Panjiri Recipe | The Superfood for New Mothers

Nutrition is the key to recovery. After the stress suffered by the body during delivery, a new mother needs all the support to heal. Panjiri is a time tested food, that has helped generations. If you are wondering how to make this, read on. The recipe shared is from my mother’s kitchen. You will enjoy this as much as I have.

Sep 08,2021 by MomComIndia

A while back, my mother & I went on MomComIndia’s YouTube channel, to talk about motherly advice during pregnancy. I wanted to share all the support that I received from my mother. After all, the wisdom that is passed on from mother to daughter, is blessed with love and practicality. This is especially true in case of pregnancy. We discussed the pregnancy and post pregnancy super food- Panjiri, in that video. Since there are multiple recipes on the Internet, that often contradict each other, Ma and I chose to share the recipe of Panjiri, the way we make at home.

Panjiri has always been popular in North Indian kitchens. Its claim of being a superfood has a strong foundation, as it is packed with nutrients. Edible gum or Gond fortifies the body, providing it with the nutrition to repair itself. Kamarkas herb strengthens the back and lower back muscles. Dry Ginger powder or Sonth, heals the wear and tear. Pepper warms the body. Makhana is rich in proteins and can be had individually as a snack. A generous addition of dry fruits, being high in vitamins and minerals, adds to the nutritional value. Atta (whole wheat flour) binds it all together. The star ingredient is Desi ghee. Hailed by nutritionists around the world to have medical benefits, when taken in the right quantity, it’s an elixir. Thus, it is no surprise that Panjiri can be consumed by anyone in need of a boost to recover from ailments. Though a word of advice from my mom is that Panjiri with kamarkas herb is not recommended for men. In my case, this was a valid excuse to not share this delicious snack with my husband.

Recipe:

Preparation Time- 25 mins

Ingredients

Atta- 1 bowl

Desi Ghee- 1 bowl

Sonth (ginger powder)- 1/4th spoon

Gondh- 1 spoon

Kamarkas herb- 1 spoon

Black pepper- 1/4th spoon

Makhana- 1 bowl

Almonds- 12 (cut into small pieces)

Cashew- 12 (cut into small pieces)

Kishmish- 18-20

Bhura Chini (crushed sugar crystals)- 3/4 th bowl

Note:

Atta is the carrier ingredient for Panjiri. The recipe needs to be adjusted as per the quantity of atta. Eg- If you are doubling the quantity of atta, double the quantity of other ingredients as well

Sugar can be adjusted according to taste.

Use a medium spoon to measure the quantity of Sonth, Gondh, Kamarkas, Pepper.

Use a standard bowl to measure the proportions of the rest.

Do not leave the Atta unattended, while ghee roasting it. Stir continuously.

You can use jaggery instead of sugar. However, jaggery can only be used for winters as it heats up the body quickly.

The air tight container should be dry when one is storing the Panjiri.

Method of preparation

Let a heavy bottomed utensil heat up on a high flame.

Lower the flame to medium and add 1/2 a bowl of ghee

Let the ghee heat up well. To check the ghee, you can put a small piece of almond. If the almond floats up, the ghee is ready.

Add all the almonds. Stir till it gets a light colour. Then remove the almonds from the ghee. Set aside on a plate.

Lower the gas flame further. Add the cashews to the ghee. Since cashews cook faster, remove them immediately. Set aside on a plate.

Add the Makhana. Stir till it gets a light colour. Remove from the ghee and set aside.

Add the Gond into the Ghee. The Gond pellets will puff up into white chunks. Remove from the ghee.

Add Kamarkas herb. Stir for about 20 secs and remove from ghee.

Grind the kamarkas and Gond together.

After all the dry fruits and herbs are removed from the ghee, add the remaining 1/2 bowl ghee.

Add the atta and stir vigorously. Increase the flame to high. Keep mixing the atta and the ghee continuously. Atta has a tendency to stick, hence do not let the mixture rest. Do not leave the atta unattended at any point of the preparation.

Reduce the flame to medium after 5 mins. Keep stirring.

After about 15 mins, the aroma signals that the atta is now cooked.

Add the Makhana into the atta and mix well.

Follow it up by adding the dry fruits ,one at a time and mix well.

Add Sonth and black pepper. Mix well.

Switch off the gas and let the mixture cool a bit.

Once it’s nearing the room temperature, add the kishmish and bhura chini. Kishmish will harden up if we add it while the atta is hot. The bhura chini will soak up the residual ghee.

Transfer to an air tight bowl. Let it cool. Close the container. This Panjiri will stay fresh, without refrigeration, for a more than a month.

Optional- You can make laddoos of this mixture

Method- While the mixture is still warm, make it into small round balls and set aside to cool on a steel plate. Cover the plate with a dry kitchen cloth. This takes upto 4-5 hrs. Once it has cooled, the laddoos will stick to the steel plate. Warm the steel plate slightly on the gas, to release the laddoos. Now you can store the laddoos the same way as Panjiri.

When to consume

Panjiri is great as a snack at any time of the day. Warm it up a bit and have Panjiri with a glass of warm milk. The milk helps one digest the Panjiri. A new mother can have it twice a day. It warms up the body, hence you can reduce the quantity in summers. Enjoy it as much as you want in winters. I used to have it as a pre breakfast snack and again at night before sleeping.

Panjiri works wonders for elders at home. Without adding the Kamarkas, it can be given to young children, instead of giving them the cornflakes and likes. If you are suffering from a lower back ache, whether you are a new mom or not, Kamarkas panjiri will give you relief. You can make it in larger batches and store it. Instead of reaching out for a snack of biscuits or popcorns, choose Panjiri.

I would strongly recommend that you watch our video for this content (link). This will aid you to make the panjiri in a jiffy. I would love to know if you enjoyed the panjiri made from my mom’s recipe. If you have any family recipes of pregnancy and post-partum recovery foods, do share with us. Feel free to reach out to me for any clarification or suggestions. MomComIndia is present on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, along with this website. Hope to hear from you soon. Enjoy Panjiri. Enjoy simplified parenting.

♥♥ डिलीवरी के बाद सेहत बनाने की दमदार रेसिपी : पंजीरी | इस आर्टिकल में इस बारे में बताया गया है | इस आर्टिकल की जानकारी हिंदी में पाने के लिए नीचे दिए वीडियो को देखें ►