punjabi food

 

 Punjabi cuisine is associated with the food from the Punjab region of India. the cuisine has a rich tradition of many distinct and local ways of cooking. one is a special form of tandoori cooking that is now famous in other parts of India, UK, canada etc. the local cuisine of Punjab is heavily  influnced by agriculture and farming lifestyle prevalent from the times of the ancient harappan civilization. distinctively Punjabi cuisine or food is known for its rich, buttery flavours along with the extensive vegetarian and meat dishes. main dishes include sarson ka saag (a stew whose main ingredient is mustard greens) and makke ki roti (flatbreads made with cornmeal).

STAPLE FOOD

Punjab is a major producer of wheat, rice and dairy products. these products also form the staple diet of the Punjabi people. the state of Punjab has one of the highest capita usage of dairy products in India. therefore, dairy products form an important component of Punjabi diet.

DAIRY PRODUCTS

some north punjab villages have also developed a local cheese variant kwon as dhaag, but the tradition of the dhaag is dying out.

COMMON DISHES

Breakfast:

breakfast recipes with respect to different regions within punjab varies. common ones are chana masala, chole kulche, parathas with curd, aloo paratha, paneer paratha, halwa poori, bhatoora, falooda, makhni doodh, amritsari lassi, masala chai, dahi vada and panjeeri with milk.

Meat:

The consumption of poultry, lamb and goat meat is higher compared to pork. many dishes of meat variety are available: biryani- lamb and chicken, kebab, keema, shami kebab, chicken karahi, amritsari tandoori chicken, punjabi karhi, butter chicken and chicken tikka.

Fish

since punjab is the land of five rivers, freshwater fish is an important part  in its cuisine. however sea fish is not consumed since punjab is not close to the sea. carp, rohu and catfish are most commonly prepared fish. other fish type include thela machi and tilapia. fish tikka is an amritsari speciality.

Vegetarian

khichdi: in Punjab, khichdi is made of millet flour, moong beans and moth lentils. however, khichdi is made of  rice and red lentils or mung beans is also consumed.

paneer: recipes like shahi paneer, khoya paneer, paneer kofta, amritsari paneer, matar paneer, paneer paratha etc.

panjiri: this is a traditional punjabi desert dish which has generous amount of almonds, walnuts, pistachios, dry dates, cashew nuts along with whole wheat flour, sugar, edible gum, poppy seeds and fennel seeds to make traditional dish of panjri or also known as dabra.

legumes: A variety of legumes are used including chickpeas, pegion peas, red lentils, mung bean, red kidney beans, and black gram. legumes can be used singly or combination.

saag: A variety of leafy greens typically cooked down to a stew, seasoned with ginger, garlic, chillies and other spices and often enriched with paneer or cream. 

eggplant: baingan bharta is similar to baba ghanoush in the way the eggplant is prepared by roasting and peeling the skin off but much richer with the incorporation of lots of cooked tomato, browned onion with variety of spices instead of tahini.

punjabi kadhi pakora: kadhi is a type of curry made with coconut or buttermilk, which is thickened with chickpea flour and seasoned with ginger, turmeric, chillies and tempered spices. deep fried lumps of spiced chickpea-flour batter (pakoras) are also added.

punjabi lassi paneer: In the punjab it is traditional to prepare lassi and then extract the paneer which would then be consumed by adding water, salt and chilli. lassi panner cannot be cut into cubes as paneer from milk can be.

SNACKS

Toasted grains: in the punjab, toasting corn and wheat grains on the punjabi bhathi is a traditional delicacy. samosas and sattu: ground barley grains mixed with salt and turmeric rolled into balls. millet and corn grains are also used.

SWEETS AND DESERTS

Punjabi cuisine includes various types of deserts: amritsari, khoya, kulfi, malpua, rabri, semolina based desert; halwa and sheer khurma.

BREADS

Punjabi eats variety of breads. flatbreads and raised breads are eaten on a daily bases. raised breads are known as khamiri roti. sunflower and flex seeds are also added in some breads occasionally. the breads may be made of  different types of flour and can be made in various ways:

baked in the tandoor like naan, tandoori roti, kulcha or lacha paratha, dry baked jowar ki roti, baajre ki roti, makki ki roti, shallow fried like paratha, deep fried like puri and bhatoora.

BEVERAGES

Punjab has a diverse range of beverages. some are dairy based such as lassi and buttermilk. water buffalos milk based products are especially famous around punjab. mango lassi, mango milkshake, chaas etc. others are juices derived from vegetables and fruits. waterelon juice, carrot juice, tamarind juice are famous among fruit juices. shikanjvi and neembu paani drinks are specifically famous during hot summer season. jal-jeera is also common as well.