Panjiri is a North Indian sweet made using whole wheat flour and lots of dry fruits. It is mostly made as prashad after pooja and also for new mothers. It can also be made into laddu by adding more ghee to it and binding it to make small balls. Here is how to make it in a traditional Punjabi way.
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About This Recipe
Made using whole wheat flour and a mix of dry fruits and nuts, Panjiri (also called Dabra) is a very healthy, highly nourishing food given to new mothers in Punjab and other states of North India. The ingredients in this winter dish are thought to help them heal, increase breast milk, and speed up the recovery process.
It is also treated as a nutritional supplement, given when people are sick or need to gain strength and it helps to keep the body warm during winter months.
It can be eaten just as it is or made into ladoos and stored and is a fantastic evening snack for kids as it is loaded with nutrients from Ghee and Dry fruits.
I remember my mom making boxes full of Panjiri just at the onset of winters and the box was always replenished with new stock throughout the 3 months of winters. When we came back from school, each of us was given a bowl full to snack on.
Panjiri can be made into Panjiri Ladoo as well by adding some more ghee and then binding the mixture into small ladoos. If you feel difficulty eating Panjiri, just add some more ghee and bind them to make small bite-sized ladoos.
Panjiri is also very popular in North Indian poojas along with Panchamrit and some people make Panjiri Barfi too for the prasad.
Making it is very easy but slightly time-consuming. You should roast edible gum crystals or gond, dry fruits, and lotus seed in ghee until golden brown. Then fry 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 recipe.
The dish is similar to Sooji Ka Halwa made with semolina and Aate Ka Halwa.
Ingredients
To make Panjiri, you will need very basic ingredients which are all available either online or in an Indian store.
Flour – This Panjiri recipe uses whole wheat flour, which is roasted nicely and mixed with another set of ingredients.
Semolina – Along with whole wheat flour, fine semolina is also added that adds a nice texture in the same. Some people do not add sooji in their recipe but I like the texture it gives to panjiri.
Sugar – Add powdered sugar, so that it gets mixed with the other ingredients easily. You can powder the sugar in a grinder at home. Do not use the powdered sugar that is meant for baking. It has added cornflour in it. You can replace sugar with powdered jaggery. Traditionally, khand or khandsari, which is desi raw sugar was used to make Panjiri.
Ghee – Always use ghee to make Panjiri, as it tastes the best and adds a rich and subtle flavor too.
Gond – You can easily find gond in your nearby grocery store or online, which is also known by the name of edible gum. It is great in Winters, as it generates heat in the body. If making panjiri in summers, skip adding it.
Makhane – Makhane or Lotus Seeds are also added. They are roasted until crisp just like another set of ingredients.
Nuts and Seeds – We will add some nuts and seeds to make the Panjiri rich. We will add almonds, cashews, pistachios, musk melon seeds, flax seeds, and poppy seeds. You can skip one or two ingredients from the same if you are finding it difficult to get it.
Coconut – You will need some dried coconut for the same and not the fresh one.
Ginger Powder – Add a little dried ginger powder, which adds a unique subtle flavor, making the Panjiri even more delicious. It also gives warmth to the body.
Others – When making it for lactating mothers, 1-2 tablespoon of Kamarkas ( sage herb or flame of the forest) can be added to it.
How to make Panjiri?
Heat 1 tsp ghee in a broad bottom pan.
Once the ghee is hot, add 1 and ½ tbsp of edible gum (gond) to the pan and roast it until it’s puffed up on medium heat. Keep stirring continuously. Once puffed, take it out on a large plate. Make sure all the pieces are puffed well. If not, they will stick to your teeth which will not be very pleasant.
Add 2 tbsp foxnuts (makhana) to the same pan and roast until crisp on medium heat. Keep stirring continuously. Once done, remove on the same large plate in which we took the puffed gond.
Add another tsp of ghee to the same pan and roast 5-6 whole almonds, 5-6 whole cashew nuts, 5-6 whole pistachios, 1 tbsp melon seeds, ½ tbsp flax seeds, and 2 tbsp sliced dried coconut until they are slightly browned. Once done, take them out on the plate.
Now roast 1 tsp poppy seeds until slightly browned. Once done, take out on the plate.
Let all the roasted ingredients cool well. If the ingredients are not cooled well, they might release oil and the become butter-like while grinding. So make sure to cool them completely before grinding.
Add the roasted and cooled ingredients to the medium jar of a grinder and grind to make a coarse powder. Do not over grind otherwise they will get warm and might release oil and become pasty.
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 frying of ingredients earlier.
Add 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 tbsp semolina (sooji) to it.
Fry 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 from the bottom of the pan.
Once the flour is nicely browned and a nutty aroma starts to come from it, remove the pan from heat. Cool the flour for 10-12 minutes. Then add the ground dry fruits, 3 tsp ginger powder, and ½ cup powdered sugar to the flour. Use khand in place of powdered sugar if it’s available to you.
Mix the ingredients well. Panjiri is ready. Store it in a clean and dry container for up to a month.
Serving & Storage
Panjiri is served on its own in a bowl. You can eat spoonfuls of it as a snack or dessert. Some people like to have warm milk along with it.
You can make a big batch of panjiri and store it for up to a month in an airtight container at room temperature.
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Recipe Card
Panjiri Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 1 and ½ tablespoon edible gum/gond
- 2 tablespoon foxnuts/makhana
- 5-6 whole almonds
- 5-6 whole cashew nuts
- 5-6 whole unsalted pistachios
- 1 tablespoon musk melon seeds
- ½ tablespoon flaxseeds (optional)
- 2 tablespoon sliced dried coconut
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon semolina/fine sooji
- 3 teaspoon dried ginger powder/sonth
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Heat 1 tsp ghee in a broad bottom pan.
- Once the ghee is hot, add 1 and ½ tbsp of edible gum (gond) to the pan and roast it until it’s puffed up on medium heat. Keep stirring continuously. Once puffed, take it out on a large plate. Make sure all the pieces are puffed well. If not, they will stick to your teeth which will not be very pleasant.
- Add 2 tbsp foxnuts (makhana) to the same pan and roast until crisp on medium heat. Keep stirring continuously. Once done, remove on the same large plate in which we took the puffed gond.
- Add another tsp of ghee to the same pan and roast 5-6 whole almonds, 5-6 whole cashew nuts, 5-6 whole pistachios, 1 tbsp melon seeds, ½ tbsp flax seeds, and 2 tbsp sliced dried coconut until they are slightly browned. Once done, take them out on the plate.
- Now roast 1 tsp poppy seeds until slightly browned. Once done, take out on the plate.
- Let all the roasted ingredients cool well. If the ingredients are not cooled well, they might release oil and the become butter-like while grinding. So make sure to cool them completely before grinding.
- Add the roasted and cooled ingredients to the medium jar of a grinder and grind to make a coarse powder. Do not over grind otherwise they will get warm and might release oil and become pasty.
- 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 frying of ingredients earlier.
- Add 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 tbsp semolina (sooji) to it.
- Fry 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 from the bottom of the pan.
- Once the flour is nicely browned and a nutty aroma starts to come from it, remove the pan from heat. Cool the flour for 10-12 minutes. Then add the ground dry fruits, 3 tsp ginger powder, and ½ cup powdered sugar to the flour. Use khand in place of powdered sugar if it’s available to you.
- Mix the ingredients well. Panjiri is ready. Store it in a clean and dry container for up to a month.
