Wednesday, August 1, 2007

The Wait Is Over - Presenting Regional Cuisine Of India, the Punjab version with 130 dishes

Welcome to the Party!! Bhalley! Bhalley!!


Are you ready to feast your eyes on all the scrumptious preparations straight from the wonderful land of Punjab?

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It is with great pleasure that I present this beautiful edition of Regional Cuisine Of India - Punjab!

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When I started blogging a few months back I could never have imagined how fulfilling an experience it would be :)

For a kid who could not wait to go to school for all the RIGHT reasons, like the lunch break, so she could share and exchange the 'dabba' aka tiffin box with her friends, I sure am excited for this food fest ;) I always loved eating the puranpoli from my maharashtrian friends, dhokla from my gujarati friends, paratha fom my punju friends and idli/dosa from the south Indian friends. But never stepped into the kitchen till I came to this country :) And now to be hosting one of the most popular cuisines, that makes me sooooo HAPPY :) I sure have learnt a lot along the way and my sis still can't believe I'm so headlong into cooking now. I find it to be the most creative, fun and relaxing thing to do (once I plan the menu, that is!!) :)
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I got to learn so many new recipes and was able to utilise some great tips so magnanimously shared by fellow bloggers. Was privy to excellent nutrition and scientific information pertaining to food and also got to peep into blogger kitchens along with creating a special e-bond with so many of you :)
I can't think of any other medium which would let me do all this from within the confines of home (and err office I might add) ;)
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I always look forward to all your comments with great anticipation and try to reply as much as possible. Even If I do not get to reply to all due to time constraints, be rest assured I read and sometimes re-read ALL of them, so keep them coming, it sure makes blogging all the more fun and fascinating :) I feel it is like saying hello to a friend and we do that every time we meet, don't we :)

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So in the spirit of FOOD and Love of Food I dedicate this post of RCI-Punjab to all the foodies out there!!! STAY COOL friends & Enjoy the PARTAYYYYY...........

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Please note that I received One Hundred & Thirty (130) delicious dishes and I've tried my best to categorise, make lists, make the slide and the like. Some of the dishes may not have the pictures as advised by their creators, some entries have multiple listings and others have them clubbed, Phew!!!!!
I've replied to every single entry that I received by email, if you did not hear back from me, chances are your entry never reached me in the first place :(
If I missed out any entry inadvertently, please excuse!! You may inform me by re-sending the entry and I will include it in the list.


Thanks Lakshmi for this wonderful event and also for your valuable input in regards to making a slide/collage for the presentation :) It will definitely help avoid traffic congestion and loading issues for everyone trying to access this page!
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Palak Paneer & Chole share the honor of being the most loved dishes with multiple entries :) .
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Diets change everyday, rather diet fads change everyday, but one thing that remains constant is our love for snacks/ in between's :)


Whenever we reminisce over good times spent with friends and family, it is the food that comes to our mind first! We always relate events with food, such and such had prepared such delicious pakodas or she makes the best tea that ever was :)

She is such a good host and always feeds us well, you never go hungry at her place and so on.....
I remember the incident vividly, we were at our friends place for dinner, her parents were visiting from India. One thing led to another and we ended up playing card games the whole night. In that period my friend & her mom made tea at least 4 times, snacks were conjured up quickly & served throughout the night and we had an ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC time. You see where I'm going, the memories are all around food, simple food served lovingly :) A little emotional, aren't we :)


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Punjabis are known for their extraordinary sense of 'Khatirdari' aka sense of looking after the guest with great love.
So lets begin by exploring the myriad varieties of snacks, appetisers and drinks which are savored with deep sense of fulfillment by the guests.
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.....It is fun now and then to roam uninhibited and unhurried
through a smorgasbord,
a buffet russe,
hors d'Oeuvres varies'....
however it may be called.................... M.F.K. Fisher


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For the Love of Tea and it's accomplices:


Who does not like a crispy samosa stuffed with the ever favorite potato, or the addictive matthi with a hot cup of tea :) And what if there is Alu Tikki and also some Dahi wada on the side. What if there is some of that gorgeous Gudpara to go along with it?
What if? What if? What if?



