Health Recipe: Panjeeri

Kumar Nachiket's recipe for Panjeeri is filled with the goodness of ghee, wheat and nuts.

Considered a traditional Indian health food, there is actually a Hindi expression for weakness that goes: Iske haath-pair Panjeeri mang rahein hai (he looks so weak his hands and feet are demanding Panjeeri).

Make the concoction even more healthy by replacing sugar with jaggery or coconut sugar.

Panjeeri

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups aata or wheat flour
• 1 cup ghee
• 1 cup walnuts, crushed + extra to garnish
• 1 tsp green elaichi or cardamom powder
• 1 cup icing sugar or grated jaggery or coconut sugar
• Dried rose petals, to garnish, optional

Method

• Heat the ghee in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan or kadhai.
  Add the wheat flour and roast it for 12-15 minutes, till it starts to change colour.
  Add the crushed walnuts, cardamom powder.
  Roast for another 5-7 minutes
  Add the sugar/jaggery/coconut sugar and mix well.
  Take off heat, garnish with more chopped walnuts and dried rose petals, optional.

Note: Kumar Nachiket puts up to 1 tbsp green cardamom powder in his recipe for Panjeeri, but adjust as per your taste.

A dash of black pepper powder and a tiny pinch of salt are unique additions.

Instead of walnuts, or in addition to walnuts, add slivered almonds or chopped cashews or chopped pistachios or watermelon seeds or charoli (Cuddapah almonds). You may also wish to add or foxnuts (makhana) which have been lightly roasted beforehand and lightly crushed.

For sugar-free Panjeeri, substitute the sugar with stevia powder. Each brand of stevia has its own stevia for sugar substitution ratio provided on its packing.

Panjeeri is also made from just dhania seeds, which are coarsely ground and that's a perfect gluten-free option.

For a vegan Panjeeri substitute the ghee with cashew butter, available online, or coconut oil.

Kumar Nachiket is a food stylist, digital creator and runs the Instagram page That Indian Curry.

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