Everything about Punjabi Cuisine totally explained
Punjabi cuisine (from the
Punjab region of Northern
India and Eastern
Pakistan).
Punjabi cuisine can be non-vegetarian or completely vegetarian. One of the main features of Punjabi cuisine is its diverse range of dishes. Home cooked and restaurant Punjabi cuisine can vary significantly, with restaurant style using large amounts of clarified butter, known locally as
ghee, with liberal amounts of
butter and
cream with home cooked concentrating on mainly upon
wheat masalas (
spice) flavourings.
Though wheat varieties form their
staple food, Punjabis do cook
rice on special occasions.
During winter a delicacy, Roh Di Kheer, is cooked using rice. Rice is cooked for a long time in
sugar cane juice.
Within the
state itself, there are different preferences. People in the area of
Amritsar prefer stuffed
parathas and milk products. In fact, the area is well known for quality of its milk products.
There are certain dishes which are exclusive to Punjab, such as Mah Di Dal and Saron Da Saag (Sarson Ka Saag).
The food is tailor-made for the Punjabi
lifestyle in which most of the
rural folk burn up a lot of
calories while working in the fields. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of
onion,
garlic and
ginger.
Tandoori food is a
Punjabi speciality especially for non-veg dishes.
Many of the most popular elements of
Anglo-Indian cuisine - such as Tandoor, Naan, Pakoras and vegetable dishes with paneer - derive from the Punjab.
Hallmarks of Punjabi food
Pulse, bean and / or lentil preparations:
These are generally soaked overnight or for at least 8 hours and gently simmered on the embers of a
tandoor (A clay oven of the shape of a horizontally sliced pot) along with ginger, garlic and a few other
garam masala (whole spices like cardamom, cinnamon, mace, and bay leaf).
These are then combined with a tangy masala base which could include
tomato or dried
mango (aam choor powder) or even
pomegranate seeds (anar dana). The character typical to the bean or whole lentil preparation is that the shape is retained intact, but the gentlest pressure would make it into a paste.
Dollops of cream and butter provide for the rich finishing touch. Garnishing is usually with shredded
coriander leaves and juliennes of ginger.
Other very popular Punjabi food include:
Samosas
Shahi Paneer (Butter Chicken, but chicken replaced with Paneer (Indian Cheese)
Tandoori Chicken
Tandoori Fish
Paneer Pakora
Pakoras
Jalebi
Gulab Jamun
Bread preparations
The Punjabi breads are generally flat breads; only a few varieties are raised breads. 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, lachha paratha
Dry baked on the tava (Indian griddle) like phulka or chapati, jowar ki roti, baajre ki roti and the very famous makke ki roti (these are also smeared with ghee or white butter)
Shallow fried like paratha, aloo or mooli paratha
Deep fried like puri and bhatoora (a fermented dough)
The tandoor also allows for tasty chicken and meat preparations including seekh kebab, tandoori chicken, reshmi tikka and malai tikka.
These breads can be made by just about everyone, however it's often said that it's only made the best with Punjabi hands. Punjabi people are especially skilled in the making of these various breads.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Punjabi Cuisine'.
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