Written by: Amna Naseem
Posted on: December 23, 2020 | 
Panjiri with Dried Fruits and Nuts
As the chilly winter weather and harsh cold winds sweep through the country, people often huddle together by the heater and snack on their favorite treats as a family tradition. The changing season brings a lot of different food items, from citrus, to nuts, to some of our favorite winter snacks. In Karachi, Hyderabad and some parts of Punjab, Panjiri (or Panjeeri) is considered a favorite local treat alongside these popular snacks, though not much is known about its origins. Panjiri is a sweet and moist delicacy made from whole-wheat flour fried in sugar and clarified butter (ghee), that is considered as a powerhouse of energy in most Punjabi households.
Initially made as an Ayurvedic (Indian holistic healing) medicine for the Hindus and later Sikhs, this dish has its roots in both Indian and Pakistani Punjab. It has since spread to parts of Sindh, North India and even Jammu and Kashmir. Panjiri, like Peendiyan, are deeply important nutritional snacks for people of the Punjab: farmers or migrants set out to do tough labour would often be given either of the treats to keep up their strength and remind them of home. The difference is, compared to the ball-shaped Peendiyan, Panjiri is more like a powder. It has been seen as a meaningful, ritualistic dish, and each family has its special version of the treat. This is perhaps why it is not as commercially famous as other sweet treats of India, because the recipe is so deeply embedded in a Punjabi family’s particular traditions and tastes.
Combining Flour and Butter for the Panjiri
Panjiri is often prepared for festivals and religious celebrations like Krishna Janmashtami (the birth of the Hindu god Krishna), and the special prayers that come with seeing the full moon. Panjiri is especially made as fasting food, or simply as a delicious offering (Prasad) during worship (Puja). It is usually complimented with Charnamrit, a sweetened yogurt drink with powdered sugar, coconut shavings and various nuts.
Panjiri
Aside from its religious importance, Panjiri also serves as a nutritional supplement that is high in energy and wonderful to taste. During the winter, clarified butter is meant to boost immunity as well as ward off minor ailments and allergies, while nuts and dried foods are meant to keep the body warm. Panjiri is a great source for postpartum healing and provides nourishment for expectant and new mothers as it reduces postpartum back pain, depression and increases immunity. It is also a delicious and easy-to-consume source of vital nutrients for young children.
While the basics of the dish remain the same (flour, sugar and butter), there’s a host of other ingredients one can add into Panjiri. The whole-wheat flour sometimes can be replaced by semolina or prepared in a mixture of the two. Additions to the dish include melon seeds, gum crystals (gondh), fennel seeds, carom seeds, cardamom, powdered sugar or jaggery (gur) and almond. Dry fruits that are added to the dish are often walnuts, pistachios, cashew nuts, coconuts and raisins. The key is to mix and alter ingredients to one’s liking.
Typical Ingredients Which Go into Panjiri
The process for making Panjiri is simple but a little time-consuming, especially if one is making the dish from scratch. It starts with heating some organic clarified butter in a pan and then adding gum crystals, which changes the butter from white to light brown. Afterwards, the spices and nuts like puffed lotus seeds, fennel, carom, cardamom and the dry fruits are roasted in organic ghee, and allowed to cool at room temperature. In a separate pan, add a dollop of organic ghee (clarified butter) following with wheat flour or sooji (semolina) and set the pan on a low flame, stirring it slowly continuously until the color changes to light brown. One can either chop the roasted nuts or grind them before combining them in the wheat flour/semolina mixture. The pan should be taken off the fire when the sugar is mixed with the rest of ingredients.
Panjiri can either be served plain, or with some warm milk to enhance its effectiveness. For some people, this snack works better in the form of laddu (a ball-shaped treat). This can be done by adding more butter to the dry Panjiri, and stirring it till the treat comes together. When the batter is still hot or warm, it is bound tightly into a ball, and rubbed with milk to keep it warm.
Panjiri Laddus
Whether one lives in the coastal town of Karachi or the plains of Punjab, Panjiri is both delicious and healthy. Though this snack is not restricted to any particular season, it is best enjoyed in the winters and shared amongst the family. Panjiri is a dish that connects one to their home, their ancestors and the rich traditions that foods have for people of the Indian Subcontinent.
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