Panchamirtham Recipe (Palani-Style Home Version)

Quick answer: Palani panchamirtham is the thick, jam-like prasadam of the Dhandayuthapani Swamy (Murugan) temple at Palani in Tamil Nadu, made from five ingredients: banana, jaggery, cow's ghee, honey and cardamom, with dates and sugar candy. It holds a Geographical Indication tag. At home you can make a Palani-style version by mashing ripe bananas with jaggery, ghee, honey and cardamom. It is not the temple prasadam.

What is panchamirtham?

Panchamirtham (Tamil, from Sanskrit pancha amrita, "five nectars") is a name shared by two different offerings:

• Home panchamrit, a liquid of milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar used for abhishekam. See panchamrit recipe.
• Palani panchamirtham, the thick sweet described here, given at the Palani Murugan temple.

According to reports on its GI registration, the Palani panchamirtham is made from banana, cow's ghee, cardamom, jaggery and honey, with dates and sugar candy added, and without water, preservatives or artificial ingredients. It received a Geographical Indication tag in 2019 after an application by the temple in 2016. The temple's own methods and proportions are its own; the home recipe below only follows the same idea.

Ingredients

• Ripe small bananas (such as hill banana, poovan or elaichi bananas): 4 to 5 (about 400 g peeled)
• Jaggery, finely grated or powdered (or Tamil nattu sakkarai, country sugar): 100 g (1/2 US cup, lightly packed)
• Ghee: 2 tablespoons (about 25 g)
• Honey: 2 tablespoons (about 40 g)
• Green cardamom, ground: 1/2 teaspoon
• Seedless dates, finely chopped: 6 to 8 (about 50 g)
• Sugar candy (kalkandu), crushed: 2 tablespoons (about 25 g)
• Raisins (optional): 1 tablespoon (about 12 g)

Method

1. Wash your hands and a clean steel or glass bowl, and keep a separate spoon for the offering.
2. Peel the bananas and mash them with a fork or a wooden masher until mostly smooth, with a few small pieces left.
3. Add the powdered jaggery and mix until it dissolves into the banana.
4. Add the ghee and honey and mix well.
5. Add the cardamom, chopped dates, sugar candy and raisins. Mix gently.
6. If your bananas are not very sweet, add a little more jaggery and mix again.
7. Place the naivedyam portion before Lord Murugan and offer it before anyone eats.

Notes and variations

• Bananas: small, very ripe, fragrant bananas work best. Large Cavendish bananas work but give a softer, wetter mash; use one less banana and a little more jaggery.
• Jaggery: powdered jaggery dissolves without water. If yours is hard, grate it finely; do not add water, which makes the mash runny and spoils faster.
• Texture: the temple's panchamirtham is thick and jam-like. Home versions are softer.

There is nothing to cook, so there is no pressure-cooker or Instant Pot version.

Naivedyam notes

• Panchamirtham is offered to Murugan at home on Tuesdays, Shashti days, Kiruthigai (the Krittika star day) and festivals such as Skanda Shashti and Thai Poosam. Customs vary by family.
• Make it fresh, just before the puja.
• Share it in small spoonfuls after the offering. Do not give it to babies under one year, because of the honey.
• Panchamirtham from Palani is the temple's prasadam; the home version is your family's offering. Describe it that way when sharing.

Swaps for cooks abroad

Allergens and safety

• Milk: ghee.
• Honey and babies: do not give it to a child under one year old. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises against honey for children under 1 because of the risk of infant botulism.
• Bananas: a few people are allergic to banana, often alongside a latex allergy.
• It is very sweet; anyone limiting sugar should take only a small spoonful and follow their doctor's advice.

Storage

Home panchamirtham is best eaten the same day. Banana browns and ferments at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftover within 2 hours in a covered container and use it within a day. Home versions do not keep like the temple's packed prasadam, which is made in a controlled process.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the Palani temple's recipe?

No. The Palani panchamirtham is made by the temple and holds a GI tag. This is a home-style version using the same kinds of ingredients.

What are the five ingredients of Palani panchamirtham?

Reports on its GI tag name banana, jaggery, cow's ghee, honey and cardamom, with dates and sugar candy added.

Is panchamirtham the same as panchamrit?

No. Panchamrit is a liquid of milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar. Palani panchamirtham is a thick banana-based sweet. Both names mean "five nectars".

Can I make it without honey?

Yes, for a household with a baby or for those who avoid honey. Add a little more jaggery. It is then four ingredients rather than five; many families accept this for home use.

Why did my panchamirtham turn watery?

The bananas were very soft or the jaggery had moisture. Use firmer ripe bananas and powdered jaggery, and do not add water.

Related recipes and guides

• Recipes hub
• Panchamrit recipe
• Temple prasadams of India
• Skanda Shashti and the Murugan vrat
• How to offer naivedyam at home
• Naivedyam by festival

Sources

• The News Minute, Tamil Nadu's Palani panchamirtham prasadam given GI tag, 14 August 2019: "five natural substances – banana, cow ghee, cardamom, jaggery and honey", "made without adding any water, preservatives or artificial ingredients"; application filed June 2016.
• Pendulum Edu, Panchamirtham of Palani temple gets Geographical Indication tag: "contains dates and diamond sugar candies that enhances its flavor".
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preventing botulism.

Quantities are typical home proportions. Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.