Alsi di pinni
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Round winter sweets of roasted flaxseed and wheat flour bound with jaggery and ghee and studded with nuts.
Region: PunjabOccasion: Winter; LohriTime: 1 hourServes: About 20 pinnisVegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup alsi (flaxseed)
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup ghee
- 1¼ cups grated jaggery
- 2 tbsp gond (edible gum)
- ½ cup chopped almonds and walnuts
- 1 tsp ground cardamom and ½ tsp ground dry ginger
Method
- Dry-roast the flaxseed on low heat until it crackles and smells nutty. Cool and grind coarsely.
- Fry the gond in 2 tbsp ghee until puffed; crush it.
- Roast the wheat flour in the rest of the ghee on low heat until golden brown.
- Add the ground flaxseed and roast together for 5 minutes. Add nuts, gond, cardamom and dry ginger.
- Melt the jaggery with 2 tbsp water into a thick syrup and mix it in quickly.
- While warm, press handfuls of the mixture into firm round pinnis. Cool and store in a tin.
History
Flaxseed (alsi) is grown in Punjab and has long been used in winter foods. Pinnis made with it are a household tradition passed down in families.
Significance
Alsi pinnis are made in batches as the cold sets in, given to elders and children each morning, and shared with relatives at Lohri.