Panjiri Recipe (North Indian Whole Wheat Sweet)
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Panjiri is a traditional North Indian sweet made by roasting whole wheat flour in ghee, then mixing it with powdered sugar, nuts, seeds, edible gum (gond), and cardamom. It is traditionally eaten during Krishna Janmashtami and in winter. Make it using my traditional recipe.
Try my other sweet Indian recipes: Semiya Payasam, Fruit Custard, Sabudana Kheer, Gond Ke Laddu, Puran Poli, and Gajar Ka Halwa.
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Table of Contents
I remember my mom making boxes full of Panjiri just before winter. The boxes were always replenished with new stock throughout the three months of winter. When we returned from school, we were given a bowl of snacks. In this post, I am sharing my mom’s recipe for panjiri.
This dish is mostly made in winter, as its ingredients are said to warm the body. Panjeeri is also given to new mothers in Punjab and other states of North India. It is also a fantastic evening snack for kids.
Panjiri is also very popular in North Indian poojas and is served as Prashad along with Panchamrut and a halwa, mostly Sooji Halwa or Atta Halwa.
Panjiri can be made into Panjiri Ladoo by adding more ghee and then binding the mixture into small ladoos. If you have difficulty eating Panjiri, add more ghee and bind them to make small bite-sized ladoos.
Making it is very easy but slightly time-consuming. You should roast edible gum crystals or gond, dry nuts and fruits, and lotus seed in ghee until golden brown. Then, roast wheat flour in the remaining ghee until light brown. The dry fruits are powdered, and all the ingredients are mixed with powdered sugar to make this North Indian dessert.
Do check out my Badam Panjiri recipe as well.
Ingredients
To make panjiri, you will need basic ingredients available online or at an Indian grocery store.
- Flour – You will need whole wheat flour (gehu ka atta) to make panjiri. The flour sold in American supermarkets differs in texture from Indian atta. Try to source the flour from an Indian grocery store for the best taste and texture.
- Semolina – You will need fine semolina (sooji) and whole wheat flour. Some people do not add sooji to their recipes, but I like the texture it gives to panjiri.
- Sugar – Add powdered sugar so it mixes easily with the other ingredients. You can powder white granulated sugar in a grinder at home. Do not use powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar), which is meant for baking. It has added cornflour to it. You can replace powdered white sugar with powdered jaggery. Traditionally, khand or khandsari, which is desi raw sugar, was used to make Panjiri.
- Ghee – Always use desi ghee to make the Panjiri recipe. To make it vegan, replace ghee with coconut oil.
- Gond (Edible Gum) is a great ingredient to use in winter. If making panjiri in summer, skip adding it.
- Nuts and Seeds – I like to add phool makhana (foxnuts, lotus seeds), dried coconut, almonds, cashews, pistachios, muskmelon seeds (magaj ke beej), flax seeds (alsi ke beej), and white poppy seeds (posta dana, khus khus). You can skip one or two ingredients if you find them difficult to source.
- Dry Ginger Powder (Sonth) – Spice the panjeeri with dried ginger powder.
You can add desiccated coconut (nariyal ka burada) to the panjeeri recipe. Roast it well in ghee until browned.
You can also add a teaspoon of cardamom powder to flavor panjiri.
How To Make Panjiri
Roast The Nuts And Seeds
Step 1: Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in a broad-bottom pan over medium heat.
Step 2: Once the ghee is hot, add 1 and ½ tablespoon of edible gum (gond) to the pan and roast it on medium heat until it puffs up. Keep stirring continuously. Once puffed, transfer them to a large bowl. Make sure all the pieces are puffed well. If not, they will stick to your teeth, which will not be very pleasant.
Step 3: Add 2 tablespoon fox nuts (makhana) to the same pan and roast on medium heat until crisp, stirring continuously. Once done, remove them to the same large bowl where we took the puffed gond.
Step 4: Add another 1 teaspoon of ghee and the following ingredients to the same pan.
- 5-6 whole almonds
- 5-6 whole cashew nuts
- 5-6 whole pistachios
- 1 tablespoon melon seeds
- ½ tablespoon flax seeds
- 2 tablespoon sliced dried coconut
Roast until they are slightly browned. Once done, transfer them to the bowl.
Step 5: Now, roast 1 teaspoon white poppy seeds until slightly browned. Once done, transfer them to the bowl.
Grind The Roasted Ingredients
Step 6: Let all the roasted ingredients cool down to room temperature. If the ingredients are not well-cooled, they might release oil and become butter-like during grinding. Add the roasted and cooled ingredients to a grinder or a food processor and grind to make a coarse powder. Do not overgrind; otherwise, they will heat up, release oil, and become pasty.
Roast The Flour
Step 7: Heat the remaining ghee in the same pan. You can wipe the pan with a kitchen towel if there is any black residue from roasting ingredients earlier.
Step 8: Add 1 cup of whole-wheat flour and 1 tablespoon of semolina (sooji).
Step 9: Roast the flour on medium heat until slightly browned. It will take 10-12 minutes for the flour to roast well. Keep stirring continuously; otherwise, the flour will burn at the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat once the flour is nicely browned and a nutty aroma emerges.
Mix The Panjiri Ingredients
Step 10: Cool the flour for 10-12 minutes. Add the roasted flour to a large bowl along with ground nuts, 3 teaspoon ginger powder, and ½ cup powdered sugar.
