Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Boondi ya Aaloo Raita (Chickpea Drop Or Potato Yogurt Sauce)
Raita can loosely be translated as thinned yogurt dip – though it is not to be eaten as a dip – or a sauce, which it is used as often. The taste depends on the way the yogurt is thinned down, the ingredients and the dishes it complements. Many people use water to thin the […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Methi ka Parantha(Fenugreek Parantha)
Punjabi paranthas have become famous all over the world not only because of their crispy, buttery whole wheat taste but also because they can be made stuffed with many varieties of vegetables and herbs. When my kids were little and we lived in London, for a special treat, I used to cook them paranthas stuffed […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Shimla Mirch ki Sabzi (Sauteed Green Bell Pepper)
Everyone wonders why we call bell peppers “Shimla Mirch” in India. Bell peppers were brought to Europe from Mexico by Christopher Columbus in the 15th century and later spread to Africa and Asia. In 1864 Shimla became the summer capital of British India and was part of the Punjab till 1966 when it became capital […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Pudine Ki Chatni (Mint Chutney)
This is a condiment that Punjabis can’t claim as their own as it is made and eaten all over India as a sauce to dip savory appetizers like pakoras (fried vegetable fritters), samosas (fried stuffed dumplings), tikkas (pan roasted potato patties) and many more salt and spicy snacks. There are other types of chutneys too […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes — Tauri aur Wadiyan ki Sabzi (Sautted Zucchini Squash)
In Punjab there are two types of squash that are most common – the long, smooth and stout leaf green type, which Punjabis call kadoo and the short, thinner and dark green ones which are called tauri and are commonly called zucchini in the US, although I think they are not the same. We had […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Kulfi Aur Gur Galef Kharrot (Kulfi & Molasses Coated Walnuts)
Punjabis, just like the rest of Indians, love those really sweet dishes that make the end of a meal so enjoyable. There are some unique Punjabi sweets like gajjar da halwa (carrot pudding), or sooji da halwa (cream of wheat pudding) or atte da kadda (wheat pudding) which are best when they contain some nuts. […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Band Gobi Aur Mutter ki Sabzi (Sauteed Cabbage & Peas)
Cabbage is a vegetable that is both quite inexpensive and has a lot of volume when cooked, which explains why it is so popular worldwide among the working class. It is a hardy vegetable that is closely related to broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts and grows in medium temperature in nitrogen rich soil, though some […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Bhaen ki Sukki Sabzi(Sauteed Lotus Root)
The dish of bhaen (lotus root) is probably unique to the Punjab; in some places it is also known as kamal di dandi. In India, the vegetable is available during most parts of the year and can be made dry – as in this recipe – or curried. These days, in India, you can even […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Sabudana di Kheer (Tapioca Pudding)
BY SHAKUNTLA MALHOTRA During the days of Navratri and just preceding Dusserah, the truly devout emulate the types of foods that Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshman ate while they were in exile. They had vowed to eat only foods grown in the forest, fruits, honey. Sabudana (large grain or pearl tapioca) is one such food […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Makki di Roti (Corn Flour Bread)
Last week I gave the recipe for sarson ka saag (mashed mustard greens), a dish that is synonymous with home-cooked Punjab food and I mentioned that it is typically eaten with thick makki di roti (stone-ground, coarse corn flour bread). With some homemade mango pickles and finished off with some lassi (buttermilk), the meal has […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes — Sarson ka Saag (Mashed Mustard Greens)
Sarson ka saag (mashed mustard greens) is a dish that even those not from the Punjab know very well for its wonderful slightly bitter taste and the wonderful, thick makki di roti (corn flour bread) that it is devoured with. If you add a slice or two of homemade mango pickles (made in mustard seed […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Moong Di Daal Da Halwa (Moong Daal Halwa)
Halwa has existed for centuries in Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and the Jewish world. It refers to a dense, sweet confection that can be either slightly gelatinous, flour-based, typically suji (semolina) or the crumbling nut-butter based, usually made of tahini (sesame paste). Halwa can also be made with sunflower seeds, nuts, […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes — Besan di Sabzi or Gutte (Gram Flour Curry or Gutte)
Besan (roasted gram flour or garbanzo flour or chickpea flour) is a flour that is commonly used all over India to make pakoras or fried fritters, one of the most favorite and easy to make snacks which can be found at almost every street corner halwai or cooking vendor. […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Bharvi Bhindi (Spices Stuffed Okra)
Bharvi Bhindi (Spice Stuffed Okra) While bhindi (okra) may be a favorite in the Punjab, the ever tasteloving Punjabis have found a way to make this vegetable even tastier, especially those pods that have become too big but still do not have the hard ridge stalks in them. This dish is different from the other cut bhindi one in that you actually put salt […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Arbi ki Chaat (Eddoe Root Spicy Salad)
Arbi ki Chaat (Eddoe Root Spicy Salad) In the heat of the summer, when Punjabis want to snack, but not necessarily eat fried foods or potatoes, they reach out for arbi ki chaat which has a cool, spicy and tangy taste and is low in calories as it is not made with any oil. It […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes — Katti Bhindi (Sauteed Cut Okra)
During the warm months, the bazaars and markets are overflowing with a huge variety of all sorts of vegetables. King among them are the two that together bring out the hearty taste and earthy smells of the Punjabi soil: karele (bittermelon gourd) and bhindis (okra). During these months, hawkers sell wicker baskets full of these […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes — Arbi Wadi Curry (Eddoe Root & Lentil Dumpling Curry)
Punjabis eat the root vegetable Arbi (eddoe root) in several ways but when made in a curry it gives competition to the aloo wadiyan curry dish that it resembles, but the taste is much better as the arbi is softer on the palette and soaks up the curry flavor well. In the US, you usually […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes — Atte Ki Pinni (Sweet Wheat Flour Balls)
Pinnis are a uniquely traditional Punjabi sweet dish that are sometimes mistakenly called laddus by non-Punjabis. The main difference is that laddus are usually made of fried dough and are then formed into balls, whereas pinnis are made with flour (or crushed moong dal) that is browned in a kadai or wok. There are other […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes — Arbi Ajwain Wali (Sauted Eddoe Root with Carom Seeds)
Arbi is another root vegetable that Punjabis love to eat in many ways: as a snack or as a sauteed or curry dish. This dish cooked with ajwain (bishop’s weed, carom seeds, ajowan caraway) is typically old-style Punjabi and the spice coats the arbi to give it a unique taste that is not found in […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Kuterre Huye Shalgam (Shredded Sauted Turnips)
Turnips are one of the least loved vegetables, along with some other root plants, but if made in a few typically Punjabi ways, they lose their pungency and slight radish like taste. Cooked in a variety of ways in the Punjab, turnips are a winter vegetable and are perhaps best known for their use in […]