Well, now there's no if's or but's, just go ahead and make these beauties, the recipes are right here, no more excuses ;) Indulge...........



Tee/Bhatukli:
Samosa


Asha/Foodie's Hope:
Alu Tikki


Madhavi/My Veggie World
Matthi


Aarti/Aarti's Corner
Dahi Wada


Rachna/Fusion Food
Gudpara

Saju/Chachi's Kitchen

Dahiwada

Now, one can't live by Tea & snacks alone?
Or can one :)



But here's more, if you ever finish your tea, that is !!!!
Parontha / Kulcha / Naan di bauchaar - Paratha's & Kulcha's & Naan's Galore!



Stuffed Paratha's or Kulchas are a complete meal in themselves, served with a dollop of yogurt makes it an unbeatable match! The variety is only limited by your imagination, who's to stop you from making paratha's from any veg or dal for that matter. I visit a restaurant only so that I can go home with their menu card, their paratha list is exhaustive :)


Now, rolling a paratha takes some time to master, but once you get the hang of it, you would want to whip up tasty parathas for your loved ones. I remember initially I used to end up with a 'floury' counter top, 'floury' rolling pin and flour everywhere, all trying to patch up the leaking stuffing from the dough. I had strict instructions not to be disturbed during my paratha making process, it needed my FULL attention and focus, you know :) If there was ever a 'tense & serious me', you had to see me during those rolling times :)
Things are better now, even if I say so myself, but there's still a lot to learn from my dear blogger buddies :)


Lets see some expert paratha connoisseur's roll out them YUMMY parathas/Kulcha/Naan:


Aarti/Aarti's Corner
Alu Paratha
Methi Paratha
Matar Paratha
Bhatura


Priya/Live To Cook
Sour Dough Naan


Archana/Tried & Tested Recipes
Alu anardana Kulcha


Bee & Jai/Jugalbandi
Whole wheat pudina Naan


Kajal/Kajal Dreams
Alu Paratha


Pooja/Khanapina
Panir Paratha


Cinnamon
Mooli Paratha


Raaga/The Singing Chef
Alu Paratha
Paneer Paratha


Komal/Daily Adventures with Cooking
Mooli Paratha


Srivalli/Cooking for all Seasons
Phulka
Paneer Paratha


Mehak
Mooli paratha with Palak Dal


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Classic Combos!
There are some combinations of dishes best enjoyed as a complete meal, they seem to bring out the best in each other :)
No one would stop you from pairing these with something else, but then why would you??


Sarson da Saag and Makke di Roti is the epitome of Punjabi food. Prepared with fresh greens from the fields , it is a taste to savor! The greens are cooked for a long time on the angithi, stirring once in a while, adding spices as it cooks in it's own juices, all in pure ghee, don't be chickening out now ;) It is cooked in a handi shaped vessel, the narrow neck keeps the flavor in and is easier to stir things in it without spilling, all while catering to other duties of the household & a chat with the visiting neighbor :)


Maa di daal aka Dal Makhani needs no introduction, it's popular throughout the country! The restaurants have done their thing in making it oh-so-inviting, but they took it over the edge by literally pouring gallons of makkhan(butter) and cream, lest anyone challenge them to the word 'Makhani' :) How I wish blogger had them emoticons ;)


Coming to 'Kadhi', it is all the magic of the humble dahi(curds) elevated to lipsmacking heights! Spice it up with some seasonings like methi dana(fenugreek seeds), jeera, red chili, add besan(chickpea flour) for the thickening and you have yourself a fine kadhi. But Punjabi's have taken it a step further, Enter the Pakoda :)


A BIG bowl of thick kadhi with some delicious pakoda's floating in there, served with Rice, Sheer Bliss! Do not disturb for a couple of hours after that, those are the times for siesta :)


Asha/Foodies Hope
Makki di roti te' Sarson da saag


Coffee/The Spice Cafe
Naan te' Dal makani


Manasi/A Cook At Heart
Dal Fry/Jeera Rice



All these Kadhi's and Rajma go hand in hand with Rice :) That is the way it is lovingly savored in Punjab!!


