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Punjabi cuisine (from the Punjab region of Northern India) is mainly based upon Wheat, Masalas (spice), pure desi ghee (Clarified butter), with liberal amounts of butter and cream. Though wheat varieties form their staple food, Punjabis do cook rice on special occasions. During winter a delicacy, Kheer a very popular dessert is cooked using rice.
Punjabi cuisine specializes in variety and it can be non-vegetarian or completely vegetarian. It is widely popular however there is some ignorance in Western Cultures that Punjabi is cuisine is completely curry based. The level of spices can vary from minimal to very prevalent. One of the main features of Punjabi cuisine is its diverse range of dishes. Home cooked and restaurant Punjabi cuisine can vary significantly, with restaurant style using large amounts of clarified butter, known locally as desi ghee, with liberal amounts of butter and cream with home cooked concentrating on mainly upon wheat masalas (spice) flavorings. Though wheat varieties form their staple food, Punjabis do cook rice on special occasions. During winter a delicacy, Roh Di Kheer, is cooked using rice. Rice is cooked for a long time in sugar cane juice.Within the state itself, there are different preferences. People in the area of Amritsar prefer stuffed parathas and milk products. In fact, the area is well known for quality of its milk products. There are certain dishes which are exclusive to Punjab, such as Mah Di Dal and Saron Da Saag (Sarson Ka Saag).
The food is tailor-made for the Punjabi lifestyle in which most of the rural folk burn up a lot of calories while working in the fields. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic and ginger. Tandoori food is a Punjabi speciality especially for non-veg dishes.
Zealous people from the state of Punjab are not behind any other state of the country when it comes to food. Their infectious zest of food has caught millions others, so much so that the Punjabi cuisine is not just relished in India but the world over. Foreigners often identify Indian cuisine with Punjabi food thanks to the the big Punjabi diaspora and the mouth-watering cuisine of the state.
Staple diet of the people Punjab and Haryana is wheat based rotis, paranthas and naan. Rice is cooked less frequently on special occasion. It is often prepared flavoured with onions and other condiments. Striking feature of the cuisine of Punjab is lavish use of butter, cream, ghee and cheese. Pulses or dals , cooked on slow fire and flavoured with characteristic Punjabi tadka, constitute a major item of the meal. Gravy is prepared using the basic mix of onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, chillies and liberal dose of spices. Jaggery is appreciated by the people in the winter season.
Traditional Punjabi food is cooked in earthen tandoors (ovens) which lend it a unique aroma. Though vegetarian dishes of the state are extremely popular and demand no introduction, some non-vegetarian dishes of the state are also famous for their scrumptious taste and the typical Punjabi flavor. The rich food is downed with the famous Punjab-di-Lassi.
Due to proximity and similar crop pattern, food habits of Punjab and Haryana are more or less the same. What distinguishes Haryana a little from Punjab is its greater love for milk and dairy products.
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