Veg Punjabi Recipes: When you think of Indian cuisine, Punjabi food is something you can never miss out on. The bold, rich flavours, aromatic ingredients and a wholesome, hearty platter is what make Punjabi cuisine different. While non-vegetarians have a range of delightful options, from traditional butter chicken and bhuna gosht to amritsari machchi and tandoori murgh, the vegetarian fare is equally drool-worthy and, in fact, comes with an eclectic mix of variety. Weather it is the popular winter favourite sarso ka saag with makke di roti or the all-time delightful dish chole bhature, you can never run out of veg Punjabi recipes to prepare at home.
The state of Punjab is synonymous to earthy lush fields, rustic lifestyle and delicious food. Punjabi recipes with its authentic flavours, has fans all across the globe swooning over the rich bold taste. The flavours in the cuisine are heavily influenced by the culinary styles and techniques that originated here with the mix of all foreign influences introduced by the neighbouring countries. For example, Punjab is home to the 'tandoori'-style of cooking which is believed to have originated in Persia and introduced to Indians by the Arabs, where people of Punjab were the first ones to learn the flavourful cooking style and dish out lip-smacking dishes like tandoori chicken and tandoori paneer tikka that took the North Indian cuisine to a new level.
Besides being an agricultural farming state dishing out some wonder grains and pulses, Punjab also boasts of being the largest consumer of milk and accompanies almost all of its dishes with a huge glass of lassi or chaach. You cannot sit for a meal in a Punjabi household without a glass of either chaach or lassi. Besides everything, two ingredients Punjabi cuisine is incomplete without are oodles of butter and desi ghee. The star curries of the cuisine are cooked in ghee and topped with butter and served with a variety of breads that too 'makkhan maar ke'. All the dishes are cooked in aromatic blend of spices such as garam masala, cumin and cardamom since the key to a perfect Punjabi dish is to balance different flavours, so no one flavour becomes overwhelming.
While the popular notion might state that Punjabi food is all about mouth-watering non-vegetarian dishes, we've got the best of delightful veg Punjabi recipes to counter just that!
Also Read: 13 Best Punjabi Recipes | Easy Punjabi Recipes
Here Are 9 Best Veg Punjabi Recipes To Prepare:
1. Sarson Ka Saag Aur Makke Ki Roti
A classic winter treat! This traditional Punjabi treat is a must-have when in Punjab during winters. Fresh mustard along with spinach and bathua, cooked together in a myriad of spices such as red pepper powder and garam masala. Serve with a dollop of butter on top besides a hot makki ki roti and some gur (jaggery) on the side.
2. Chole Bhature
A quintessential Punjabi menu is incomplete without a plate of Chole Bhature! White chickpeas cooked in a host of spices and herbs such as chilli powder, turmeric, asafoetida, bay leaf, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, whole pepper corns, and green and black cardamom along with a hint of lime and, of course, dollops of butter. Punjab is a wheat producing state and prepares piping hot bhaturas with a mix of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour with a pinch of salt and yeast. This simple chole bhature recipe will sort your Sunday brunch plans!
3. Dal Makhani
An absolute crowd pleaser at the dinner table, dal makhani may win the poll for being a vegetarian's favourite out of all! As the name suggests, sabut urad dal is cooked in a heap of butter and aromatic spices such as chilli powder, kasoori methi and a whole lot of cream. Dal Makhani is one dish that can be found across all the dhabas and even five star hotels.
(Also Read: How To Make Restaurant-Style Dal Makhani: 9 Expert Tips And Tricks)
4. Paneer Tikka
Succulent paneer cubes marinated in a host of spices and arranged on skewers and cooked over tandoor for a subtle smoky flavour. Paneer tikka is a delicious vegetarian starter that can be seen in parties, get-togethers and weddings. And the best part is that it is much loved by kids and adults, alike.
5. Amritsari Kulcha
Punjab is known for a collection of assorted breads to go with each of its flavourful dishes. From naan, bhaturas and rumali roti to kulchas, you can never run out of options. Amritsari kulcha, made from refined flour and stuffed with potato, onions coriander seeds, ginger, chilli, anardana and a tang of lemon, is just the perfect authentic Indian bread to relish with chhole or paneer.
6. Punjabi Kadhi Pakodi
A delicious creamy gravy with soft fried pakodis dipped in it. Made from gram flour, spices and chillies. Kadhi Pakora is a popular lunch dish in every Indian household, usually served with rice but you can also serve it with piping hot parathas or roti.
7. Punjabi style Nutri kulcha
A healthy and tasty dish to spice up your dinner/lunch table.
8. Veg Patiala
For the uninitiated, Veg Patiala is a lip-smacking curry made with a tomato-based gravy, shredded paneer, cream, ghee, and a special addition – mixed veg stuffed papad.
9. Chana Kulcha
Spicy chickpeas with a burst of flavours. A popular recipe from the Punjab region that goes best with kulchas. It is enjoyed by all age groups.
Try these veg Punjabi recipes at home and let us know which one you liked the most in the comment section.