Panjiri is a popular North Indian Dish made with wheat flour, ghee, dry fruits and nuts as main ingredients. It's super easy as well as tastes excellent.

It is a classic Prasad offered on Krishna Janmashtami. Similarly, it with couple of extra ingredients, it is also given to lactating moms for fast healing after delivery as well as to promote lactation. In addition, it is also had during winter to keep body warm.
This is similar to my gondh ke laddu on this site. Do not forget to check out my Gokulashtami recipes collection and the guide post in my website for the upcoming festival (Friday Aug 19th)!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients I used for this recipe. Check under substitutions for more choices.
- Wheat flour - One of the main ingredients, I used regular Indian Atta.
- Sugar - For sweetener, added white sugar in powdered form.
- Ghee - Lends flavour, taste as well as it's goodness.
- Nuts - almonds & cashews - added for taste, texture difference and for its nutrients.
- Gondh - is an edible gum from Acacia plant. Gives different texture and health benefits that i have already shared in my other post.
- Phool makhana - Puffed lotus seeds is known for it's health benefits as well. It is rich in antioxidants and micronutrients.
- Char magaz - Mixed melon seeds - is also a powerful antioxidant and have numerous health benefits.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Roasting dry fruits & nuts
Let's see how to make Panjiri with step by step images.
1. Take a pan and heat 1 tablespoon ghee firstly. Add cashews to it and roast until golden in low flame. Drain and set aside.
2. Secondly, in the same ghee roast almonds until golden and set aside.
3. Thirdly fry raisins until it bloats. Drain and set aside. I used sultanas I had in hand.
Roast gond
1. Then add gond to the ghee. Roast in low flame until it puffs up nicely.
2. It should puff outside as well as from inside, so make sure to roast well in low flame. Add more ghee if needed for even roasting.
3. After that, powder it coarsely once cooled, by pulsing just 2 times and set aside. Do not grind too long.
4. Then add 1-2 teaspoon of ghee and roast char magaz in low heat. It will pop a lot, so do carefully. No need to roast much, just when it starts to pop, transfer to keep aside. I felt I could also have dry roasted it.
Roast makhana & wheat flour
1. After that, add a teaspoon of ghee and roast phool makhana.
2. I cut it into two. It should turn crisp (will absorb all ghee). You can check by crushing in hands.
3. Finally, add two tablespoons of ghee and roast wheat flour.
4. Keep roasting furthermore until you get nice aroma and colour changes. You have to keep stirring to avoid burnt flour. It quickly turns black if you leave unattended.
5. Once done, transfer it to a mixing bowl. Add powdered sugar on top of it.
6. Then add all roasted ingredients, cardamom powder and sonth (dry ginger).
11. Mix thoroughly.
12. Panjiri is now ready!
You can offer this as prasad for Janmashtami or for any festival occasions. As I said earlier, it is also good for new moms and in winters for providing energy, keep yourself warm.
Substitutions
It is made in various parts of India other than south. So, the ingredients may vary from household to household.
- Wheat flour - instead of wheat flour, you can use rava/ sooji/ semolina or even 50 50 of these.
- Nuts - use your favorite, you can add pistachios, walnuts too.
- Dry ginger - Use cumin powder, ajwain powder, black pepper powder for aiding digestion.
Variations
Instead of Sugar, you can use Jaggery as well. I prefer using organic jaggery powder.
You can make this into a ladoo too by grinding the ingredients coarsely. May need little more ghee to hold it's shape.
Add roasted dry coconut (Shaved or flakes will work).
Skip Gond if you do not have or when you make in regular days other than winter.
Storage
Since we use dry ingredients and roast everything in ghee, it can keep good for a month in Room temperature. Store in a clean, dry air-tight container with lid.
Top tip
Do the entire process in low to medium flame to avoid burnt ingredients.
Recipe card
Panjiri recipe | Janmashtami Special
Ingredients
- 1 cup Wheat flour
- ½ cup Sugar Powdered
- ¼ cup Ghee plus more if needed
- ¼ cup Char magaz Mixed melon seeds
- ¼ cup Phool makhana Puffed lotus seeds
- ¼ cup Gond Edible gum
- 2 tablespoon Almonds sliced
- 2 tablespoon Cashews sliced
- 2 tablespoon Raisin
- 1 Cardamom powdered
- 1 teaspoon Dry ginger powder sonth / Sukku
Instructions
Roasting dry fruits & nuts
- Let's see how to make Panjiri with step by step images.
- Take a pan and heat 1 tablespoon ghee firstly. Roast cashews until golden in low flame. Drain and set aside.
- Secondly, in the same ghee roast almonds until golden and set aside. Repeat the same with raisins. (I used sultanas which I had in hand)
Roast gond
- Then add gond to the ghee. Roast in low flame until it puffs up nicely.
- It should puff outside as well as from inside, so make sure to roast well in low flame. Add more ghee if needed for even roasting.
- After that, powder it coarsely once cooled, by pulsing just 2 times and set aside.
- Then add 1-2 teaspoon of ghee and roast char magaz in low heat. It will pop a lot, so do carefully. No need to roast much, just when it starts to pop, transfer to keep aside.
Roast makhana & wheat flour
- After that, add a teaspoon of ghee and roast phool makhana. I cut it into two. It should turn crisp (will absorb all ghee)
- Finally, add two tablespoons of ghee and roast wheat flour.
- Keep roasting furthermore until you get nice aroma and colour changes. Keep stirring to avoid burnt flour. It quickly turns black if you leave unattended.
- Once done, transfer it to a mixing bowl.
- Then add powdered sugar, all roasted ingredients, cardamom powder and sonth (dry ginger).
- Lastly, mix well and panjiri is ready!
Video
Notes
- Make sure to roast wheat flour thoroughly.
- Also the edible gum, gond must be roasted well uniformly.
- Take care not to burn anything in high flame.
FAQ
Best when had during winters to keep yourself warm from inside as the ingredients have body heating properties. Other times, just make it in small quantity and have in small portion as prasad is supposed to be.
Panjiri is loaded with calories as you see the ingredients. So, best to portion control and consume small. Not that you have to avoid eating it because it has nutrients too. Burn calories wisely by actively engaging in physical activities.
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