PANJEERI
Panjeeri is a traditional south asian sweet, known for its rich nutritional profile and comforting flavors. It is often associated with winter months, as it provides warmth and energy during the colder season.Panjeeri is highly nutritious, making it an excellent energy booster.
In many south asian families, Panjeeri is traditionally prepared for new mothers as a postpartum nutritional snack, as it is believed to help with recovery after childbirth and boost lactation. The high nutritional content supports the mother’s health and provides energy.The dish is not just a treat; it carries cultural and familial ties, often passed down through generations.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Heat a large nonstick pan or skillet over low-medium heat. Once hot, heat 2 tablespoon of ghee, and allow it to melt completely. Add the almonds, cashews, pistachios , walnuts, and coconut slices. Roast for 6-7 minutes, until they are lightly golden and you can smell the nutty aroma. Use a spoon to remove the nuts and place in a medium bowl to cool down. Make sure don't over roast because the nuts may taste bitter in panjiri. If some ghee left , remove it and wipe clean the pan to use it again.
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Lower the heat and heat 1 tbsp of ghee. Add the raisins and roast for 2 minutes, until they puff up and change color. Remove from the pan if needed.
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Add the flax , melon & pumpkin seeds to the pan and stir to mix. Cook for a minute or two until you heat a crackling sound.Remove from the pan and transfer to the bowl.
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Heat another tbsp of ghee and add the goond . Goond will puff in ghee. Roast and stirring often for 5 minutes until crystals will change the colour and look more whitish , puff to almost double in size and become soft. Remove and set these aside in a bowl.
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Heat 2 tbsp of ghee and add the phool makhana . Roast for 7-8 minutes, until they turn slightly golden and crispy. Using a slotted spoon to remove the roasted makhana from the pan and set it aside.
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Heat 1/4 cup of ghee and add the semolina . Stir the semolina continuously and roast for 10-12 minutes until it turns lightly golden brown and fragrant. Remove from heat and place into the large bowl.
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In a food processor, add the mixed nuts and coconut slices into the food processor and pulse to chop until they have a coarse but you can fine grind it but not into a paste according to your preference. Add in the same bowl of semolina. I kept 1/4 cup aside for garnishing later .
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Add the phool makhana and blitz until they have a coarsely consistency but not too
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Add flax, melon & pumpkin seeds in a food processor and grind these into rough bits. And set aside 1/4 cup for later use.
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Add goond, kamarkas and fennel seeds in the process and pulse into a finely grind.
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Add goond, kamarkas and fennel seeds in the process and pulse into a finely grind.
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Health Score
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Transfer the roasted raisins to the bowl.
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In a pan add jaggery and water, stirring often, and cook until fully jaggery fully melted and start bubbling. But don't over cook to make it a thick syrup.
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Remove from the heat and set aside to cool down slightly. Sieve through jaggery syrup in to the bowl.
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Wear gloves or wash hands before mixing. Mix to combine all the prepared ingredients until well combined.
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Allow to cool down completely at room temperature.
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Store in an airtight container. Shelf life on room temperature up to two month and in refrigerator up to six months.
Note
I use the kamrkas like this but you can, heat up 1 tbsp of ghee and kamarkas toast for 2-3 minutes, until it has a red hue.
Do NOT use cooking oil in place of ghee to make panjeeri. However, you can substitute coconut oil for ghee.
While roasting the ingredients, don't roast on high heat or increase the heat to speed up the process other panjeeri will have a bitter after taste.
Each nut and seed is roasted separately to prevent burning and to bring out their natural oils and flavors.
l use coarse semolina, if you want to make panjeeri balls use fine semolina.
Semolina can burn very easily so make sure to keep stirring it. After turning off the heat, remove immediately to another bowl.
I prefer some texture to my panjiri so l coarsely grind the ingredients but, you can grind them fine especially if you are making it for kids and elderly people.
After roasting, the nuts, seeds, and goond are often ground to a coarse consistency to create a crunchy texture.
Instead of jaggery syrup you can add fine brown sugar in a bowl after adding semolina. Or use dates and grind with goond.
Wipe the pan after every use if needed.
Panjeeri can be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for several weeks. It can last up to two months at room temperature and up to six months in the refrigerator, maintaining its taste and nutritional value.
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