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Panchamrit
Milk, curd, ghee and honey offering
पंचामृत: the five-nectar milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar prasad of Janmashtami
Panchamrit, the 'five nectars', is poured over the image of baby Krishna at the midnight abhishek on Janmashtami and then given out to everyone in the room in a spoonful cupped in the palm. It is made across India for pujas, from Gujarat to Bengal, with five fixed parts: milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar, plus tulsi leaves and sometimes a few makhana or chopped banana in the north. It tastes sweet, creamy and a little tangy. Common mistake: using hot milk or sour curd, which makes it split and thin; everything should be cool and the curd fresh, and it is ready when it is smooth and pourable like thin custard. Many families treat it as fasting food for the day, but traditions differ on honey and cooked milk, so follow your own household. Chef's tip: stir the honey into a little of the milk first so it loosens before it goes into the cold curd, otherwise it sets in sticky lumps.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the panchamrit
- 1 cup full-fat milkboiled and cooled
- 4 ½ oz plain yoghurt (dahi)fresh, not sour
- 1 tsp ghee
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sugaror mishri
Optional additions
- 10 makhana (fox nuts) (optional)halved
- ½ banana (optional)finely chopped
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Whisk 4 ½ oz plain yoghurt (dahi) in a bowl until smooth, then slowly whisk in most of 1 cup full-fat milk.
2 minStep 3: Stir in 1 tsp ghee, tear in 8 tulsi (holy basil) leaves and add 10 makhana (fox nuts) and ½ banana if using. It should be pourable and silky. Use it for the abhishek, then serve in small spoonfuls the same day.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 85 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does panchamrit take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of plain yoghurt (dahi)?
- Greek yoghurt loosened with a little milk.
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Perfect for:Janmashtami