Punjabi Dhabha - Constituents of A Punjabi Cuisine

Constituents of A Punjabi Cuisine

Most Punjabi menus are made according to the season. The universal favourite is Chole-Bathure which is a round-the-year item and is available at every wayside dhaba . But, the pride of the Punjabi winter cuisine is Sarson-ka-Saag (curry made out of mustard leaves) served with blobs of white butter accompanied by Makke-di-Roti and Lassi (churned yogurt).

The various food articles that make up the delicious Punjab cuisine – Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian – are the following.

• Wheat and maize, the staple food grains, all lentils, especially black gram and yellow gram, rajma(kidney beans), and chana are a part of Punjabi cuisine.
• Spices, popularly and regularly used, are the Coriander, the Cumin, the Cloves, the Cinnamon, the Cardamom, the Black Pepper, the Red Chili powder, the Turmeric and the Mustard. One of the main crops of Punjab is Mustard or Sarson - its leaves are used to make Sarson-ka-Saag (curry made out of mustard leaves) while its seeds are used for tempering and also for making mustard oil, which is widely used as cooking media.
• Milk is synonymous with Punjab (the land of five rivers) and all milk products such as Dahi (Yogurt), Lassi (churned watery Yogurt tempered with either salt or sugar), Paneer (local Cottage Cheese), Cream, Butter and Ghee (Butter Oil). Butter is an important cooking medium apart from being consumed raw along with the food.
• Non-vegetarian food, especially chicken, is a favorite all over Punjab. Mutton and fish are also cooked.
• All types of vegetables

The delicious fares that are doled out in Punjabhi Dhabas using the above ingredients are innumerable.