Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Aasan Tarike ki Dahin (Easy Homemade Yogurt)
Yogurt or dahin has had a sacred significance in the daily lives of Hindus since the very inception of Hinduism, and by extension, of Hindustani culture. Cows and cow’s milk have a special place in Hinduism as both are intertwined with the story of the young Lord Krishna. Dahin is also one of the panchamitras […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Sabat Massar Di Dal (Whole Masoor Lentils)
Dals (lentils) are the mainstay of many Indian diets, especially those who are vegetarian or eat little meat. The provide 3.5 times the amount of protein in rice and 2.5 times that of wheat though boiled dal only contains 9% protein by weight, 70% water, 20% carbohydrates (including 8% fiber) and 1% fat. All dals […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Choliya te Wadiyan (Fresh Green Chickpeas & Dumplings)
Most people are familiar with chole or chickpeas (or garbanzos as they also often called) and realize that they come as the large, light cream colored and small dark brown varieties. Most people know about the larger ones and that these are often cooked in soups and stews and also to make the popular Arabic […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Uble Ande Di Turri (Boiled Egg Curry)
Ande (eggs) are very popular all over India, but especially so in the North during the winter months. It is common to find cart vendors selling quick, hot boiled eggs, peeled and sliced if you want, with spices, to warm people up. With a little gas powered stove, they can even cook up a vegetable […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Loonki or Namakdani (The Spice Box)
Learning to make food dishes well requires a basic understanding of some of the fundamentals involved in the cooking process. Each type of cuisine has its own ingredients and it’s important to known how these will play with each other to create the desired flavor of the dish. While most cuisines of the world are […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Gur Galef Kharot (Molasses Coated Walnuts)
By popular demand from many readers, below is a reprint of Mama’s Gur Galef Kharot recipe, which is a tasty sweet to make especially during the merry winter holiday season. It is reprinted with some additional information and directions. Nuts of all types are a favorite of Punjabis, and especially piste (pistachios), badam (almonds), kharot […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Narial Di Burfi (Coconut Milk Squares)
By popular demand from many readers, below is a reprint of Mama’s Narial di Burfi recipe, which is a tasty sweet to make especially during the merry winter holiday season. It is reprinted with some additional information and directions. Burfi (milk squares) is one of the most common and popular confections in India and is […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Kanji (Black Carrot Juice)
By popular demand from many readers, below is a reprint of Mama’s Kanji recipe. It still brings back memories for older people but the healthy drink can benefit old and young alike. It is reprinted with some additional information and directions. It is believed that carrots originated some 5,000 years ago in what is now […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Kathal da Achaar (Pickled Jackfruit)
It would be fair to say that, among Punjabis, kathal (jackfruit) is a very underrated and misunderstood vegetable and perhaps even less appreciated as a fruit when it is the sweetest. It is hardly the vegetable that most housewives in Delhi go to first as it is so large to manage. It is quite difficult […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Bhune Pyaaz da Pulao (Spicy Sauteed Onion Pilaf)
By popular demand from many readers – and especially some younger ones – this is a reprint of Mama’s pyaaz da pulao recipe, but with some additional information and directions. This pulao recipe is not only tasty but even while the onions and rice are being cooked, people’s mouths start to salivate! This pulao is […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Khatta Mittha Achaar (Sweet & Sour Pickle)
By popular demand from many readers, this is a reprint of Mama’s khatta mittha achaar recipe, but with some additional information and directions. Achaars (pickles) of all types are popular all over the world but the ones made in India and neighboring countries are different because they are oil-based. Other South Asian countries have their […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Seven Spices Garam Masala
By popular demand from many readers, below is a reprint of Mama’s Garam Masala recipe. Its mama’s own recipe, and seeing how expensive garam masala is in the stores, it may well be the best way to go! Garam masala (literally “hot mixture”) is a blend of ground spices which are common in India, Pakistan […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Gajjar da Parantha (Carrot Stuffed Crispy Flatbread)
The favorite Punjab comfort food – the parantha (crispy flatbread) – is popping up everywhere as a convenience food too! Taking a tip from American marketing savvy, the plain parantha has come out wrapped around a meat filling like a kebab of shredded chicken as a “wrap”. It’s a variation of a taco, burrito or […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Tauri Pithoo (Sliced Zucchini Chips)
One of the most often cooked vegetables in the US is the zucchini squash, which we call tauri in North India, where the vegetable is also very common, but not available throughout the year. Here the most favorite way to cook zucchini is as a casserole, and sometimes steamed and seasoned as a side dish. […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Kathal Di Sabzi (Sauteed Jackfruit)
Though you can find kathal most of the year in Delhi, it is hardly the vegetable that most housewives go to first as it is difficult to prepare. First, you have to choose a green, unripe one; then get a quarter or half piece as the kathal is usually very large and next, take the […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Kathal De Pakore (Fried Jackfruit Fritters)
You can find kathal most of the year in Delhi. It is popular because It is starchy and fibrous and people call it the “vegetarian’s meat” because of its texture once it is cooked in a curry. To make this dish, you need green kathal, otherwise when they ripen they become very sweet and are […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Loon Mirch da Parantha (Salt ‘n’ Pepper Crispy Flatbread)
If you want to make a true Punjabi really happy about a meal, just tell him or her that you’ll be serving hot paranthas and they will come right over. They might even invite themselves over if they smell the paranthas being cooked on a hot tava (flatplate). There’s just something about the smell of […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Gajjar Methi (Sauteed Carrots and Fenugreek)
Punjabis love carrots in several ways, but seldom cooked alone –unless it’s halwa -as no matter what spice you add, the dish comes out too sweet and doesn’t go with any type of roti. There are at least three ingredients that can be accompaniments to tame that sweetness: mutter (peas) or methi (fenugreek) or wadiyan […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Gajjar Mutter (Sauteed Carrots And Peas)
Punjabis loves carrots in several ways: as a sabzi (dish) with mutter (peas) or methi (fenugreek) or wadiyan (spiced dumplings); stuffing in paranthas or sweet as in halwa (pudding) or even in achaar (pickle). In North India, carrots can be found in many colors and shapes, mostly black, red, orange and white, each of which […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Sukha Mutter Paneer (Sauteed Peas And Cheese)
The lowly vegetable mutter (peas) is used in many Indian dishes in one form or the other as a complement to other main ingredients, but seldom as the main dish. Peas are prized for tenderness in bringing a gentle texture to aaloo (potatoes), briyanis (rice palaos), paneer (cheese) or khumbhan (mushrooms). They are even used […]
