Pinni, a cherished winter delight in Punjabi cuisine, is a sweet made with basic ingredients like whole wheat flour, sugar, ghee, nuts, and flavorings. The round shape gives it its name. Try my Pinni Recipe, and enjoy not just a tasty treat but also a good source of energy and essential nutrients.
Heat 3 tablespoons of ghee in a frying pan or kadai (wok) over medium to medium-high heat.
Ensure ghee is about 170 to 180 degrees Celsius. To check, add a small piece of gond; it should puff up immediately.
When the ghee is moderately hot, add all gond pieces in the frying pan or kadai (wok)
Stir and fry until crispy, golden, and puffed. Keep stirring for even frying.
Use a slotted spoon to remove fried gond pieces. Place the fried gond pieces on kitchen paper towel and let them cool.
Reduce heat to low or medium-low.
Add almonds and fry for about a minute or until their color changes. Increase the heat to medium if needed. Remove fried almonds with a slotted spoon and set aside on kitchen paper towel.
Add cashews and fry for about 1 to 2 minutes or until light golden or golden. Increase the heat to medium if needed. Remove fried cashews and place on kitchen paper towel.
Add pistachios and fry for about a minute or until the color changes and light golden. Turn off the heat. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper towel.
Powdering Gond and Nuts
Let the fried gond and nuts cool at room temperature.
Once cooled, powder gond using a mixer-grinder, blender or other tools like a mortar-pestle or back of a steel bowl or steel glass. If using a mixer-grinder, grind in short spurts or use the pulse option of your mixer-grinder to get a fine texture. Remove powdered gond and set aside.
In the same grinder, pulse almonds, cashews, and pistachios to make a coarse or semi-fine mixture. Set aside. Opt to make a finely ground texture if you prefer.
Additionally, sift powdered sugar to remove lumps. Set aside.
Roasting Flour
Approximately half a tablespoon of ghee will be left in the pan or kadai after frying the nuts.
In the same kadai or pan, heat this remaining ghee until warm or lightly hot.
Add whole wheat flour. Mix it evenly with the ghee.
On medium-low to medium heat, roast flour for 8 to 10 minutes or until fragrant, stirring often and non-stop.
Once this is achieved, add 4 tablespoons of ghee and mix thoroughly with the roasted flour.
Stir continuously for 4 to 6 minutes or until the flour turns evenly golden.
The overall roasting duration for the flour typically ranges from 12 to 16 minutes, influenced by factors like flour texture, quality, pan thickness, and metal type.
Making Pinni
Turn off the heat. Place the pan or kadai on the kitchen countertop.
Add powdered gond, powdered nuts, raisins, sifted powdered sugar, green cardamom powder, and ginger powder. Mix thoroughly. Do a taste test and add more sugar if needed.
While still hot, take a portion of the mixture and form round pinnis.
Storage and Serving Suggestions
Store pinni at room temperature in an airtight container. Keeps well for about a month in the cold winters of North India.
Enjoy pinni as a sweet treat on their own or paired with hot milk, especially for children.
Notes
Customize Pinni
Flour Variety: Experiment with pearl millet, barley, sorghum, finger millet, semolina, gram flour (besan), urad dal flour or a mix for a unique Pinni flavor.
Sweetener Alternatives: Try palm sugar, coconut sugar, or jaggery, adjusting quantities based on your desired sweetness level.
Spice Infusion: Enhance your Pinni with cardamom, nutmeg, ginger or cinnamon for warmth and aroma.
Nut Choices: Opt for almonds, pistachios, cashews, or a mix to tailor the texture and flavor to your liking.
Coconut Twist: Add grated coconut or coconut powder for a tropical touch.
Seeds for Crunch: Introduce sesame seeds or poppy seeds for an extra crunch.
Dry Fruit Inclusions: Raisins, chopped figs, or dates bring natural sweetness and chewiness.
Recipe Notes
Ensure freshness and quality of ingredients, especially flour, ghee, and nuts.
Use desi ghee for an authentic, rich flavor.
You can opt to add edible gum (gond) or leave it out if you don't have it.
Sift powdered sugar to eliminate lumps and ensure a smooth texture.
Modify the sugar amount according to your taste preference - feel free to reduce or increase. You may also use powdered white sugar or powdered raw sugar in the recipe.
Roast the flour slowly on medium-low to medium heat for even browning and a rich aroma. Consistently stir while roasting for uniform color and texture.
Adjust cooking time based on pan type, thickness, material, and size.
Taste the roasted flour mixture to ensure it is cooked without any raw mouthfeel.
Scale up the Pinni recipe for more servings as needed.