Panjiri (Punjabi Winter Energy Powder with Herbs and Ghee)
ਪੰਜੀਰੀ
Panjiri is one of the most distinctive and nutritionally significant of all Punjabi traditional foods — a dry, crumbly, coarse-ground "food" made from roasted whole wheat flour (atta), ghee, powdered sugar, ground dried herbs (methi — fenugreek, sonth — dry ginger, ajwain — carom seeds), and a generous amount of nuts and seeds, eaten as a nutritional supplement, winter warming food, and post-partum recovery food for new mothers in Punjabi households. Unlike halwa (which is moist and sweet), panjiri is dry, slightly bitter from the medicinal herbs, and warming. It is pressed into balls (ladoos) or eaten loose as a powder. Panjiri is one of the most ancient functional foods of Punjab — its ingredients address almost every post-partum nutritional requirement.
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 10
- Level
- Easy
Prep 10 min · Cook 30 min
Ingredients
Method
Heat ghee in a large kadai. Fry gond in ghee (it puffs up). Remove, cool, crush to powder. Add atta to the same ghee. Roast on medium-low, stirring continuously, for 25–30 minutes until deep golden and fragrant. The roasting time is crucial — under-roasted panjiri tastes raw and starchy. Remove from heat.
About 30 min
Tip: Panjiri requires longer roasting than besan halwa — the whole wheat flour takes more time to develop its nutty character. 25+ minutes on medium-low heat is typical. The colour should be a rich golden-brown.
Cool the roasted flour to warm (not hot). Add powdered sugar, ground fenugreek, dry ginger, carom seeds, chopped almonds, puffed gond, and desiccated coconut. Mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust sweetness and herb balance.
About 5 min
Tip: The medicinal herbs (methi, sonth, ajwain) give panjiri its bitter, warming character that is an acquired taste for those not used to it. Adjust the quantity of methi according to tolerance — it can be assertive.
Panjiri is typically served loose as a powder (1–2 tablespoons per serving, eaten with a spoon or mixed into warm milk) or pressed into ladoo balls while still warm. Store in an airtight container. Keeps 3–4 weeks at room temperature. Serve 1–2 tbsp daily to nursing mothers or as a winter energy food.
About 5 min
Tip: Panjiri mixed into warm milk (1–2 tbsp in a glass of warm milk) is the traditional winter morning drink for cold Punjab winters — nutritionally complete and warming.
Nutrition per serving (estimate)
- Calories
- 340
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 16 g
- Sodium
- 10 mg
Contains: dairy, tree-nuts, gluten
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Recipe by Boon Tools.