Ganne ka Ras Homemade Sugarcane Juice Recipe

Ganne ka Ras – the first sign of Spring/Summer in Lahore

Old cities develop certain rituals over passing centuries that begin to appear regularly on it’s streets, rather proudly, over special occasions, festivals and with the changing of season. Lahore also has these street rituals and some of these are so set in stone that they smoothly keep guiding our eating habits from winter to summer and then back.

In winter the roasted chestnuts and peanuts stalls mushroom out of nowhere suddenly. Makeshift shops start selling Hot & Sour Soup and Kashmiri Pink Chai on every street corner. But as soon as the slightest signs of heat reappear, you’ll see vendors switching to fruit chaat, dahi bhalay and cooler snacks. Thirst quenchers become the need of the hour and a tall glass of pure Ganne ka Ras feels refreshingly divine.

Why Make Ganne ka Ras At Home?

My husband and I love Ganne ka Ras or freshly squeezed sugarcane juice on a hot summer afternoon. And like most Lahorites enjoyed drinking it from the roadside vendors for many years as an economical way to beat the heat and a fast fix for dipping sugar levels. Then the alarm bells started ringing in early 2000s that declared all the uncooked food sold on the street-side, especially fruit juices and other liquids, as the main source of spreading Hepatitis C and Typhoid in the city.

That’s when I switched to making most of our favorite street foods and drinks at home. Especially the ones that involved dubious source of water/ice in preparation and unhygienic way of washing and serving utensils. While we still miss the fun part of enjoying those foods on the roadside, we are happy to stay safe and healthy. And most recipes recreated at home with better ingredients actually taste better too.

 Ganne ka Ras (Sugarcane Juice) Health Benefits

Hailing from an agricultural family of Punjab, I always saw sugarcanes piled in our pantry fresh from our village when in season. Also my father kept bringing the peeled sugarcane chunks, called ganderi, to chew on in summer.

The ganderian are also sold on roadsides and popularly consumed as a snack. You chew on them, gulping the juice and spitting out the husk. I never liked doing that activity as I always found the quantity of juice obtained that way very unsatisfying. But my father always urged that it was areal good exercise for jaws. 

I preferred to be content with the yummy flavor and other health benefits that I could get from a glassful of juice as well. The fresh juice tastes very sweet with a slight hint of caramel. Those of you who have tasted organic molasses, brown sugar or jaggery/gur can imagine the flavor as those are obtained from cooking the sugarcane juice.

There are so many health benefits of drinking sugarcane juice or ganne ka ras that it is advised that you consume one glass every day in summers. While some might object that ganne ka ras contains a high amount of sugar, it is surprisingly perfect for weight loss. This happens because sugarcane juice helps clear your gut, the high amount of fiber keeps you full for longer, increases metabolism and eventually leads to weight loss.

Ganne ka ras is said to be one of the best natural treatments for liver-related diseases like jaundice. As sugarcane juice is alkaline in nature, it helps in maintaining the electrolyte balance in the body and improves liver function. Drinking ganne ka ras with a pinch of rock salt can be amazing to instantly energize and hydrate the body.

Sugarcane, being rich in minerals like calcium and phosphorus also helps build tooth enamel, strengthen teeth and overcomes bad breath. It helps kidneys functions smoothly and reduces inflammation. Being an all natural source of sugar, if consumed moderately can help balance blood sugar levels. It can be added to desserts instead of processed sugar.

Tips & Substitute

• Make a lovely mocktail with coconut water and fresh mint added to this recipe.
• Apple and Orange juice also pair well with fresh sugarcane juice.
• If you can’t find fresh sugarcane where you live, take 1 cup crushed jaggery/gur or organic brown sugar and blend it with water, ice and other ingredients in this recipe to make ganne ka ras.