BM # 15 Day 6
Punjab is a Northern state of India very rich in its cuisine.The food is rich in ghee and butter as Punjabi’s are robust people with robust appetites.By large their non veg food is very popular but nothing like their vegetarian cuisine which has endless variation.The hit list topping with Paneer variety then come in Raajma-chaawal,kadi chaawal..endless delicious food.The simple home cooking also tastes like restaurant food because of the use of ghee,butter and cream.They are basic wheat eaters as wheat is the main crop of Punjab.The popular parathas…aaloo,gobhi mooli..lavishly fried in ghee, served with dollops of home made butter and some fresh chunky bowl of curd are a few favorite of Amritsari people.Ofcourse we cannot miss the Amritsari chole,wadiya and papad.Infact if you guys ever get a chance to visit Amritsar you must visit The Bharwan da Dhabba.This is a old dhabba with finger licking food.The dhaaba culture is very popular in Punjab.
In summer we see the Punjabi women carrying the chapati dough to the nearby tandoor.Here the tandoor wala makes these rotis with a nominal charge.Huge clay ovens , these tandoors are half buried in the ground and heated with coal fire lit below.These tandoors take me back when I was probably 6-7 years old.I still remember mom sending the dough to the closest tandoor,which I used to watch from my window.
The winter in Punjab brings the most flavorful green…Sarso ka Saag and Makki de Roti. The Punjabi gravies are genrally made from onions,garlic and tomato.Connoisseurs of the cuisine say that the gravy component of Punjabi cuisine came from Mughals.
Coming to the sweets The Panjus have a sweet tooth and use lots of Gur / jaggery.Their kheers,pinnis,balushahis and Gajrellas being the top favourites.
For this dinner, my menu is…..
Drink
Masala Lassi
(Whisked yogurt diluted lightly with water and spiced with mint, ginger and coriander)
Snack
(Potatoes and peas spiced with Indian garam masala stuffed to make a fried snack)
Curries
(Chick peas simmered in a tangy sauce)
(Musturd greens cooked with onions and garlic in pure ghee )
Balti Paneer
(Cottage cheese fried with gram flour simmered in a nutty gravy)
Rice
Jeera rice with Matter Paneeer
(Rice garnished with fresh farm peas and fried cottage cheese , tempered with cuminseeds)
Roti / Bread
Paneer Kulcha
(Indian flat bread stuffed with cottage cheese)
Accompaniments
Dahi wada
(Lentil dumplings with yogurt sauce)
Pyaas ka Lacha
(Onion rings)
Hari Mirch
(Fresh green chilly)
Hari Chutney
(Fresh coriander chutney)
Pachranga Achaar
(a tangy pickle from North)
Sweet
Gajjar ka Halwa
(Carrots simmered in milk and garnished with nuts)
Dhaabe de Chole
Sarso da Saag
Balti Paneer
Dahi Wada with Sonth
Jeera Rice with Mattar Paneer
Green chutney,Pachranga achaar,Pyaz ka lacha,Samosa
Gajjar ka Halwa
and now the recipes…..
Baalti Paneer
250 gms…………… paneer cut into rectangles
½ cup………………. besan
1/4tsp ……………….red chilly pwd
Salt to taste
Make a pakora batter with besan ,adding salt ,chilly pwd and water.
Dip paneer rectangles and fry to a crisp golden.
Keep aside.
Gravy
3tbsp………………. oil / ghee
1………………………..bay leaf
I ………………………..medium onion sliced
½…………………….. capsicum sliced
4……………………… tomatoes,boiled and pureed
6-8………………….. almonds
1tbsp ……………….magaz tari
1tsp …………………ginger garlic paste
¼ tsp……………….. red chilly pwd
¼ tsp……………….. turmeric pwd
½ tsp ………………..coriander pwd
½ tsp ………………..garam masala
1tbsp……………….. fresh cream
1tsp………………….. kasoori methi
Salt to taste
Soak almonds and deskin them .
Soak magaz tari,make a paste of these two.
Heat oil.
Add cumin seed and bay leaf.
Add sliced onions,cook till pink.
Add capsicum and sauté.
Add ginger garlic paste and saute’.
Add the magaz tari paste ,cream.
Add pureed tomatoes and all the spices.cook till oil seperates.
