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Punjabi Cuisines Punjabis have the reputation of being the greatest producers of good food and being the still greater consumers of it. Punjab has bequeathed the institution of Dhaba-originally a wayside-eating joint to the world. The Dhaba moves wherever a Punjabi goes. There are vaishno dhabas where only vegetarian food is cooked in pure ghee or clarified white butter. Dal Makhni, a shining blackish lentil named Urd or Maha of the Dhaba has become world famous and is served in Punjab on all ceremonial occasions. Pranthas, stuffed with seasonal vegetables, fried on a pan, baked in the tandoor, a barrel shaped oven fashioned out of alluvial soil, curds, sometimes mixed with khoya-a kind of fudge made by boiling the milk on slow fire-with chunks of white butter floating on top; spinach of mustard mixed with other leaves and special tongue-tingling spices which is cooked in an earthen vessel on slow fire and chappatis made out of the flour of maize, panir-cottage cheese-stuffed with different sumptuous fillings have also become commodities of export. The saffron-mixed buttermilk (lassi) of Amritsar, milk boiled with almonds, pistachio and dry-dates in winters and the same mix boiled into a thick liquid and then solidified in a banana shaped mould in the form a Kulfi are unmatched in taste. Panjiri, whole-wheat flour fried in sugar and ghee, heavily laced with dry-fruits and herbal gums in eaten in the winters to ward off cold. The Bazaars of the towns of Punjab are always loaded with sweetmeats, seasonal fruits and other foodstuffs. It will need a handbook to describe all the savories of Punjab. Old towns like Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala also manufactures exotic sherbets. Punjabi fried and tandoori-baked fish, tandoori baked and butter chicken, kababs baked on charcoal, Patiala's Shahjahani Palao and a variety of chicken and mutton curries and vegetable and meat baryanis are relished the world over. The British were astonished to see, when they conquered Punjab that on the periphery of every village there was a special Dera or Takia where hospitality was offered to every wayfarer. Even today you cannot come out of a Punjabi home without having had enjoyed its hospitality. There are denominational institutions all over Punjab, specially the Sikh historical gurudwaras where free board and lodging is offered through out day and night. Punjabi cuisine can be non-vegetarian or completely vegetarian. It is widely popular however there is some ignorance in Western Cultures that Punjabi is cuisine is completely curry based. The level of spices can vary from minimal to very prevalent. One of the main features of Punjabi cuisine is its diverse range of dishes. Home cooked and restaurant Punjabi cuisine can vary significantly, with restaurant style using large amounts of clarified butter, known locally as desi ghee, with liberal amounts of butter and cream with home cooked concentrating on mainly upon wheat masalas (spice) flavourings. Though wheat varieties form their staple food, Punjabis do cook rice on special occasions. During winter a delicacy, Kheer is cooked using rice. Rice is cooked for a long time in sugar cane juice. Within the state itself, there are different preferences. People in the area of Amritsar prefer stuffed parathas and milk products. In fact, the area is well known for quality of its milk products. There are certain dishes, which are exclusive to Punjab, such as Mah Di Dal and Saron Da Saag (Sarson Ka Saag). The food is tailor-made for the Punjabi lifestyle in which most of the rural folk burn up a lot of calories while working in the fields. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic and ginger. Tandoori food is a Punjabi speciality especially for non-veg dishes. Hallmarks of Punjabi food:
These are generally soaked overnight or for at least 8 hours and gently simmered on the embers of a tandoor (A clay oven of the shape of a horizontally sliced pot) along with ginger, garlic and a few other garam masala (whole spices like cardamom, cinnamon, mace, and bay leaf). These are then combined with a tangy masala base, which could include tomato or dried mango (aam choor powder) or even pomegranate seeds (anar dana). The character typical to the bean or whole lentil preparation is that the shape is retained intact, but the gentlest pressure would make it into a paste. Dollops of cream and butter provide for the rich finishing touch. Garnishing is usually with shredded coriander leaves and juliennes of ginger. Other very popular Punjabi food include:
Bread preparations
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