Cooking Punjabi Food? Stock Up Your Pantry With These 5 Essential Ingredients

Punjabi food enjoys a huge fan following, not just in the country but across the globe. Oftentimes, you'll even find people from other countries trying traditional Punjabi food or trying their hands at cooking it. Whether you stay in India or abroad, certain essential ingredients are must-haves while preparing Punjabi dishes. Without them, there's no way you can recreate authentic flavours. If you're someone who struggles to achieve this or just starting your cooking journey, we have got you covered. To help you out, we have shortlisted a bunch of key ingredients that you must stock up in your kitchen to help do so perfectly. Without further ado, let's get straight into the list.
Also Read: Love Punjabi Food? Try These 7 Delicious Recipes Ready In Under 30 Minutes

Photo Credit: iStock

Here Are 5 Key Ingredients You Must Have To Make Punjabi Delicacies:

1. Butter

Ask any Punjabi, and they'll tell you how much they love adding butter to their food. It's almost like a reflex action whenever they see a dish in front of them. After all, a dollop of butter only makes the food taste a lot better. Make sure to always have this ingredient on hand, especially for making dishes like dal makhni, butter chicken, and parathas. And if you can get white makhan, that's even better.

2. Kasuri Methi

Most traditional Punjabi dishes also have kasuri methi as a key ingredient. They are dried fenugreek leaves that are added to enhance flavour. You'll find them in dishes such as chicken and paneer curries, and even certain sabzis. Some people also like to sprinkle it on top of their lachha parathas before cooking. It's an ingredient that you must not miss adding!

3. Mustard Oil

Mustard oil is one of the most preferred oils for cooking in Punjab. While it is used year-round, its usage increases even more during the winter months. This is because mustard oil helps provide warmth to the body, and who doesn't want that? Not only this, but it also imparts a unique flavour to the food. A perfect example of this is the classic sarson ka saag. Without mustard oil, it won't taste as good.

4. Yoghurt/Cream

You must have noticed that Punjabi curries are mostly creamy in texture. This is due to the use of yoghurt and cream in them. You possibly cannot do without these two ingredients when preparing curries. So, make sure to have them stocked in your pantry at all times. The fresher they are, the better consistency they'll give to the curry.
Also Read: Weekend Special: 7 Non-Veg Punjabi Snacks To Enjoy This Weekend

Photo Credit: iStock

5. Besan

Another must-have ingredient when preparing Punjabi food is besan (gram flour). From snacks and curries to desserts, besan makes its way to most of them. Some classic examples of all of these include pakodas, kadhi, and besan ladoo. Apart from this, it is also used to prepare certain breads, such as missi roti. With such extensive use, there's no way you can ace Punjabi cooking without it.

Now that you're familiar with these ingredients, stock your pantry with them to prepare mouth-watering Punjabi dishes. Here are some of the best recipes to get you started.