PUNJABI CUISINE PLATTER

 Staple diet and flavors of Punjab

Punjab also called as the land of 5 rivers- Beas, Satluj, Chenab, Ravi & Jhelum. It is also called as land of milk and honey. The philosophy of all the Punjabis is to enjoy, eat food and live life merrily. Their vegetarian and non-vegetarian food is just lip smacking.

Punjab is also the highest producer of wheat is also called as the Big Indian Bread Basket because it has variety of breads available. From kulcha to paratha and from roti to naan the Punjabis has variety of breads which goes very well with the vegetables.

The classic Punjabi meal includes a wheat roti served with sabzi (vegetables) along with a dollop of butter or ghee accompanied with a plate of onions, pickles, lime and a glass of lassi (buttermilk). They do cook rice in certain occasions.

Each an every city and region in Punjab has different variety of delicacies enjoyed by local people. Amritsar people are very much fond of Amritsari Kulcha and Naan while the people of Delhi are very much fond of Chole Bhature and aloo paratha (stuffed bread or chapati with potatoes). The tolerance of spice level in this region is from medium to heavy. The people living here enjoy spicy food with the abundance usage of onion and garlic (tastes may vary according to the person).

Another mandatory food is lentils. Lentils like black gram and yellow gram are a must in Punjabi Cuisine. In desserts, nuts loaded in kheer and gajar ka halwa is one of the most loved desserts by Punjabis. Punjabi Cuisine is loved by everyone.

   

TOP 3 VEGETARIAN DISHES OF PUNJABI CUISINE

Sarso Da Saag Makke ki roti:

The iconic dish which made Punjab famous is Sarso da Saag aur Makke ki Roti. A very healthy saag made with green mustard leaves full of high protein and iron is having huge amount of nutritional value.

Sarso da Saag is a traditional dish for all the villagers in Punjab which gives them strength to work in farming field all day long because of its high nutritional value. It is often prepared with bathua ki bhaji (pigweed) and spinach or radish leaves to add more taste.

This dish is usually prepared in winters because of seasonal mustard leaves and also because it is the time to harvest winter crops so it becomes customary to eat winter foods like sarso da saag and makke ki roti.

Dal Makhni:

Dal Makhni a yummilicious dish from Punjabi Cuisine prepared from black gram or sabut urad dal along with rajma (red kidney beans) and malai which gives the dish a creamy texture.

Dal Makhni was traditionally cooked on charcoal as a slow process of cooking. Many people is having a myth that eating dal makhni is not good for health or they will intake huge amount of calories. As you know, that dal makhni is prepared with urad dal, rajma, black gram lentils, onions which are rich is high fibre and proteins. It helps to create new blood cells and also it is good for heart. Along with that malai or cream are healthy fats so eating dal makhni is good for health. But every meal should be eaten in limits if you eat extremely more amount of meal, the stomach will not support your body.

Dal Makhni was invented by Kundan Lal Gujral, the founder of Moti Mahal Chains. He just revolutionized the way dal was cooked, making it the world famous dish competing in the world culinary map. The idea was triggered when he used to prepare tomato gravy serving the dried chicken tikka because at that time the refrigerators were not available. He would just simmer those tikkas in a tomato gravy which gave birth to the famous butter chicken and dal makhni.

Gajar ka Halwa:

Gajar ka Halwa, a very delicious dessert is a sweet carrot pudding made from grated carrots, milk or khoya (made either by drying the milk or thickened by heating the milk) which is topped with nuts and dry fruits.

Indian Culture is filled with festivals. Gajar ka Halwa is prepared at the time of festivals and it is popular amongst the North Indians. This dish was introudced at the time of Mughals and the name originates from the Arabic word "halwa" which means sweet and it is made from carrots, thus called Gajar Halwa.

The health benefits of Gajar ka Halwa is that the carrots are rich in Vitamin A, they are also rich in both soluble and insoluble fibres along with that it also helps in boosting the immunity. You can also prepare this dessert from jaggery instead of sugar which will of high nutritional value. So one must not skip eating such a yummy dessert.

So what are you waiting for? Do try out these yummy dishes.

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