5 unique Panjiri recipes to try this Janmashtami

Janmashtami , Gokulashtami, or Krishna Janmashtami witnesses the celebration of the birth of Lord Krishna. Many practices are observed on this sacred day. A statue of Krishna is bathed with water and milk and then dressed, and then worshipped. Temples and shrines are decorated with flowers and leaves, sweets are first offered to the deity, and distributed among people as prasad. A quintessential staple of not just Janmashtami, but most Hindu festivals is fasting. During Janmashtami, devotees fast until midnight, only drinking milk and eating fruits, and traditional dishes.

Panjiri is a traditional dessert that is prepared during auspicious occasions like Janmashtami. It is one of the few foods that are eaten during festive fasting. It is a staple originating from Punjab, and is served as a sweet dish and as a nutritional supplement. Panjiri is made from whole-wheat flour and fried in sugar and ghee. It can be served with dry fruits and gond (edible gum). Panjiri is an easy dish to prepare, and with Janmashtami beckoning, let us take a look at some easy and tasty Panjiri recipes to amp up your celebration.

- Add dry roast wholemeal flour or whole wheat to a pan, and heat on low flame till the flour turns golden brown.

- Add ghee, and continue roasting the flour till the ghee is absorbed. Then add roasted cashews and almonds and stir until complete mixture is roasted.

- Turn off the flame and mix powdered sugar and raisins. The panjiri is now ready.

- Preheat ghee in a pan and stir fry gond until it becomes transparent. Drain the excess oil from the gond and transfer it to a bowl.

- In the same pan, heat half a tablespoon of ghee again and add grated coconut to it. Roast the coconut for a minute over medium heat, and add it to the gond.

- Add the mixture of gond and coconuts, chopped almonds, pippali mool and ginger powder to roasted wheat flour, and whisk properly. Turn off the heat and add powdered sugar to the mixture and mix again. Your gond panjiri is now ready.

- Shallow fry lotus seeds for 5-6 minutes, and grind it along with roasted cashews and almonds.

- Add crushed pistachios, cardamom powder, and melon seeds to roasted wheat flour, and roast for five minutes. Then add the mixture of ground almonds, cashews and lotus seeds, and roast the entire mixture. Remove from heat, and mix sugar to complete the preparation.

- Stir fry the lotus seeds and nuts until they turn golden brown, and keep aside.

- Cook coriander powder over a low flame.Transfer the coriander powder into a mixing bowl and add cardamom powder, coconut, melon seeds, lotus seeds, raisins and almonds.

- Add sugar and stir the entire mixture. Enjoy the dhaniya panjiri.

- Dry roast grated coconut and muskmelon seeds separately, and keep them aside.

- Boil water and sugar and make a syrup of a 2 string consistency, then add the grated coconut and muskmelon seeds to the syrup and mix well.

- Pour the mixture onto a greased plate and sprinkle finely chopped dry fruits. Press them into the mixture with a spoon. Your nariyal panjiri is ready.