Add the paneer pakodas and little water .
The pakodas absorb the puree so keep the consistency accordingly.
Sprinkle kasoori methi and garam masala.
Garnish with coriander.
Paneer Kulcha
1cup…………….. wheat flour
¼ tsp……………. salt
½ tsp……………. curd
½ tsp …………….sugar
Pinch soda bi carb
Milk to bind
Make a dough mixing all the ingredients,binding the dough semi soft with milk.
Leave to rest for an hour.
Stuffing
100gms …………grated cottage cheese
¼ tsp…………….. green chilly chopped
1/4tsp……………. annardana,lightly crushed
Few raisins
Few cashews chopped
Salt to taste
Mix all the ingredients and prepare a stuffing.
How to go about…
Make balls of the dough.
Roll into a disc.
Place the stuffing and seal the edges.
Pat and roll again into a bigger disc.
Heat a gridle and cook like paratha or else bake in a preheated oven for 7-8 minutes.
Serve with a dollop of butter and some sprinkled chaat masala.
Advance preparation
Gajjar ka halwa………3days in advance
It can be store in the frig for nearly a month
Samosas………………..2days in advance..freezed them
Dahi wada…………..…1day in advance
These can be made and freezed, just defrost them and boil in water a few hours prior to serving.
Green chutney ………1day in advance
Chopping onions,green chilly ginger and garlic, and making pastes,1 day in advance
Cooking time…………..2hours
On the thaali day it took me about 2 hours to finish my cooking ,since there was’nt much chopping to be done.The sarso ka saag was frozen ,it just needed tempering. The only thing that took time was arranging for the shoot and the shoot itself.
again lunch time and your thali. I am salivating again.
What is "Magaz tari" you used for your balti paneer? I love that recipe 🙂
Everyday am eagerly waiting for your post.. Love to see the different kinds of thalis you post each day..
Divya's Culinary Journey
Showcase- Whats in your Lunch Box?
Lets Party-Breakfast
Simply superb Vaishali! I love much you have my word to create a detailed notes plus a restaurent style menu type. Loving it!
Oops so many words missing! Typing from smartphone was not a smart thing it looks like!
Awesome and heart filling spread! love the balti paneer recipe!!
Since ever you started sharing ur thalis, seriously i feel like gaining few kgs just on seeing ur clicks..Am speechless Vaishali..
My God where do you get the time and patience to prepare such a lavish spread. You rock girl!!! I hope I can learn fraction of your cooking and presenting skills. Simply superb.
Drooling ,,..too good,..:)
again, your artistic self shines through…regardless of the food, the placement and colors..the time you put into shooting the photos is so evident by the superb quality…all that food…everything looks excellent!!!
wow. simply amazing. every dish looks delicious
This comment has been removed by the author.
I love Punjabi food! awesome thali.. It is almost mid night here and your thali is making me hungry again
Oh my god!this thaali is fantastic!!!!im drooling here!
Beautiful Thali. I am speechless and waiting for one more thali from you. The snaps are awesome…
Vaishali, you took me on a tour to punjab, i had goosebumps when you mentioned about your childhood and mother…i loved this thali as much as i liked the others…but this kind of touched me the most
omg…Speechless..Wonderful meal and luv the way u explained it..
You should write a cookbook or start a restaurant.. i bet u will do a great job. I will eat at your place everyday.
wow… fantastic post… such a huge collection of recipes… awesome..
Again another awesome post from you.
Oh Balle, balle, kya thali hai jeee, Balti Paneer aur Paneer da Kulcha dekhe moo mein paani aagaya!!!
I am stunned.I can't take my eyes from that click.Superb thali and beautifully presented.Btw, what is magaz tari?
Amazing punjabi thali
must try
superb punjabi thali hey bhale bhale.
this is my ffavv one thali….now start bhangra for this
hi …cant find your ,Pachranga achaar,dahi vada recipes
Love it… Can u send me a parcel, not yet tried Punjabi thali 😛
http://recipe-excavator.blogspot.com
Omg amazing post i call it hard work..no words
Hi,jus to inform you that a page on Facebook by name Spicy Treat is using picture of your thali as their profile pic
i love soya food thanks for this information such a lovely post please provide few more information about this postveg meat