Anita/Mad Tea Party
Pakode wali Kadhi


Madhuli/FoodCourt
Pakoda Kadhi


Vanita/Vanita's Cookbook
Rajma


Lisa/Food & Spice
Rajma


Jyothsna/Curry Bazaar
Lobia


Sia/Spice Corner
Mushroom Rajma Masala


Archana/Tried & Tested recipes
Punjabi Kadi


Sharmi/Neivedyam
Punjabi Kadi


Vani/Mysoorean


Dal Makhani


Srivalli/Cooking for all seasons
Dal Makhani

Saju/Chachi's Kitchen

Pakora Kadi


.......One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating..........
......Luciano Pavarotti & William Wright



Restaurant Classics!

Today, lets give a break to all those restaurants who churn out greasy dishes, after all they did put some of these wonderful dishes out on the map for every one to enjoy!
And aren't we all a little guilty in indulging in these once in a while ;)
But wait, even better it will be, if we make these restaurant classics at home!


The ever popular Paneer presented to you in various dishes, each lovingly prepared by the foodies giving their own style and charm to the dish :) Paneer Lovers Paradise!


Can Chole be far behind?????
Chole, Chole, Chole & More Chole :)

Palak Paneer, Methi Matar Malai, Aloo Gobi, Bhindi and the Yum....



When we talk about daily Punjabi food, it does involve onions and tomato along with the usual suspects ginger and garlic. It's all good as long as we add these, but as soon as we start adding too much cream and butter, we lose the taste of the vegetables therein! Also, it can get a liitle too heavy to be part of a daily meal, it's fine occasionally though :)

You will also see some rustic recipes with vegetables like shalgam(turnip), arbi & tori, these are truly from the 'pind' village.


Srivalli/Cooking for all seasons
Palak Paneer
Butter Paneer Masala

Gajar Halwa

Evolving Tastes
Bhindi Masala


Rachna/Fusion Food
Baingan aur Paneer subzi

Home made Paneer


Suma/Veggie Platter
Saag Alu


Deepa/ Recipes & More
Rajma & Alu subzi
Methi Matar Malai, Gobi


The Cooker
Gucchi te' Paneer & Lobia


Rachna/Fusion Food
Dahiwala Baigan Bharta


Laavanya/Cookery Corner
Punjabi Chole


Maninas
Chana Masala


Jyothi/Andhra Spicy
Palak Paneer


Prajusha/Magic Kitchen
Butter Paneer Masala


Bhags/Crazy curry
Paneer Chole


Neetu/Food & Life
Dal & Papad


Anusha/Talimpu
Pindi Chana


Musical's Kitchen

Wadi Toriyaan te' Wagocha

Arbi Bataun di Subzi
Paneer Kadi, Sukke Alu, Mothaan di khichadi


Raaga/The Singing chef
Dal Palak
Egg Bhurji


Suganya/Tasty Palettes
Punjabi Alu


Madhavi/My Veggie World
Masala Papad


Nupur/One Hot Stove

Naan & Paneer Korma


How about a round of applause to Lakshmi/Veggie Cuisine, the creator of this event who sends in her delightful entry!
Alu Pudine ka Saag


