Panaka is a traditional drink which is prepared on Ram Navami. Ram Navami is a festival celebrated as the birth of Lord Rama. Panaka, neer Majjige, Kosambari is offered as Naivedyam or prasad to Lord Rama and distributed to people. As Sri Rama Navami falls in summer, Panaka, Majjige, and Kosambari have a cooling effect as well, which is required due to the intense heat in Summer. Panaka is prepared in different types with different fruits and spices, Karbuja Panaka is a common drink in south Karnataka. It is simple and easy to make the drink with fewer ingredients.

Preparation time – 20 min

Serves – 4

Ingredients –

Karbuja /musk melon – 1 no

Jaggery – 1 cup grated

Elachi – 3 no

Fresh lemon juice – 1 tsp

How to make or prepare karbuja panaka or musk melon drink – 

Peal/remove the skin of musk melon, remove the seeds in it

(Always prefer to select a ripe muskmelon to make panaka, which can be squeezed easily by hand)

Peal/remove the skin of musk melon, remove the seeds in it. chop it roughly squeeze/mash it to a pulp or puree.

Take a vessel to add water 3 to 4 cups/as needed to jaggery stir until dissolves fully/ set aside for 15 min, then strain it to avoid dust in jaggery.

Now mix Musk melon puree to jaggery water, Crush cardamom into a coarse powder,

Squeeze fresh lemon juice into, stir, add cardamom powder.

Traditional Ramanavami panaka is ready to serve.