Punjabi Thali I Punjabi Thali Recipes

This is the second leg of the Blogging Marathon #74 and I picked Thalis & Spreads. My first thali is the Punjabi Thali. Punjab is known for its rich cuisine and various dishes local to Punjab are popular throughout India too. I picked a few of my favorites to showcase in this Thali.

Tandoori Roti

Pindi Channa

Aloo Gobi (Potato Cauliflower fry)

Kadai Paneer

Jeera Peas Pulao

Papad

Gulab Jamoon

Chaas

Salad

Tandoori Roti:

Tandoori Dishes are an integral part of Punjabi cuisine. The Tandoori Roti is traditionally made in a Tandoor, a large clay oven with coal as the main source of heat. Though its not possible to have a Tandoor at home, it is possible to make this at home using your regular oven.

You will need:

Makes 10-12 rotis

2 cups Whole wheat Flour

¼ tsp Baking soda

½ tsp Sugar

1 tsp Salt

½ cup yoghurt

Water as needed

Butter for brushing

Combine all the ingredients, except butter, in a medium bowl. Use water as needed to make a dough. Knead for a minute or two until dough is soft and smooth. Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat oven to 500F. Place a cast iron plate or griddle in the oven to heat up. Break off a small piece of dough and roll into an 8-inch round. Brush the dough with water on both sides. Wet your palms and then lift the dough to place on the hot griddle. The dough will begin to puff up, bake for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown spots appear. Apply butter while still hot and serve immediately.

Repeat with the remaining dough. Left over dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days. Bring dough to room temperature before making the rotis.

Aloo Gobi:

This is a flavorful combination of Potatoes & Cauliflower, sautéed with spices.

You will need:

Adapted from Tarla Dallal

1.5 cups Cauliflower cut into small florets

1 Potato, cut into chunks

2 tbsp Oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

¼ tsp Asafoetida (Hing)

2 Dry red chillies

2 tsp Ginger Garlic paste

½ tsp Green chili paste

¼ tsp Turmeric powder

½ tsp Chili powder

½ tsp Garam masala

½ tsp Amchur powder (Dried mango powder)

Chopped cilantro

Heat oil in pan. Add cumin seeds and asafetida. When it begins to splutter, add the dry red chilies. Add the chopped ginger and green chili paste. Saute for a few seconds and then add the potatoes. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the cauliflower. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and combine. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes more. The potato and cauliflower must be tender not mushy. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, garam masala and amchur powder. Combine well, add salt. Cook for a few minutes, and turn off heat. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Chaas: (Buttermilk)

A tangy flavored buttermilk, downed in the end of the meal to cool off your palette. This is serving in super tall glasses and a must with every thali. I made a smaller portion to go with this thali.

You will need:

¼ cup thick yoghurt

Water

Salt to taste

¼ tsp Crushed ginger

Chopped cilantro

Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl or a tall glass. Add water as need to fill up the glass and to thin it out to make buttermilk. 

Will share the remaining recipes in upcoming posts.

 Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#74