Prema/My Cookbook
Methi Matar Malai


Padma/Padma's Kitchen
Gobi Alu Matar


Trupti/The Spice Who Loved Me
Panchratan Korma

Viji/Vcuisine

Navratan Korma, Jeera Rice, Alu Raita

Sudha/My Samayal
Alu Matar


Dee/Ammalus Kitchen
Paneer Makhani


Roopa/My Chow Chow Bhath

Mushroom Matar Makhani & Veg Handi Biryani


Hima/Snackorama
Chole, Paneer Butter Masala, Naan
Alu matar, Rajma & Bharta


Tee/Bhaatukli
Cabbage Kofta


Madhuli/Food court
Pindi Chole


Laavanya/Cookery Corner
Palak Paneer


Seema/Recipe Junction
Dahi Alu


Linda/Out Of The Garden
Paneer Butter Masala


Pavani/Cook's Hideout
Panner Makhmali & Tandoori Gobi


Ramya/Ramya's Cuisine
Palak Paneer


Sig/Live To Eat
Chicken Dilruba


Bee/Jugalbandi
Sirkewali Mooli
The Art Of Making Paneer
Matar Paneer


Padmaja/Spicy Andhra
Naan & Panner


Lata/La Gourmet Chef
Phool Makhana Masala


Swapna/Swad of India
Matar Paneer


Sharmi/Neivedyam
Chole, Paneer Malai, Gobi Paratha, Kadah


Priyanka/Laajawab
Dal Makhani & Paneer
Baigan Bharta


Mala/Nalapaka
Jeera Alu


Archana/Tried & Tested recipes
Punjabi Gravies
Stuffed Tandoori Alu


Jayashree/My Experiments with Food

Lassi


Aarti/Arti's Corner
Boondi Raita
Aloo Gobi
Palak Paneer
Patiala Lassi
Ghar Ka Paneer


Swapna/Susarla's Kitchen
Matar Panir


Mahek/Love 4 Cooking
Mooli Paratha


Bee/Jugalbandi
Gurwale Shalgam


Sukanya/Hot & Sweet Bowl
Gajar Halwa


And let me close this event with my contribution :)
Richa/As Dear As Salt
Maa Choleyaan' di daal



Thank You all for participating and you owe yourself a big pat on the back for all those lovely entries!
On to Swapna/Swad Of India for the next in the series, Good Luck!!

67 comments:

Padma said...

Richa....yeyy I am the first to comment on RCI-Punjabi round-up. I think we owe a pat for you...shaabhaash girl! its really a kind-a-event for punjabi cuisine....what a collection and I really like the idea of using the slides...Great Job girl! great job..

Sig said...

Great round up Richa.... There really werent many resources online on Punjabi cuisine when I was trying to figure out a dish for RCI, but now you have the whole charade here!! Great job girl...

Sig said...

BTW, my blog is Live To Eat, not Eat to Live :)

Richa said...

oops! sig, just rectified it :)

musical said...

That was a great one, Richa! Kudos to you gal, for the great slide-show and the round up. i wonder how much time you had to invest to get this done.....simply superb! and i am enjoying the fiesta here :).

hats off to all the bloggers for sharing the wonderful meals!

and "Eat to Live"-just made me laugh ;). that would be so unlike a food blog :-D.

hugs to ya, girlie.
musical.

musical said...

Hey Richa:

for some reason the links to my post are all starting with

www.blogger.com instead of
musicalskitchen.blogspot.com

blogger plays havoc sometimes!

Priyanka said...

A commendable job Richa.... loved participating and cooking up the dishes.Will keep visiting for more Punju recipes... The idea of slide show is a good one.Thanks once again for hosting...

Tee said...

Amazing job with the round up, Richa! I was checking all morning to see if you posted the round up...and finally there it is with all the best Punjabi recipes just a click away :)

Richa said...

hey muse, i wonder why that is so, 'coz i used the links u sent me. anyway if u can please resend me the links with the http will update it immediately. sorry @ that sweetie.

Richa said...

hey, padma, sig, muse, priyanka & tee, i'm glad u girls r enjoying the party :)

Arts said...

Zhakkas roundup..
such a lovely description for each category.. I am speechless.
First i was wondering if u r a matthu or a gujju.. now u seem Panju to me ;)
Great job girl!

musical said...

Ah! sorry, Richa, i just checked.....it does show the same weired links in the mail! grrrrrrrr! and to think of it, i got those links by clicking on the posts :(

the mail is coming ur way!

enna sara khana vek ke bhukkh lag payi e :-D.

