PUNJABI PANJIRI / PANJIRI

Panjiri is a staple food from Punjab and treated as highly nutritional supplement, specially for growing children and nursing mothers. It is consumed in winters due to its hot properties. It is made with whole wheat flour laced with dry fruits which not only makes it super food but tasty too.

 

INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp semolina/ Suji / Rawa
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup pista
1/2 cup gond ( edible gum)
1/4 cup magaz (melon seeds)

2 tsp khus (poppy seeds) optional

1cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup ginger powder

1 tsp saunf powder (fennel seeds powder)

1 tsp elachi powder (cardamom powder)

2+2 tbsp ghee (clarified ghee)

1/4 cup Lotus stem (optional)

METHOD

Heat 2-3 tbsp of ghee and roast gond till it doubles in size as shown in pic below.

Using same ghee roast almonds, cashews, pista, melon seeds, khus and rawa. Keep aside.

Once this come down to room temperature, blend to make coarse mixture, make sure not to make it to fine powder. You can keep handful of nuts aside for garnishing.

Now add 2 tbsp more and roast whole wheat flour (Atta) on low flame, stirring in between, till it becomes fragrant. This will take around 10-15 minutes. 

Once it is golden in color and aromatic turn the flame off.

Add roasted suji, nuts powder, saunth powder, elachi powder and saunf powder.

Enjoy warm or serve at room temperature with warm glass of milk.

NOTES:

1. Keep roasting gond on low to medium heat till it doubles in size.

2.  You can keep 1/4 cup aside of roasted nuts mix for garnishing.

3. Lotus stem (Makhane) too is added in this recipe but this time I skipped it. You can simply roast it like other dry fruits till crispy and crunchy. 

4. To give it a more healthy twist you can add flax seeds, sunflower seeds too.

5. It's not necessary to roast suji / rawa separately, you can mix both atta and suji and roast it together. 

6. Don't over add ghee while roasting atta else it will become sticky. For granulated panjiri add less ghee while roasting atta.

7. One of the most important point to kept in mind is: add sugar when atta is at room temperature, don't add sugar even if it is warm.

8. It can be stored in air-tight jar upto 3 weeks.

9. I give this as evening snack (around half bowl) with warm glass of milk to my kids.

Pictorial:

1. Heat 2 tbsp ghee add gond.

2. Roast till it doubles in size.

3. Remove gond and add almonds.

3. Roast till brown.

4. Remove almonds and add cashews.

5. Roast till golden in colour.

6. Roast pista.

7. Add melon seeds.

8. Roast till brown.

9. Add khus.

10. Roast.

 








11. All the roasted ingredients are ready. 












12. Transfer in food processor or blender and give a quick pulse to make coarse powder.











13. Make sure not to make fine powder. Keep aside.











14. Add 1 tbsp ghee and roast rawa.

15. Keep aside.











16. For roasting atta we don't require more than 2-3 tbsp spoon. If ghee is less add more and roast atta.

17. Atta is roasted and turned brown. Turn off the flame.











18. Once atta cools down completely add powdered sugar and nuts powder.

19. Mix well and serve.

20. Garnish with extra roasted nuts (which we kept aside before blending).

VEGETABLE SPRING ROLL

Serves: 10-12 rolls
INGREDIENTS 
2 cups noodles
1 sliced onion
1 small sliced onion
1 medium sized sliced carrot
1 cup sliced cabbage (optional)
1 inch ginger julienne
2-3 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cups all-purpose flour  (you can use one cup whole wheat and one cup all-purpose flour too)
water for kneading soft and firm dough
2 tbsp cornflour

METHOD

 Slice vegetables and keep aside.

Knead dough using all purpose flour or you can mix whole wheat flour with half teaspoon salt.

Boil 4-5 cups of water in deep heavy pan and boil noodles till half done. Make sure not to over cook.

Wash with fresh water, discard excess water and sprinkle some oil over it. Keep aside.


In pan or wok, heat some oil add onion and saute on high flame for about a minute, add rest of the vegetables. Saute on high flame. till it become soft don't over cook. Add tomato sauce, soya sauce, salt, sugar and vinegar. Add noodle and mix well.

Turn off the flame and keep aside.

Make a thick paste of cornflour and water for sealing the roll.

Divide dough into 10-12 equal parts. Each part should be of medium sized ball.

Roll the ball big and thin as shown in pic below.

Put a handful of noodles towards one end. Apply cornflour paste at all the ends and fold in a method shown in pic below.

Deep fry in hot oil over medium flame till golden and crisp.

Cut into 3-4 slices and serve hot or pack in kids school tiffin.

Pictorial:








1. Knead the dough adding little salt and keep aside.

2. Boil noodles till half cooked.

3. Discard excess water and keep aside.

4. Slice the vegetables.

5. Saute onion on high flame till translucent, add remaining vegetables and cook on high flame.

6. Add tomato sauce.

7. Add soya sauce, sugar and salt.

8. Vinegar.

9. Add noodles and cook on high flame for 5 minutes.









10. Divide dough in equal portion and roll it thin and long.









11. Make thick paste of cornflour and water.

12. Keep noodles. Apply cornflour paste on the edges all over.

13. Starting folding like this.

14. Deep fry.

PANEER LABADAR

Kids love paneer specially if it made in creamy and buttery gravy. Here I am sharing another paneer recipe being cherished by my kids. Paneer labadar is a side dish which can served with tandoori roti or with plain chapati. It requires less ingredients as compared to shahi paneer and tastes heavenly. Do try this recipe and share your feedback.

Serves 5-6 bowls
INGREDIENTS 
1/2 kg paneer
2 large slice or roughly chopped onions
4 sliced or roughly chopped tomatoes
2-3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 inch cinnamon
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
8-10 cashew nuts
3-4 tbsp butter
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
3-4 tbsp cream

1 tsp kasuri meethi
1 tsp honey or sugar
2-3 tbsp oil

METHOD
In a pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds, cinnamon and bay leaves, let it splutter. Add onion, let it saute till soft and translucent. Add ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes and cashew-nuts (I forgot to add cashews at this stage). Add 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook till tomatoes become soft.

Transfer the mix in grinder except for bay leaves. Blend to make smooth and fine paste. Pour this paste back in pan with bay leaves, adding butter to it. Add salt, coriander powder and red chilli powder and let it cook for around 10-15 minutes.

Add paneer cubes, kasuri meethi and honey. Turn off the flame and add cream. Add water if curry becomes too thick.

Serve hot with tandoori roti without tandoor.

Pictorial:








1. In pan, add oil let it become hot, add bay leaves, cumin and cinnamon. Let it splutter.

2. Add sliced or roughly chopped onion.

3. Ginger-garlic paste and saute for about 5 minutes.

4. Add tomatoes.

5. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and cook till tomatoes are soft.

6. It's done.

7. Leave the bay leaves in pan.

8. Transfer it in blender jar.

9. Add cashews. (I forgot to add it with tomatoes)

10. Blend to make smooth paste.

11. Transfer this paste back in pan with butter.

12. Add salt, red chilli, coriander powder and cook for about  10-15 minutes.

13. Pan have started leaving the sides.

14. Add paneer cubes.

15. Add kasuri meethi.

16. Honey.









17. Turn off the flame. Add cream.

 18. Mix well.

19. Serve hot with freshly chopped coriander leaves.

20. Closer look!