*"* PANJEERI *"*

This nutritious mix is considered "the most essential" food while new mom is recovering after the birth and needs to regain her strength and energy for her new born baby. Also favorable to cure back aches and a tasty snack to warm up in Winter!!!

 A very popular grandma recommended recipe among Indian and Pakistani families.

There may be many many different ways to make it, this here is the one I have been eating as a child made from teh hands of Mom darling as she used to make it every winter and we all used to have it with our 4°clock tea-time!

 

Why 4°clock? because it was the time of dear Dad to be back home from his work and we always looked forward to have tea together with any one main snack and panjeeri as the closing snack with tea, we used to sit and discuss how each of us spent the day, in school, at work or at home.. then we used to discuss the new headings and happening from the News of the Day... those were times i cud give away my life to have it back.....

Nothing like being with your Family!!! 

                                  ( The only picture i took :)

So here’s how we make it:

800gr coarse

Sooji (semolina)

11/2  cup  Ghee(clarified butter) or more accordingly

100 gr Coconut (dry sliced)

150 gr Pistachio nuts(sweet)

300 gr Almonds(unpeeled)

50 gr Munakka ( big raisins)

700 gr Sugar (according to taste, usually people like it sweet :)

10-12 Green Cardamom seeds,

50gr Gond Katira ( edible gum)

20gr Kamar-kas ( not more as it has a bitter taste,dried and powdered stalks of the Hibiscus plant)

50gr Char Maghaz (this is a classic mix of pumpkin, watermelon seeds)

150 gr Makhanay (Fox nuts)

50 gr  Raisins

½ cup Ghee for frying

 

-Heat the ghee in a broad pan, and fry all the nuts one after the other accept the kamarkas; ( that comes in the end as it will turn the ghee dark brown)

on a light heat until slight golden colour.

-Spread them separately on a kitchen towel or paper till all the ghee is absorbed

-Now crush all the nuts coarsely, best is in a mortar as it tastes best when it is coarse

- Now fry the kamarkas and lay seperate

-Now take a broad non-stick pot or wok and heat the ghee

- Put in the green cardamom seeds and let them splutter

-Fold in the sooji and mix all well

-Keep mixing till the sooji turns light pink

-Now add in all crushed nuts one by one

-Keep mixing but on the same low heat as the sooji should not burn

-This requires too mcuh strength may be a male hand J

-Now fold in the sugar and mix all well, the sugar should stay a bit crunchy!!!

-In the end add in the Kamarkas and mix again

Let the Panjeeri cool completely and then preserve in an air-tight box

It stays fresh upto 2 months if no wet spoon used in it! 

So be careful!!!