Nupur said...

What a feast this is! A lavish buffet if ever there was one. Thank you, Richa!

Anonymous said...

wow!wonderuful roundup Richa!
I have bookmarked this.I got to know lot more punjabi recipes and now have huge paneer recipes collection.

bha said...

This is just amazing, and seems this record will take huge efforts to be broken...kudos to you girl for the effot u have put in for the round up

Neelam said...

This is an amazing round up Richa...You have done a great job,Thanks!

Laavanya said...

What a grand collection Richa! Thank you again for hosting this and wonderful round-up.

Suganya said...

Beautiful round-up Richa.. Thank you :)

FH said...

OMG!! Richa,that is like Punjabi cookbook in one place.I will save whole page.Thank you so much for taking time.Hugs:)

Jyothi said...

Hi Richa, lovely roundup. what a punjabi cuisine, really love it. Bookmarked this. I am going to try some of these recipes. Thanks again dear.

evolvingtastes said...

Excellent, Richa! Thanks for all the work you put into this one.

Sharmi said...

Yay!! Richa, what a great round up and so many punjabi recipes to choose from one place. you can relax now. you did a great job.

Suma Gandlur said...

Great Punjabi platter of food. Appreciate your hard work.
BTW, My Sag - Aloo doesn't have the right URL. If I click on it, it is going to another website. I know these tiny things happen when you have to link up so many recipes.:)
Thanks.

TNL said...

wow..wow...what a great reference this will be when I am craving some authentic Punjabi food!

Cheers!
trupti

Roopa said...

wonderfull roundup Richa! great job will come back and check on eachof them :)

Jigish said...

I was looking for a gujju "mag nu shaak" recipe online and came across ur blog. Amazing collection of recipes out here ... omg, my mouth's watering from the sight of all those foods!!! :-P

Hopefully, I'll get off my lazy bum & make some of these! :D

Keep up the good work.

Ashwini said...

This is my first time here Richa and I am so sorry I missed this event...but hey I have a cookbooks' worth of recipes now. Great job

Ashwini said...

This is my first time here Richa and I am so sorry I missed this event...but hey I have a cookbooks' worth of recipes now. Great job

bee said...

what a stupendous effort, richa. thank you. - bee and jai

archana said...

Mast!! Richa mast zala roundup :) Mala ti slide collage chi idea khoop awadli. Tymule roundup neat disat ahey ani vel pun nahi lagla post open vhayla. 130 mhanje kamalch zali.
Recipe chi nav vachta vachta tondat pani sutat hote. Restaurant madhye pun yevdha motha menu list nasel:))
Ata mast rest kar relax watat asel tula. Tula khoop khoop thanx :)

Srivalli said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Srivalli said...

wow...richa...great work...must have been so hectic getting all these done....

hheh...Sig..it was fun to read your blog name.. nice joke...:)

Richa...I checkout my paneer paratha...the link is not leading to the page..you may have to change that..

Also my Gajjar ka halwa is missed out...can you pls add it up...I have mailed you both the details....

so it adds up to 131..!!

Srivalli
www.cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

wow..what a roundup!this must be one of the best Punjabi recipe collection online. Thanks Richa

SeeC said...

Thats a Great round up Richa.
Good job girl !

SeeC said...

BTW I have given link to your blog fine. Hope it is fine with you

Sia said...

feast to all my senses... gr8, amazing round-up. a gr8 job done indeed:) now u can relax a bit:)

Kajal said...

Great round up my dear.....I do not understand how you do all this link and recipe at once time.....this is very time demanding......but really you work great also you add slide show ohhh....tane namshte karvanu man thai chhe te ketli mehant kari chhe Richa....pan tari mummy ne kitchen ma madad nathi kari.....saru US ma to tu bahu cook kare chhe to tari mummy ne anand avto hase.:)

Vanamala Hebbar said...

Oh wow amazing dishes !! gr8 job richa...

