Panjiri is a staple dessert from the Punjab region as well as Hyderabad in India. Despite being a dessert, it is also regarded as a nutritional supplement. Its primary ingredient is whole wheat flour fried in sugar and ghee, and heavily topped by herbal gums and dried fruits.
Normally panjiri itself is eaten in cold weather as a protection against cold weather. Indeed, panjiri is well regarded as a nursing dish, which is given to nursing mothers to stimulate the production of mother’s milk since the ancient days. Today, we are getting to know more about panjiri, and of course the health benefits of panjiri.
Ingredients of Panjiri
- ½ cup of wheat flour
- ½ cup of coarse semolina flour
- ½ cup of unrefined cane sugar
- 15 cashews; grounded into coarse powder
- 15 almonds; grounded into coarse powder
- 15 pistachios; grounded into coarse powder
- 15 raisins
- 4 tablespoons of health benefits ghee skin
- ½ cup of melon seeds
- ¼ cup of makhana
- ¼ cup of Arabica gum (gond)
- ¼ cup of coconut oil benefits
- ½ cup of dried coconut
- ½ tablespoons of cardamom seeds
- 1 tablespoons of ginger powder (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of karmakuss (optional)
Nutritional Facts of Panjiri
- Calories – 1540
- Calories from Fat – 963
- Total Fat – 107 g (165% of DV)
- Saturated Fat – 63 g (315% of DV)
- Polyunsaturated Fat – 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat – 3 g
- Cholesterol – 93 mg (31% of DV)
- Sodium – 4 mg (0% of DV)
- Benefits of Potassium – 411 mg (12% of DV)
- Total Carbohydrates – 139 g (46% of DV)
- Dietary Fibre – 9 g (36% of DV)
- Sugars – 63 g
- Protein – 16 g (32% of DV)
- Vitamins and Minerals
- Vitamin C – 0.5%
- Calcium – 5%
- Iron – 19%
All the information above are in relation to a 2,000-calorie diet. The percentage of daily value (% of DV) may differ depending on personal calorie needs.
What are its Health Benefits?
- Panjiri is a Source of Energy
Panjiri is an excellent source of energy thanks to its large health benefits of carbohydrates reserve it has at 46% of the daily value. In addition, it also has sugar content of 63 grams.
- Panjiri Promotes and Stimulates the Flow of Mother’s Milk
Panjiri promotes and stimulates the flow of mother’s milk, which also happens to be its primary health benefit. They provide energy and nutrients for the mothers to milk-feed the baby and for the baby to obtain nutrients from.
- Panjiri Cures Postnatal Depression
Postnatal depression is depression that happens after labour. The nutrients inside panjiri help to fight postnatal depression and its associated side effects, such as backaches.
- Panjiri Restores the Uterus
Panjiri restores the uterus by getting back to normal shape after delivery and also removing excessive fluid inside the uterus. The fluid, called polyhydramnios is best to be managed because excessive amounts of it cause risks to the offspring.
- Panjiri is an Option for Healthy Snacking
With its hard-ish texture and the abundance of natural ingredients, panjiri is also an option for healthy snacking. Indeed, it could also be made into energy bars when the mixture is left to dry for some time.
- Panjiri Increases Body Immunity
Panjiri also increases body immunity by making us resistant against diseases caused by cold weather, such as cold and symptoms of flu.
- Panjiri Provides Warmth the Body
Panjiri is traditionally eaten in cold regions of India, eaten in winters to provide warmth to the body. Warmth is given through the serving temperature of panjiri as well as the ingredients.
- Panjiri Heals the Body through Heating
Panjiri generates heat from inside the body, which is used by the body for healing from the inside. This has made it surely beneficial for mothers who has just given birth.
How to Prepare Panjiri
- First, grind the half-cup of sugar.
- Take ½ cups of whole wheat flour and sooji respectively into a wok or pan, and roast them on a low flame until the colour changes.
- Combine coconut oil and dried coconut into the flour.
- Then, combine ghee into the mixture and stir it.
- Roast the grounded almonds separately, and then include them into the flour and coconut mixture, which is to be followed by the cashews.
- Cook the mixture while ensuring that it doesn’t provide a raw flavour.
- Grind the makhana and gond separately then add them to the same mixture. Keep stirring in spite of the formation of small crystals.
- Then, add cardamom as well as ginger powder. In the meantime, roast the melon seeds separately before putting it into the mixture.
- Turn off the stove, and add both sugar and raisins. Mix them well.
- The cooked product can be made into a paste or keep it thick for it to be served as energy bars. To make it into a paste, add more butter to panjiri.
- Panjiri is now ready to be served; either eaten on its own or with milk.
Advices on Consuming Panjiri
By looking at the nutritional facts above, it is evident that panjiri has high amounts of calories, fat, cholesterol, as well as carbohydrates. These are the health risks attributed to high values of them.
Calories aren’t especially bad for anyone, in fact the body needs calories as a source of energy. Too much calories result in increasing weight and body fat percentages, and also stresses out the body. This is so because high calorie food items are also high in fats and sugars.
Excessive fats, especially saturated fats in panjiri at 315% of the daily value could increase low density lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood. As a result, the chances of stroke and cardiovascular diseases arise.
In the meantime, high cholesterol causes atherosclerosis, which is a hazardous accumulation of cholesterol and plaques that pile up on the walls of the arteries. At the end, blood flow is reduced, which may lead to chest pain, heart attack, as well as stroke.
And finally, high carbohydrate intake causes weight gain, risks of type 2 diabetes, the presence of triglycerides or unhealthy fats, as well as brain fog. The results of high carbohydrate intake are somewhat similar to that of a high calorie intake.