Name: Panjiri recipe by sweta biswal at BetterButter
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 7
Ingredients: 2 cups whole wheat flour; 1/2 cup ghee or clarified butter; 1/2 cup bura ( unrefined cane sugar ); 1 tsp soonth powder (dry ginger powder); 2-3 pinch saffron strands; To be roasted and powdered separately - 1 cup Phool Makhana (puffed fox nuts); 12 almonds; 12 cashews; 12 pitachios (optional); 2 tbsp poppy seeds; 2 tbsp char magaz ( melon seeds); a handful of raisins; 7-8 dry dates; 3 tbsp edible gum

ABOUT Panjiri RECIPE

'Panjiri' is one high-energy food that is normally consumed in the Northern parts of India and Pakistan. Made with whole wheat flour roasted in copious amounts of 'desi' ghee and sweetened with 'bura' or natural cane sugar, it is delicious and quite filling too. While a few dry fruits are a mandatory addition to any Panjiri recipe, a friend's mother-in-law makes one that consists almost entirely of dry fruits and especially 'phool makhana'. Apart from the various dry fruits, one can also add spices like saffron (for a lovely aroma), ajwain (for digestion), sonth (for heat) and even fennel/cardamom. Desiccated coconut and edible gum (or 'Gond' ) is usually put into this recipe. A few spoonfuls with warm milk is enough to keep one going through the winters. But since there is quite a bit of roasted wheat flour in this recipe, it transforms magically into an 'Atta ka halwa' with some hot water.

Ingredients Serving: 7

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ghee or clarified butter
1/2 cup bura ( unrefined cane sugar )
1 tsp soonth powder (dry ginger powder)
2-3 pinch saffron strands
To be roasted and powdered separately - 1 cup Phool Makhana (puffed fox nuts)
12 almonds
12 cashews
12 pitachios (optional)
2 tbsp poppy seeds
2 tbsp char magaz ( melon seeds)
a handful of raisins
7-8 dry dates
3 tbsp edible gum

Instructions

Heat the ghee in a thick bottomed pan.
One by one, add and roast each ingredient mentioned under 'to be roasted and powdered separately' .
Each one needs to be roasted separately as the required time varies.
Ideally add the edible gum first as it needs more ghee to puff up. The phool makhana should be done last.
Except for the dates, transfer the rest of the roasted ingredients to a mixer jar and grind into a fine powder.
Chop up the dates into small pieces and add to the powdered dry fruits mixture while discarding the seeds
Check if adequate ghee is there in the pan. If not add another tablespoon or two.
Add the whole wheat flour to the same pan and roast it till it turns darker by a few shades.
The smell will also change by this time.
Finally add the unrefined cane sugar, dry ginger powder and saffron strands to the roasted flour.
Roast for another minute or two before adding the powdered dry fruits and chopped dates.
Remove from the flame. Let it cool down completely before storing in an airtight jar.

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