Anonymous said...

130 dishes! Thanks for the wonderful roundup, Richa. All set for a party!

sunita said...

That's such a great round up...of course, I famously missed it...got around to posting it just today...but you've done an amazing job...cheers:D

Raaga said...

Wow Richa. Great round up and as Sig says, this page will be bookmarked by all. I tried coming several times to your page, but the page wouldn't load!!

Loved participating and loved the round up even more!

Rachna said...

aw richa, such an amazing collection of recipes, i know im going to come to this page again and again.... thanks so much... im so hungry looking at all the recipes.... thaaaaanks

WokandSpoon said...

Oh wow! That's an amazing amount of food! Congrats on rounding up all the entries!!

Dee said...

wonderful girl! Thanks for giving us such a great roundup

Anonymous said...

Three cheers and hats off to you, Richa, for that fabulous presentation! Genius too -- to make that slideshow :) Thanks so much for all your hard work on this... I know I'll be hard at work trying out as many new dishes as I can! :)

Prajusha said...

wow..richa
Wonderful round up. so nice to see diff. variety of yummy yummy dishes.
thanks for hosting the event.

Coffee said...

Coming dear coming.... haven't been blog hoping since three days so covering all one by one :)

Thats one hell of a round up... a pat on your back for putting it up so neatly!! And your little description before each category is great! :) This one is bookmarked for sure!! :)

TBC said...

Wow! What a great round-up. That must have been so much work!You have done a great job putting it together!

Seema Bhat said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Seema Bhat said...

Kudos to you girl. What a beautiful roundup. 130 dishes oh boy !!! All of us need to bookmark this page.
Good job and thanx a bunch for putting up such a lovely roundup girl.
-
Seema

Lakshmik said...

Good work Richa. That was quite a long list. Cheers!

Bhawna said...

wow, good work impressed, u have just started & doing good . i regularly visit your blog.

Cynthia said...

Great job of this round-up, Richa. I've bookmarked the page to visit over and over :)

Unknown said...

Absolutely great job, i guess if the people in Bombay saw this one our famous Punju restaurants like Urban Tadka will be soon out of business.

TBC said...

Hey Richa,
I saw your question on my blog.
No, I do not makemy own sambar powder or any other powders for that matter. I am much to lazy to do all that work!
What I have used is MTR Sambar powder:-)
BTW, did you post the answer to your "Guess" qn? Did I miss it?

Viji said...

Richa, could see your hardwork in this post. It is not an easy job. You have done. Nice round up and if we need anything, we can stright come up here for reference. Lovely dishes. Viji

Bong Mom said...

Great round up Richa...would loved to have participated...next time maybe

Anonymous said...

that sure is beautiful list
need to learn some :)
thx

Latha said...

Oh my Richa! What an overwhelming response and what a wonderful post! You outdid u'reself. I've been so busy that i forgot all about the roundup. My mom told me that she visited u're blog and loved the roundup and really loved u're blog and recipes. I told her that u were surely one of my fav bloggers!
Hugs and take a break!
Latha

amna said...

hey, this is an amazing round up! i was away from blogging for some time and jsut got back. thanks a lot for your encouraging comment.

i am hoping to participate in the next RCI event :)

Shubha Ravikoti said...

hey richa.. lovely recipes....loved ur blog... iam a new bie when it comes to blogging to visit my blog and give me ur opinion...:)

Richa said...

Thank You dear friends for all your loving & encouraging comments for my round up, really appreciate it and makes it all worth it :)
Keep 'em coming!

J said...

Sweetie, my first entry makki di roti and sarson da saag is missing, please include it.

TheCooker said...

Great roundup. Thanks for hosting!

archana said...

Richa , Holiday var ahes ka ? No news from you. Take care.

Sia said...

he he...after this huuuuuuuuuge round up i guess u r taking a break right? ;) hope everything is well @ur end

Parul said...

Wonderful round up. However, missing the famous gobi shalgam achar... i should have pit that entry in when you did this..... good job