Mango Panna

During summer in India when the temps soar and lethargy sets in, all you want to do is drink something cold and not move a muscle.  Watermelon, coconut water, cucumber, and lemons… all these great summer coolers come in handy. Another very popular and fave summer drink is Mango panna. It is a tangy refreshing raw mango drink to beat the heat. An ideal sweet and sour summer cooler for when mangoes are in abundance.
The tangy sourness of the raw mango is balanced by sugar and black salt. So the recipe here is just a guideline. All the quantities will depend on how sour the mangoes are. Addition of mint and roasted crushed cumin seeds gives it a flavor boost. Serve it on the rocks and enjoy.

Ingredients:
4 medium sized raw mangoes
6 cups of water
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp Black salt
1 tsp salt
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
Freshly ground black pepper, optional
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

1. Place the raw mangoes in a pressure cooker and add 2 cups of water.
2. Pressure cook for 2 minutes on simmer after the whistle. Let cool.
3. Scoop out all the pulp from the mango seed and peel. Discard the peel and seed.
4. Add remaining water, salt, black salt, roasted cumin powder and blend using a hand blender. 
5. Finely chop mint leaves and add to the mix. If desired, add some freshly ground black pepper. 
6. Taste the concoction. Based on the ripeness of the mangoes, the drink might require more sugar and/or salt. It should be a balance of sweet-sour-salty. So add more of sugar and/or black salt if needed.
7. Chill before serving. Make sure to give it a stir (as the pulp might have settled down) before pouring in a tall glass filled with ice.