Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Aaloo Gobi di Sabzi (Sauteed Potatoes & Cauliflower)
Like a few other vegetables, phul gobi or cauliflower – or simply gobi – is favored for its versatility to create many dishes. Its tender texture, nutty taste and ease of cooking make it one favorite vegetables in the Punjabi kitchen. The florets can be grated into crumbs and cooked as stuffing for paranthas; sautéed […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Imbli di Chatni (Tamarind Chutney)
There are two chutneys that are commonly found in most Indian restaurants, no matter where you go: pudine ki chatni (mint chutney) and imbli ki chatni (tamarind chutney) and these are usually served as dipping sauces to go with all types of fried snacks like samosas, pakores and tikkis or as condiments with fast foods […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Mithhe Ambh di Chatni (Sweet Mango Chutney)
If there’s one fruit that wins the heart of Indians, it has to be the mango which is grown all over. The mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan and The Philippines and the national tree of Bangladesh. And any schoolkid in these countries can proudly tell you, it takes seven years before a […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Chivda Gobi Mutter (Flattened Rice Snack)
Finding the right things to snack on can be a frustrating thing – it’s either too sweet, like chocolate or too plain like tortilla chips and salsa; and Lord knows Punjabis like to snack! Finding the right combination that can not only be satisfying between meals but filling without putting on calories can be a […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Gobi da Omelette (Cauliflower Omelette)
Phul gobi (cauliflower) – or simply gobi – is a favorite vegetable in the Punjabi kitchen as it is so versatile. It can be sautéed, fried in batter as pakoras, pickled in achaar or grated and cooked as a stuffing for paranthas or omelettes. Cauliflower is a very beneficial vegetable, rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Hummus Punjabi Tarike Di (Hummus Punjabi Style)
The beauty of North Indian cuisine is that it has adapted through the centuries to all the influences from foreign elements like the Greeks, Persians and Mongols who invaded and then settled in the region. So, several delectable dishes that we claim as Indian have their origins in other countries, like the gulab jamun (from […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Bhune Pyaaz ka Pulao (Brown Onion Pilaf)
This pulao recipe is tasty and unique because the cooked rice comes out looking brown, though it is not made with brown rice. The rice still has the distinct taste and aroma of regular basmati rice and because of the way it is made, the pulao has the additional taste of spiced onions. It is […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Baingan Di Dip (Eggplant Dip)
In the middle of the summer heat, thoughts turn to ways to cool yourself down. Though there are many Indian comfort foods to do that, like gol gappe or pani puri (wafer puffs in spicy water), chaat (spicy cubed potato salad), bhalle (lentil cakes in yogurt), rooh afza (a drink of fruits and herbs), mango […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Aaloo da Parantha (Potato Stuffed Crispy Flatbread)
Every cuisine in every corner of the world has its comfort food and if you ask a Punjabi, what their choice is, chances are pretty good that they’ll first say “paranthas (crispy flatbread)! Paranthas have become famous the world over and are found not just in Indian restaurants but also in the frozen food section […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Baingan Da Raita (Eggplant Yogurt Sauce)
Eggplants are very popular in India and especially in the North where the most popular dish is baingan bhartha which is cooked with lots of onions; some people even add peas for added taste. Yogurt has a special significance in Indian culture and religion. It is considered sacred and a purifying agent because of the […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Gajar Da Murabba (Carrot Preserves)
Carrots are one of the few vegetables that can be cooked in many ways: as a pickle, pulped as a juice, as a spicy dish with peas or methi (fenugreek) or sweet as a pudding or halwa and even as murabba or preserves. Although it is often served as halwa in most Indian […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Aaloo Di Tikki (Potato Cutlets)
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 and is certainly one of the cheapest. Potatoes are found just about everywhere; there are stunted, small varieties found even among the sand soils of the desert in […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Sirke de Piyaaz (Vinegar Pickled Onions)
In Northern India, especially among Punjabis, it is almost considered sacrilegious not to offer piyaaz (onions) with a meal, akin to making a hamburger without onions or eating barbeque without onions and Dill pickles. You’d hear somebody quickly complain, “Kuon bhai, piyaaz khatam ho gaye sun?” (Oh brother, did you run out of onions?). The […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Karele Di Burji (Bittermelon Mash) – Quick Dish
Many people these days are looking for organic foods that are both antioxidants and can reduce certain abnormal conditions in the body, such as elevated blood sugar, which can be a precursor to diabetes; triglycerides and cholesterol, all of which can attribute to heart disease. Although we know that bad eating habits and a sedentary […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Daal De Poode (Lentil Flatcakes)
There are many ways to eat daal and not just with roti (flatbread) or chawal (rice). Some people will fry it, then mix in some spices and eat it dry like a snack. Others make a thick soup with rice and eat it like khichaddi (watery daal and rice), eaten often when one has an […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Baingan De Pakore (Fried Eggplant Fritters)
Pakoras – as well as samosas – have become so popular worldwide that these Indian snacks have become universal world foods, like quiche, donuts, dumplings and sushi. Pakoras are inexpensive and quick to make, and they are hard to resist: if you eat one, you’ll probably not stop and will eat many more. And among […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Parmal di Subzi (Sauteed Pointed Gourds) – Quick Recipe
These pointy vegetables with yellowish-green color resemble small cucumbers with yellow stripes, but are really a member of the family of gourds and are abundant in Eastern India in the summer time. The flesh is creamy white with small firm seeds, and is quite bland, allowing it to pick up the flavor from spices in […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Sukki Khumban (Sauteed Mushrooms) – Quick Recipe
Most people like the taste of mushrooms, and even though they can be expensive, they are an often sought after ingredient on pizzas or as a side dish in restaurants. But these mushrooms are usually not fresh, coming out of a can or frozen and the taste is very ordinary. A popular variety is the […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Plain Paranthas (Wheat Pancrusted Flatbread)
This was the first recipe I wrote for this column almost four years ago. Since then, I have paid attention to the types of homemade paranthas I have had occasion to eat and try, both in the US and in India and I have been surprised to see that only a very few come close […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Lobia Di Chaat (Black Eyed Pea Snack)
There are several ways to make lobia (black eyed pea): in a curry, sautéed or served cold as a snack. Eaten in any way, lobia is a nourishing and satisfying vegetable that can be served with many other dishes. Their soft buttery taste and ease of cooking makes them a popular alternative to rajma (kidney […]
