Mama’s Punjabi Recipes- Meethi Seviyaan Kheer (SWEET VERMICELLI PUDDING)
This is another dessert that is especially associated with festivals, both Hindu and Muslim, just as chawal di kheer (sweet rice pudding) has become. Muslims make meethi seviyaan kheer or chawal di kheer on the occasion of celebration of Eid ul Fitr, but Hindus make meethi seviyaan kheer normally to commemorate raksha bandan or raakhee. […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes
Namkeen Mutter or Namak Parre (Fried Salty Flour Sticks) If you like matthis (fried crackers), then you’ll surely love namak pare (fried salty flour sticks) as they are made of one and the same ingredients but the results in savoring them are vastly different. This is a case where size does make the difference!! Unlike […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes- Mithe Chawal (Sweet Rice)
You can’t have an Indian meal anywhere in the world without being offered some chawal (rice) to go along with it, just like with many Asian cuisines, from Chinese to Japanese to Malay and Sri Lankan. The main difference is the quality of the rice and the way it is cooked. While the Chinese prefer […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes- Aloo Mutter (Potatoe & Peas Curry)
This has to be one of the most basic curries made in north India. The one made without the peas is even more basic and is often served with puris at temples or gurdwaras after services. But, although very basic, this classic dish is a great comfort food that reminds you of being back […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Sugar di Dava (Sugar Control Home Remedy)
(This recipe was first published in December 2012 and is being repeated with some minor revisions for the third time by popular demand) Diabetes has become a worldwide epidemic among Indians, and especially gets manifested when they reach mid-life and beyond. Our Indian diet which is rich in foods that are fried, have triggered […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Samose (Fried Stuffed Pastries)
Here is another North Indian snack that has migrated not just to the rest of India but around the world. It is perhaps the most popular Indian snack due to its neat triangular appearance, variety of stuffings and flaky texture when cooked right. In India, the corner store halweis (confectioners) generally make samosas […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Pakore (Fried Fritters)
Some spicy North Indian snacks have become so popular all over the world that they are popping up in the most unexpected places: on the menus of other eateries. Pakore (or pakoras) are just one such item along with samose (or samosas). These inexpensive snacks are usually fried: though a few people try to […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Aloo Frans Bean (Potatoes and Green Beans)
The lowly aloo (potato) is not so low on the culinary scale for Indian food as it is, by far, the most used vegetable in desi cooking. You find it in samosas, paranthas, rice biryani, daals, curries, chaats, pakoras, cutlets, sautéed with other vegetables and, of course, cooked in many ways on […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Metthe Pudde (Sweetened Flatbread)
The Punjab can be a bitter cold place during the winters and damp and cold during the rainy monsoon season, especially as most homes aren’t centrally heated. At these times, people long for foods and snacks that can warm them up in a hurry and give the extra boost of energy that lasts awhile, […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Mutter Paneer di Turri (Peas & Indian Cheese Curry)
There is probably not a single Indian restaurant in the US, and probably in the world, which does not make sag paneer (also called palak paneer), since it is mild enough for the kids, yet still has just the right spices for a truly Indian flavor. But the use of paneer has grown […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Khichdi (Rice & Moong Lentils) Slow Cooker Recipe
Khichdi is a very popular dish, especially if you are short of time, have no ideas for a creative meal or, as is very often the case, just want some comfort food to eat with mango pickle and plain yogurt. Khichdi is basically made from rice and dal (lentils) and is a relatively cheap meal […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Sabat Mahn Di Dal (Whole Urad Or Mahn Lentils) Slow Cooker Recipe
The black colored urad dal is better known as “Dal Makhani” (Butter Dal) for the way it is prepared in restaurants around the world. One of the secrets of its success is that it can be made thick – with no runny curry – reminiscent of the thick style beans for barbeque or mole in […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Sabziyan Da Soup (Vegetable Soup) Slow Cooker Recipe
Most working couples have very little time to cook elaborate dinners when they get home, and especially young people who prefer the convenience of eating out or ordering home delivery. It is even harder to try to cook tasty Indian food, since it requires patience and the right timing to make tasty and appealing desi […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Chukandar da Salad (Beetroot Salad)
Beetroots are not commonly used in Indian cuisine as a main dish though it is eaten sometimes as a salad. When I was a young girl in our ancestral home in Lyallpur, we used to boil the chukandar (beetroot) and then peel it before eating it. Our hands and towels would be red with […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Channe di Dal di Khichdi (Rice & Channa Lentils)
There are many variations in the ingredients that you can use to make khichdi, just as there are many types of paranthas. It all depends on your taste and also the foods you ate while growing up. Though khichdi is basically made from chawal (rice) and dal (lentils), its popularity among many families comes from […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Sabudana Khichdi (Tapioca & Potatoes)
Khichdi is usually made from rice and dal (lentils) and is commonly considered an easy-to-cook comfort food, but it can also be made from sabudana (tapioca) in much the same way as making sabudana kheer, except the khichdi is salty instead of sweet. It is made mostly during fasts or during the navaratri […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Sabudana di Kheer (Tapioca Pudding)
Whereas chawal di kheer (rice pudding), along with ras malai (cheese in sweetened cream) and gulab jamun (syrup rose dumplings) have become some of the main desserts in many Indian restaurants, the sabudana kheer (tapioca pudding) has not. It is equally as easy, simple and inexpensive to make as kheer. I think the main reason […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Phirni (Cream of Rice Pudding)
Phirni is often confused with kheer but actually it is quite different both in presentation and taste. It is a simple, easy and quick desert to make and most people find it delicious. There are several variations of the basic phirni recipe, like the badami phirni (with almonds), kesari (saffron), gulab (rose), piste (pistachio), aam […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Atte Da Halva (Whole Wheat Flour Halva)
For Punjabis, atta (whole wheat flour) is the carbohydrate of preference, and rice is less of a staple dish. Hence, lots of dishes, including many sweets like pinnis, poodras and halwa, are made of atta. It helps that whole wheat is preferred by dieticians for health reasons, even though excessive carbohydrates consumed are equally […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Chawal di Kheer (Rice Pudding)
Kheer has become a staple dessert in so many Indian restaurants South Asian restaurants, just like the equally popular ras malai (cottage cheese in creamed milk) that you can almost predict what’s on the menu. Part of the reason is that kheer is a simple and inexpensive dessert to make. But this does not […]
