Panakam and Neer Mor - Neivedhyam

Neer Mor (Diluted Buttermilk) and Paanagam (Jaggery Juice) are definite Neivedhyam for Rama Navami.

Ram Navami or राम नवमी is celebrated marking the birth of Lord Rama, son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya, and a divine figure in Hinduism believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The day also known as Sri Rama Navami, falls on the Navami, ninth day of the Chaitra month of Hindu lunar year in 'Shukla paksha' or waxing moon, thus named Chaitra Masa Suklapaksha Navami, and marks the end of nine-day Chaitra-Navratri celebrations.

Source: Wikipedia

This version of Neer mor is my favorite. It has a good cooling effect on the body. Probably that is the reason why it is served during Rama Navami festival that falls in April, which is the on-set of summer in India.

Source: Wikipedia
Panakam is the drink made from Jaggery seasoned with cardamom, ginger and pepper powder. It has high medicinal values too. So, these 2 are those refreshing drinks I would like to have in anytime of the year!

Neer Mor
Diluted Buttermilk
Serves 2
What we need:
Curd - 5 to 6 tbsp.
Water - 1 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Asafoetida - 2 pinch
Green Chilli - 2 or 3 tbsp., minced
Coriander - 3 to 4 tbsp.,minced
Grated ginger - 2 tbsp.
Salt - as needed
Grated Mango - 2 to 3 tbsp. Optional


How to do:
In a bowl, add curd, water, milk and whip well. Add all other ingredients, mix well and serve chilled. Stir well before drinking.


If you do not want to pick out the chillies, coriander or ginger, grind together all these ingredients and mix it with the buttermilk.

Panakam
Spiced Jaggery Water
Serves 2

Trying to capture the reflection of Lord Rama in the panakam


What we need:
Jaggery powder - 5 to 6 tbsp. (or you can also grate pieces of Jaggery)
Pepper powder - 2 pinch
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp.
Grated Ginger or Dry Ginger powder (Chukku podi) - 3 tbsp.
Water - 2 cups


How to do:
In about half a cup of water, dissolve the jaggery. Drain to remove any impurities. Add water and mix all other ingredients. Serve chilled.


Now coming to the event part, this is the first event I am participating since I started blogging. Sending this entry to WYF: Festive Treat Event at Simple Indian Food

Buttermilk is lower in fat and calories than regular milk because the fat
from buttermilk has already been removed to make butter. It is high in
potassium, vitamin B12 and calcium. Buttermilk is more easily digestible
than whole milk and it also contains more lactic acid than skim milk.