel seeds powder
    • 2 teaspoon kala namak indian rock salt
    • ½ teaspoon tables salt adjust to taste
    • 5-6 mint leaves

    For a Single Serving of Aam Panna

    • 3-4 tablespoon aam panna concentrate adjust as needed
    • 8-10 oz water
    • ice cubes, mint leaves to serve

    Instructions
     

    Cook The Green Mangoes

    • Wash the mangoes and remove their tops. Peel the mango skis using a vegetable peeler or knife.
    • Place in a pressure cooker or steel insert of you instant pot along 1.5 cup of water. Close the lid and boil for 6-8 whistles or until soft. You could also cook the mangoes in a cooking pot for 20-30 minutes or as needed until they are soft and squishy. 
      Let cool down till okay to touch. Don't discard the liquid from boiling, we are going to use it.
    • Using your hands, squish the boiled mangoes and remove all their pulp. Depending on how unripe your mango is, you will have a tiny seed or a hard seed in the middle. Take off all the flesh from the seed. Discard the seed.
      See recipe notes for more methods to mash mangoes.

    Prep the spices (while the mangoes are cooking)

    • I prefer freshly dry roasting the cumin & fennel seeds. Add the spices to a small and dry roast on low flame keeping an eye until toasty and slightly smoky.
      Let cook a little and then crush them using a mortar pestle. 
    • Use a separate mortar pestle and crush the green cardamom seeds to preserve their delicate scent. Or you could use ready to use green cardamom powder.
    • Finely chop few leaves(5-6) of fresh mint. You could use dried mint as well. 

    Make The Aam Panna Concentrate

    • Add the spices, sugar, salt, kala namak (or rock salt) and mint to the mashed mango pulp. Mix well using a spoon until the sugar is dissolved. Your concentrate is ready. Store it for 2-3 weeks in the fridge and use as you like. Always use a clean spoon to scoop. 

    Make The Aam Panna Drink

    • Anytime you want to make the drink out of panna concentrate, add about ¼ cup of aam panna concentrate to a large cup and top with 8 to 10 oz water or unflavored sparkling water (I do so) . Add ice cubes, a sprig of fresh mint and serve chilled! 
      I remember using a spoon at the end of drinking and eating the mango pulp at the bottom of the glass. Thats why I serve the panna with a spoon 🙂

    Notes

    3 ways to mash the Cooked Mangoes
    • Add the liquid we saved from boiling, using your hands, mash the mango pulp. Many people blend the pulp too, however I don't. I saw my grandmother, mashing it with hands (to preserve the texture from strings found in the mango pulp). Aam panna is not supposed to be a blended drink, however if you wish so, you can process the mango pulp.
    • Sieve the hand mashed mango pulp through a soup colander/sieve and press down the pulp using a wooden spoon to make it finer.
    • If you want a really smooth pulp, you could blend the pulp in a blender jar. Do keep in mind that blending will completely change the texture of panna (will be thickish).
    Variations You Can Try 
    • Aam Panna Cocktail - Add a shot of vodka or tequila to spike the aam panna concentrate.
    • Make Aam Panna Mocktail- Add pineapple juice, fresh citrus juices or berry syrups to make a variety of mocktails. Personally, I like pairing it with tropical fruit juices.
    • Use Jaggery instead of sugar - The taste and color of aam panna with jaggery (gud) is different but so good. You could use jaggery powder (it will make the panna deep brown in color) or kolhapuri jaggery (it preserves the color quite a bit). Grate the jaggery block and stir until it dissolves. Jaggery also boosts the iron content of panna.
    • Aam Panna With Soda - Simply pop open a can of club soda or sparkling water and use instead of regular water.
    • Pudina Aam Panna- Blend the mango pulp with handful of fresh mint leaves. The color will become green and the taste of aam panna becomes minty.
    • Aam Panna with ripe mangoes - For the real panna taste, it's best that you use green unripe mangoes. However I will direct you to recipe of this mango shikanji using ripe mangoes that is a perfect summer cooler!
    Recipe Tips
    • Preferably use tart unripe mangoes for the perfect taste.
    • You could blend the boiled or roasted mango pulp if you wish. 
    • Keep in mind to adjust the sugar quantity depending on tartness and quantity of mango pulp that you get after discarding the seed. 
    • If your mangoes are sweetish, reduce the sugar quantity to keep the drink on the tangy side.
    • Avoid adding lot of spices or mint. Panna needs to have a pronounced taste of the mangoes.
    • Using my recipe, there will be pulp at the bottom of cup, serve a spoon on the side.
    • Towards the end of green mango season, the mangoes that come in the market are quite stringy and fibrous with large hard shelled seeds inside, I would avoid using those.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 181kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 1gFat: 0.4gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 587mgPotassium: 109mgFiber: 1gSugar: 45gVitamin A: 638IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 0.4mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!


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    Filed Under: Hot & Cold Beverages

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anjana @ At The Corner Of Happy & Harried

      June 10, 2014 at 5:36 pm

      Nothing better than aam panna in summer. Great recipe!

      Reply
    2. Deepa

      June 10, 2014 at 6:54 pm

      This is the best possible drink that one can have in this summer. Wonderfully prepared.
      Deepa

      Reply
    3. Sadhna Grover

      June 10, 2014 at 8:43 pm

      Very nice drink and nice photos. It is really a great drink for summer, thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    4. Rosa May (@RosasYummyYums)

      June 10, 2014 at 10:08 pm

      Refreshing and exquisite!

      Cheers,

      Rosa

      Reply
    5. Shibi@FlavzCorner

      June 11, 2014 at 10:39 am

      Beautiful pictures!!!

      Reply
    6. Nik@ABrownTable

      June 11, 2014 at 5:10 pm

      This is the perfect drink for summer, Tanvi!

      Reply
    7. pink and black

      June 11, 2014 at 9:40 pm

      Tanvi, i found a packaged drink of Aam Panna in flight and grabbed it cuz thats how much i love Aam Panna, never had the courage to try this at home though

      Reply
    8. Joyti

      June 12, 2014 at 10:17 am

      Wow, I've never heard of aam pana but it sounds great...it sounds really refreshing. If only the weather was nicer here....

      I love the photographs! You are SO good!

      Reply
    9. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com

      June 13, 2014 at 8:42 pm

      Beautiful photos and recipe, Tanvi. So thirsty!!!

      Reply
    10. Lail | With A Spin

      June 13, 2014 at 9:03 pm

      Refreshing and third quenching!

      Reply
    11. Shumaila The Novice Housewife

      June 14, 2014 at 11:05 am

      Gorgeous click Tanvi! And I love that glass 🙂 and of course the drink too 🙂

      Reply
    12. Archana @ The Perfect Zest

      June 16, 2014 at 7:15 am

      its been ages since I've had Aam Panha.. I must try it again. Your photographs are gorgeous!

      Reply
    13. Mango

      June 16, 2014 at 2:19 pm

      I loooovvve mangos, but I am ashamed to admit that I have never seen a recipe before that uses unripe mangos.....you have opened my eyes to even more possibilities with this wonderful fruit! 🙂

      Reply

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