Panjeeri / Panjiri, nourishing and healing
Panjeeri is known for its nutritional value and is often associated with providing energy and strength, especially during winters and post-pregnancy.
Ingredients
- 500 grams almonds- roughly grounded (you can use a food processor for speed)
- 500 grams pistachio nuts roughly grounded (you can use a food processor for speed)
- 1 kg unsalted butter
- 940 grams Chapati flour (I use Elephant Chakki Gold Chapatti Flour, 100% stone ground whole wheat atta) approximately
- 150 grams Char magaz (melon seeds)
- 150 grams poppy seeds
- 250 grams sugar (to taste) caster sugar or golden caster sugar works well
- 200 grams coarsely ground semolina (1 mug)
- 25 grams fennel seeds (or fennel powder)
- 50 grams ginger powder
- 100 grams char goond (edible gum)
- 150 grams golden sultanas
- 75 grams cardamom powder (to taste) start with less if you do not want a strong cardamom flavour
- 150 grams desiccated coconut
Instructions
- Firstly, grind the melon seeds and put to one side and then grind the char goond into powder and keep to one side, you can use a food processor for this. You will end up with two bowls with each of the ingredients kept separately.
- Next, wash the poppy seeds in a sieve and then dry them.
- Put the roughly grounded nuts in a bowl, and in a second bowl put in the chapati flour to the same level as the nuts in the first bowl. This really is something that is done by sight rather than by weighing the ingredients, weight will vary depending on what chapatti flour you use. So both bowls should look like they have equal amounts, or equal mounds of nuts and chapati flour in their respective bowls. However, I have put a rough estimate on the weight in the ingredients above.
- Next, melt the butter in a large sauce pan and add the chapati flour and semolina and stir through. Cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes. You will need to continuously stir through the mixture, otherwise it can become lumpy. When it starts to make a crackling noise, turn the heat off. It should look like a golden sandy mixture at this point.
- Add the ground goond and stir through, then add the poppy seeds and stir, add the char magaz and stir, then add the desiccated coconut and sugar and stir through thoroughly.
- Next take the pan off the heat and add in the fennel, nuts, ginger powder, sultanas and cardamon powder. Again stir through the ingredients thoroughly. Taste at this point, if you want the panjiri to be sweeter, you can in some more sugar at this point.
- Finally, spread the mixture out on trays to cool and then it is ready to eat and enjoy.
