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Pinni
Pinni: Punjabi winter sweets of ghee-roasted wheat flour, jaggery, nuts and gond (makes 16)
When the fog settles over Punjab in December, kitchens fill with the smell of wheat flour roasting slowly in ghee: pinni season has started. These dense, crumbly balls of roasted atta, jaggery, almonds and fried edible gum are made in big batches for Lohri, packed into tins for relatives and given to new mothers for strength. One pinni with a glass of hot milk is a classic winter breakfast. Chef's tip: let the roasted flour cool until just warm before adding the jaggery; if it is hot, the jaggery melts and the pinni set hard as stone.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tablespoons of 7 oz ghee in a heavy kadai over a medium-low heat. Fry ⅞ oz edible gum (gond) a few pieces at a time; each crystal puffs up white and crunchy in about 20 seconds. Lift out and crush lightly.
4 minStep 2: In the same ghee, toast 1 ¾ oz almonds, 1 oz cashew nuts and ⅔ oz melon seeds (magaz) for 2 minutes until lightly golden. Lift out.
2 minStep 3: Add the rest of the ghee and 9 oz wholewheat flour (atta). Roast over a low heat, stirring and scraping the bottom constantly, for 20–25 minutes, until the flour turns an even golden brown, smells like toasted biscuits and the ghee starts to separate from the sides. Rushing this on high heat is the classic mistake: the outside browns while the flour inside stays raw.
25 minStep 4: Tip into a wide tray and leave for 10–15 minutes, until warm but comfortable to touch.
15 minStep 5: Mix in 6 ½ oz powdered jaggery (shakkar), 1 tsp ground green cardamom, ½ tsp ground dry ginger (sonth), the nuts and the gond thoroughly with your hands.
Step 6: Take a handful, squeeze firmly in your fist and roll into a ball; make 16. If the mixture won't hold, warm 1–2 tablespoons of extra ghee and work it in. Leave to firm for an hour. Pinni keep for 3 weeks in an airtight tin.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pinni take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of cashew nuts?
- Almonds or peanuts, same amount.
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