Classic Panjeeri Recipe

1. Heat a large nonstick pan or skillet over low-medium heat. Once it is hot, add the semolina. Dry roast the semolina till it turns light golden, and emits a nutty aroma. Make sure to stir the semolina often so that it roasts evenly and doesn’t burn. Once the semolina is roasted, remove and place into a large bowl.

2. In the same pan, add the poppy seeds and dry roast for a few minutes till they release a nutty aroma. Remove, and place in the same bowl as the roasted semolina.
3. Turn heat to low, and add the coconut. Lightly toast the coconut, till it turns light golden and releases a coconutty aroma. Coconut tends to burn quite quickly so make sure to keep an eye on the stove, and stir often. Once the coconut is toasted, place it in the same bowl as the roasted semolina and poppy seeds. Mix all the dry roasted ingredients and set them aside.
4. In the same pan, add a tablespoon of ghee and add the pistachios. Fry for 2 – 3 minutes, until they are light golden and release a nutty aroma. Remove the almonds and place them in a small bowl.
5. Add a tablespoon of ghee to the same pan, and add the almonds. Roast till golden, making sure that the nuts don’t burn. Remove the almonds to a small bowl.
6. Heat another tablespoon of ghee and add the edible gum (goond). Fry them for about 3 – 4 minutes, making sure to stir often. The edible gum crystals will puff up and double in size. Once they are fried, remove from the pan and place them in a small bowl.
7. Next, add the melon seeds and lightly toast for 2 – 3 minutes until they release a nutty aroma. The melon seeds tend to sputter so be careful when frying them. If necessary, add ½ - 1 tablespoon of ghee.
8. Heat another tablespoon of ghee, and add the raisins. Fry for 3 – 4 minutes, and then remove to a small bowl. Next, add more ghee and add the medjool dates (making sure that the seeds are removed) and fry for a few minutes. Remove and set aside in a bowl with the raisins.

9. Add 2 – 3 tablespoons ghee to the skillet, and add the foxnuts / lotus seeds (phool makhana) to the pan. These tend to absorb quite a lot of oil / ghee, so it’s best to add them in the end. Roast for about 8 – 10 minutes, making sure to stir frequently until golden and crispy. Add more ghee if required. Remove the fried foxnuts / lotus seeds to a large bowl. In case your skillet is small, fry the fox nuts in batches.

10. In a food processor add the pistachios and almonds (or whatever nuts you are using). Pulse for few seconds till the nuts are coarsely chopped. Remove and add to a large bowl.
11. Next, add the melon seeds and fried edible gum crystals to the food processor. Pulse for a few seconds till coarsely chopped, and crunchy. The texture should be similar to the nuts. Remove and add to the large bowl with the nuts.
12. Next, add the dates and raisins to the food processor. Pulse for about 30 seconds – 1 minute till they are coarsely chopped. The raisins and dates tend to be a little sticky and stick to the blades, so add a cup of the fried fox nuts / lotus seeds to the food processor. Pulse for a few seconds till the mixture comes together, and then remove to the bowl with the nuts.
13. Add the remaining fox nuts / lotus seeds to the food processor and process for about 30 seconds – 1 minutes till a coarse texture is achieved. I prefer my panjeeri to be on the finer side so I usually process more, but you can leave it more whole and coarser. Add the crushed fox nuts to the large bowl. Give all the nuts and ingredients a thorough mix, and then add the dry roasted ingredients. Mix well.

14. At this point, taste the panjeeri for sweetness and add powdered sugar to taste. I usually use ½ cup – ¾ cup sugar but you can add, based on personal preference.

15. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. If storing panjeeri for longer, keep it in a box in the freezer. This recipe makes about 1.2 kg of panjeeri – it’s possible to halve the recipe as well.