Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Pudine da Parantha (Mint Parantha)
One of the greatest joys of cooking is to be able to experiment with different ingredients and techniques to make a dish that is delightful and enjoyable. This is the concept at the heart of fusion cooking of any sort, whether it be one of the four great cuisines of the world, Chinese, Indian, […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Cheese da Parantha (Grated Cheese Parantha)
When mama’s great-grandkids visited her and asked for them, it was clear how delicious the Cheese Parantha can be! So here is a reprint of Mama’s Cheese da Parantha recipe which are surely a favorite of kids and grown-ups alike. It is reprinted with some additional information and directions. Plain Punjabi paranthas (crispy flat bread) […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Bharre Karela (Stuffed Karela) with or without salt
This crinkly green vegetable with ridges is one that is deeply admired and loved in the Punjab for its taste and the way it can be made that both highlights its bitterness while bringing out the aroma and flavor of its fleshy shell. Stuffing karele (bitter melons or bitter gourds) is the most authentic Punjabi […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Bhature wale Chole (Chickpeas Eaten With Deep Fried Bread)
With summer upon us, there is a huge demand for the kind of comfort food that is spicy, filling and easily and cheaply prepared. So, by popular demand, here is a reprint of Mama’s Bhature wale Chole recipe, which brings back memories of running to the street corner vendor on lazy hot afternoons. It is […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Amb Da Achaar (Green Mango Pickle)
It goes without saying that Indians love pickles but it may come as a surprise that there are probably a hundred different types of pickles found all over the country. There are even pickles made of different meats: mutton, pork, quail, partridge, shrimp and lobster. Even though many of the spices and oils used are the […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Rotiyan da Atta (Dough for Flatbread)
By popular demand, here is a reprint of Mama’s Rotiyan da Atta recipe, which is at the heart of all Punjabi meals. The atta (dough) will determine how big, thick and tasty the roti (flatbread) will be and how much delicious they will taste. It is reprinted with some additional information and directions. For a […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Badam di Burfi (Almond Milk Squares)
By popular demand from many readers, below is a reprint of Mama’s Badam di Burfi recipe. Go to any Indian city and you will be sure to find a confectionary- or a halwai as they used to be called before they built fancy shops – where you will find many of the most popular and […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Dosa Aur Nariyal Chutney (South Indian Crepes & Coconut Chutney)
Although dosas (crepes) are not a Punjabi dish, over the past few decades they have been so popular in North India that they could be considered a local dish, found in many restaurants and even at street vendor stalls. Dosa is a traditional Tamil dish, with references in the Sangam literature of the 1st century […]
Atte di Pinni (Sweet Wheat Flour Balls)
In response to reader’s request, here is a reprint of one of Mama’s much asked for recipe. Since it has first been printed almost five years ago, this has been Mama’s most popular recipe, getting over 400 views each week. Mama’s Atta di Pinni recipe is simple, tasty and a wonderful accompaniment to a cup […]
Baingan De Pakore (Fried Eggplant Fritters)
One of the joys of rainy weather is sitting down with a hot cup of tea and “garma-garam” (piping hot) pakoras (fried fritters). Below is a reprint of Mama’s Baingan De Pakore recipe, which can be a meal by itself, with some nice chutney, and keeps you warm on a wet, muggy day. It is […]
Bread de Pakore (Fried Bread Fritters)
By popular demand, here is a reprint of Mama’s Bread De Pakore recipe, which is just the kind of tasty, hot fritter that you need for the winter months to take your mind off the bitter cold and rain outside. It is reprinted with some additional information and directions. To most people, pakoras (or pakore) […]
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: 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: 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: 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: Lobia Di Kurri (Black Eyed Pea Curry)
Among all the beans and daals that are eaten by Indians, there are only a few that can be prepared either cold or warm and the two dishes would be completely different. In this category is the green moong daal and the lobia (black eyed pea), although some may serve kala chana (black chickpeas) cold […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Gulab Jamun (Rose Colored Fried Sweet Balls)
Invariably, every desi restaurant across the world offers at least these four choices of deserts: chawal ki kheer (rice pudding), ras malai (cheese patties in sweet cream), gajjar ka halwa (carrot pudding) and gulab jamun (rose colored fried sweet balls). You don’t even have to ask what the dessert menu is; these four will be […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Lima Bean Di Kurri (Lima Bean Curry)
India is truly a vegetarian’s delight, as you never have to search the menu at a restaurant for something meatless to order. Thanks to warm weather, in India you can find most types of tropical vegetables and fruits that are common all across Asia, except for a few items like the interesting looking dragon fruit, […]
