Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Atte di Pinni (Sweet Wheat Flour Balls)
BY SHAKUNTLA MALHOTRA 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. […]
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 […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Til Bhuga Pinni (Jaggery Sesame Seed Balls)
It’s a fact that Indians like dried fruits, especially nuts of all kinds, and any time they have a chance, they will munch on them, especially cashews, almonds and pistachios. And far from being eaten alone, dried fruits can be found in cooking both sweet and salty dishes. Raisins and cashew nuts are often used […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Aaloo Puriyan (Potatoes & Deep Fried Puff Bread)
This is a dish that could be eaten for breakfast or as a snack or served after poojas (religious services) for the langar or communal feast. It is actually a very simple but satisfying dish and the flavors of the hot fried puris (fried puff bread) and the slightly crushed aaloo (potatoes) in their own […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Paneer Te Katti Sabziyan (Cheese & Mixed Vegetables)
All over India, and certainly in New Delhi, paneer (fresh milk soft cheese) is used in so many dishes served at restaurants that sometimes it’s frustrating making a decision on what other vegetarian item to order other than daal (lentils) or chole (chickpeas)! This just shows how much demand there is for the milk product: […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes: Bharre Hue Toast (Toast Sandwich)
Indians love to nibble and crave snacks that are just as spicy and crispy as the dishes that they regularly eat, but with a slight twist. This is what makes snacks like pakore (fried fritters), samosas (fried stuffed dumplings) and potato cutlets such sought after appetizers. But there is a category of mini-meals that is […]
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: 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: 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 – Hatch Pepper Di Sabzi (Sauteed Hatch Pepper)
In the southern US, a large green pepper which is very hot is usually available during the summer months in large quantities. These are called “hatch peppers” and for six weeks are plentiful and really inexpensive. In India, these types of peppers are not available, and the closest thing is bell peppers which aren’t as […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Pethe Da Halwa (Pumpkin Halwa)
When an Indian – especially a North Indian – thinks of petha (pumpkin), their first thought goes towards the famous white, crystallized petha of Agra where entire shops are devoted to various flavors of this sweet delicacy and not one street is without a pethawala. Agra petha is so well known and popular that when […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Coconut di Burfi (Coconut Milk Squares)
Burfi is one of the most common and popular confections in India and is widely available all over India. It’s a favorite of little kids in particular as they can gobble up the burfi pieces which are cut into squares or diamond shapes. When my kids were little, they would call my younger brother burfi […]
Mama’s Punjabi Recipes – Dhuli Moong Di Dal (Skinless Split Moong Lentils)
Dhuli moong dal is one dal that many people really like because it can be easily made but just as many people dislike it because it is made too carelessly and dissolves into a soup. It is one of the favored dals of religious places and when there are large groups of people to feed, […]
