Highlights
- ‘Panjeeri’ is a traditional Indian winter delicacy known for its high energy and nutritional value.
- It is often given to new mothers looking to build immunity post-delivery and kickstart the healing process.
- It is readily available at Indian grocery stores, but nothing can beat the homemade taste and hygiene.
- Sydney man Jasbir Singh Kang decodes the magic of 'panjeeri’ by sharing his family recipe.
In an interview with SBS Punjabi, Mr Kang shared his family recipe and spoke about the food legacy in his family that he continues to preserve and spread in Sydney.
"I can't even recall for how long our family has been making panjeeri. I feel it is more like a tradition that we've carried on from our previous generations. Our elders gave us the recipe that we would now pass on to our next generation," he said.
What is Panjeeri?
The word panjeeri is known to have been derived from the Sanskrit word 'panj-zirakh' - a food containing five types of nutrients. It is a traditional winter delicacy known for its high energy and nutritional value.
Panjeeri is a popular sweet treat often made with some alterations but is most commonly prepared by roasting and mixing flour in desi ghee and sugar with various dry fruits and a stock of natural health supplements like goond, kamarkas, fennel, dried fruits like almonds, sultanas, raisins, cashews, linseed/flax, white musli, herbs, poppy seeds etc.
'Panjeeri' is a long-life sweet dish which is also considered a post-natal tonic in Punjabi culture. Source: Sammy
Mr Kang said that while this sweet treat is readily available at Indian sweets shops and grocery stores across Australia, nothing can beat the homemade taste and hygiene.
"Many Indian Australian families do not prefer to buy panjeeri from the market. They prefer the homemade preparation as it gives you the flexibility to add as many nutrients as you wish, which can turn it into a great superfood or desi aushdee [medicine]. It not only satisfies the appetite but can also help relieve back and joint pain," he added.
More than a sweet delicacy:
While many within the north Indian and Pakistani Punjabi community consume panjeeri as a side snack with tea or milk to beat the cold-weather blues, others prefer to rely on this superfood for nutrition and boosting energy.
Panjeeri often consists of ghee, what flour, and dry fruits. Source: Supplied
Panjeeri is also considered to be extremely healthy for new mothers looking to build immunity post-delivery and kickstart the healing process.
It is either eaten in a dry form or a sphere-shaped pinni which is easy to carry as takeaway food.
Click on the audio button to listen to Mr Kang’s recipe and to learn the process of preparing this winter delicacy.
