Jamashtami: This panjiri recipe is made with a kitchen spice

Janmashtami is around the corner, and it’s time to prepare for one of the most awaited festivals for Krishna devotees, as they leave no stone unturned to celebrate the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna. From lit-up streets to cute jhakis to beautifully decorated dahi handi and jhula, the festive fervor can be felt everywhere. This occasion is celebrated across the country, and interesting delicacies are prepared and served as a bhog to the deity, and one such delicacy is a spice Panjiri, which is a traditional prasad offered to Lord Krishna. Here’s all you need to know about this unique sweet delight made with a kitchen spice.

This may sound bizarre, but coriander seeds are used to make this dry sweet prasad, which is known as Panjiri. Made with a melange of ingredients, this aromatic sweet delight is a satvik treat, which is considered as Mahaprasad in some parts of the country and is also offered in the Chappan bhog at some places. But what exactly is Panjiri?

Panjiri is one of the popular delicacies prepared as a sweet prasad for the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami. This popular North Indian dry-sweet recipe looks like a dry mixture and is prepared with gluten-free coriander powder. What's more, dry fruits, coconut, melon seeds and super delicious lotus seeds (makhana) are added to accentuate the taste of this dish. Here’s a quick and healthy Panjiri recipe, which you can make in just 5 minutes.

1 1/2 cups ground coriander seeds

1 cup desiccated coconut

¼ cup raisins

3 teaspoons melon seeds

5 tablespoons ghee

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup lotus seed

¼ cup almonds

1 teaspoon powdered green cardamom

To begin with this delicious recipe, take a pan and add ghee. Once the ghee is hot, dry roast 1 cup of makhana (lotus seeds) and transfer to a plate. Next, in the same pan, add some ghee and roast the nuts and keep them aside. Repeat the process with 1 cup desiccated coconut and toss it nicely.

In the same pan, cook the coriander powder for 10-12 minutes over a low flame. Keep stirring till the coriander powder turns brown and aromatic. Turn off the flame and transfer it to a bowl. Next, take a grinder and grind coconut, makhana, and coriander powder into a smooth, coarse mixture. Transfer it to the bowl and mix with dry fruits and nuts, seeds, and powdered sugar. Add tulsi leaves and serve as a bhog.

However, if you are in a jiffy and want to make this sweet treat quickly by reducing the cooking time, you can ghee roast the makhanas, nuts and seeds together. Then cook the coriander powder and mix it all together and cook till the color turns brown and grind. Serve as a prasad.