Step 11: Mix the ingredients well. Add some more powdered sugar if you like the panjiri sweeter. Your panjiri is now ready.
Panjiri FAQs
Yes, you can use gluten-free flour, such as rice flour or besan (chickpea flour), to make a gluten-free version of panjiri.
Store panjiri at room temperature in a clean, dry, airtight container for up to a month.
Serving Suggestions
Panjiri is usually served in small portions as a dry snack. It can be served in small bowls or on plates and enjoyed on its own.
Sprinkle chopped almonds, pistachios, or cashews on top of the Panjiri to add crunch and enhance visual appeal.
It can be enjoyed with a glass of warm milk. It softens the texture of Panjiri and provides a comforting combination.
Another way to enjoy it is by adding a spoonful or two to a bowl of yogurt. It adds a sweet and nutty flavor to the creamy yogurt.
Sprinkle some over a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delightful twist. Combining the sweet, powdery Panjiri and cold, creamy ice cream is a unique treat.
Add more melted ghee to the panjiri, press the mixture firmly into a baking dish, and refrigerate until it sets. Cut it into small squares or bars, and you have homemade energy bars. You can also roll it between your palms to make panjiri ladoo.
To make a delicious parfait, layer Panjiri, yogurt, and fresh fruits in a glass or jar. Repeat the layers to your liking and top it off with a drizzle of honey.
Other Indian Sweet Recipes We Recommend
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Panjiri Recipe (North Indian Whole Wheat Sweet)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee (divided)
- 1 and ½ tablespoons edible gum (gond)
- 2 tablespoons foxnuts (phool makhana)
- 5-6 whole almonds
- 5-6 whole cashew nuts
- 5-6 whole unsalted pistachios
- 1 tablespoon musk melon seeds (magaj ke beej)
- ½ tablespoon flaxseeds (alsi ke beej)
- 2 tablespoons sliced dried coconut
- 1 teaspoon white poppy seeds (posta dana)
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (gehu ka atta)
- 1 tablespoon semolina (fine sooji)
- 3 teaspoons dried ginger powder (sonth)
- ½ cup powdered white sugar
Instructions
Roast The Nuts And Seeds
- Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in a broad bottom pan over medium heat.
- Once the ghee is hot, add edible gum to the pan and roast it until it’s puffed up on medium heat, stirring continuously.
- Once puffed, take it out on a large bowl. Make sure all the pieces are puffed well. If not, they will stick to your teeth which will not be very pleasant.
- Add foxnuts to the same pan and roast until crisp on medium heat, stirring continuously. Once done, remove them on the same large bowl in which we took the puffed gond.
- Add another 1 teaspoon of ghee to the same pan and roast almonds, cashew nuts, pistachios, melon seeds, flax seeds, and, coconut until they are slightly browned. Once done, take them out on the bowl.
- Now roast poppy seeds until slightly browned. Once done, take them out on the bowl.
Grind The Roasted Ingredients
- Let all the roasted ingredients cool down to room temperature.
- If the ingredients are not cooled well, they might release oil and become butter-like while grinding.
- Add the roasted and cooled ingredients to a grinder or a food processor and grind to make a coarse powder. Do not over grind otherwise they will get warm and might release oil and become pasty.
Roast The Flour
- Heat the remaining ghee in the same pan. You can wipe the pan with a kitchen tissue if there is some black residue from the roasting of ingredients earlier.
- Add whole wheat flour and semolina.
- Roast the flour on medium heat until slightly browned. It will take 10-12 minutes for the flour to roast well. Stir continuously; otherwise, the flour will burn from the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the pan from heat once the flour is nicely browned and a nutty aroma starts to emerge.
Mix the Panjiri Ingredients
- Cool the flour for 10-12 minutes.
- Add the roasted flour to a large bowl along with ground nuts, ginger powder, and powdered sugar.
- Mix the ingredients well.
- Add some more powdered sugar if you like the panjiri sweeter.
- Panjiri is ready. Store at room temperature in a clean and dry container for up to a month.
Loved the detailed recipe and the 3x measurements.
Happy to hear 🙂
Sometimes reading a recipe tells you how it gonna be. Its amazing in always, the way you explained it benefits and when people mostly use it. Nutritionally, you rocked while elaborating.
Tomorrow I’m gonna try it.
Thanks. Do try and leave your feedback 🙂
Neha loved your version of Panjiri, you have explained it so well and also liked the inclusion of makhan, flax seeds, and gum ????????????
I am so happy to hear this Sundari 🙂
Can we store panjeeri in freezer?
Yes sure, you can.
Thank you so much for the recipe Neha. I was looking for a proper recipe from a long time. Though in past I have made it with gud( jaggery) instead of sugar. And we also added suji n atta in equal proportions. I also added methi Dana , black pepper and saunth powder to enhance n make it more powerful for winters. I tried to customise my own taking yours as base recipe. Thank you again.
Good to know you liked the base recipe. It’s always good to customise recipes according to ones needs.
Very nice and good elborative detail of receipie. Very very good. I like it.
Thnx 🙂
That’s awesome recipes thnxs
That’s awesome thnxs
Thnx Ridima. Do let us know how can we improve to get 5 stars from you.
very nice
Thnx Ramesh.
Can u make this with jaggery?
You can add powdered jaggery.