Vaisakhi – the Sikh New Year festival is one of the most important days in the Sikh calendar. It marks the start of the Punjabi New Year. And, you can certainly know that the celebration will be full of delicious recipes! Well, you are absolutely right. However, before we see the recipes, let’s see a little history.
Vaisakhi has been an integral part of North Indian culture as it is a harvesting festival of Punjab for a long time, even before it became so important for Sikhs. When Guru Gobind Singhji chose the festival to establish the Khalsa – a collective name given to the Sikhs who have been baptized – Vaisakhi became an essential part of the Sikh culture as well.
Delicious and Aromatic Vaisakhi Special Recipes!
As with all the festivals in India, Vaisakhi too has some traditional dishes. However, this year, let’s mix and match some dishes and create a menu that has both authentic as well as modern Vaisakhi recipes.
We have included recipes that are not only delicious but also can be whipped up quickly. This will allow you to truly enjoy your festival with friends and family rather than spending most of your time in the kitchen.
So, here are some Vaisakhi special recipes that you can make and fill your homes with traditional and delectable flavors:
- Amritsari Fish
- Matar Paneer Kulcha
- Chicken Saagwala
- Pindi Chana
- Makki di Roti
- Kada Prashad
Amritsari Fish
If you wander on the streets of Amritsar then you will find many vendors selling this delicious fried fish. It is one of the most famous street foods in Punjab. So, let’s make this amazing starter for this festival. Serve this Vaisakhi special recipe with lemon wedges and sprinkle with chaat masala to enjoy a crispy and delicious fish delicacy!
Quick Stats
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Servings: 15 fish filets
Ingredients
- 350 grams Boneless fish (salmon)
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon Garlic paste
- 1/4 teaspoon Coarsely crushed Ajwain/ Carom seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Roasted cumin seeds
- 1/4 cup Besan (Chickpea flour/ Gram flour)
- 2-3 tablespoons Beaten Curd (yogurt)
- 4-6 tablespoons of Club Soda or Soda water
- 3 tablespoon mustard oil
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon Red chili powder
- Salt to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons Chaat Masala
- Oil for frying
Method to Prepare
- Gather all the ingredients and clean the fish by washing it. Then, slice it.
- Coarsely pound ajwain in mortar and pestle.
- Take a mixing bowl and add lemon juice, ginger paste, garlic paste, crushed ajwain, roasted cumin seeds, besan, beaten curd, club soda, mustard oil, red chili powder, and salt.
- Mix everything together until well combined.
- Now, add fish pieces and coat them well. Let the fish rest for at least half an hour so it can get all the flavors of spices.
- However, ensure that you do not let it rest for more than an hour as the club soda will lose all its fizz and your fish will not be crunchy.
- Pour oil into a deep fry pan and heat it. Once hot oil, fry the fish pieces until they are golden brown. Your crispy fried fish is ready!
- Serve it and garnish it with sliced onions, cilantro leaves, and a squeeze of lemon.
- Eat it with green chutney and enjoy!
Matar Paneer Kulcha Recipe
Kids might be picking out these green-hued little veggies from their meals. However, this delicious matar paneer kulcha recipe will make them love peas. This Vaisakhi special recipe will fill your home with delicious taste and mesmerizing aroma! Additionally, it is tummy-filling, delicious, and effortless to make!
Quick Stats
Prep time: 50 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 serves
Ingredients
- Green peas, boiled 1 cup
- Cottage cheese, grated 1 cup
- Oil 4 tablespoons
- Cumin seeds ½ teaspoon
- Onion, chopped 1 medium
- Salt to taste
- Red chili powder ¼ teaspoon
- Refined flour (maida) 3 cups
- Baking powder 1 teaspoon
- Milk 1 cup
- Chaat masala 1 teaspoon
- Green chilies, chopped 2
- Garam masala powder ½ teaspoon
- Butter as required
Method to Prepare
- Take a non-stick pan and heat two tablespoons of oil in it. Meanwhile, add green peas into the blender jar and blend coarsely.
- Add cumin seeds and onions into the pan, mix, and saute them lightly. When the onions are soft, add coarse green peas and give it a good mix.
- Now, sprinkle salt and ¼ teaspoon of red chili powder. Mix again and turn off the gas.
- Remove this mixture from the heat, transfer it to a bowl, and let it come to room temperature. Meanwhile, prepare to knead the dough for kulcha.
- Take a mixing bowl and add refined flour, baking powder, milk, and two tablespoons of oil and give it a good mix.
- Pour water that is enough to knead a soft dough. Cover the mixing bowl with a damp cloth and let it rest for half an hour.
- After half an hour, remove the damp cloth and divide the dough into equal large lemon-sized portions.
- Now, add paneer, chaat masala, green chilis, and garam masala powder to the peas mixture and mix thoroughly.
- Make round balls of each dough and fill the paneer-peas filling in the center. Seal off the edges and let them rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat a non-stick tawa. You can also cook kulcha in a preheated oven at 200° C for 10 minutes.
- While your pan is getting hot, apply a little oil to each dough ball and pat them with your fingertips, then rollout a bit thickly.
- Once the pan is hot enough, place the kulcha on the tawa and cook.
- When the underside is cooked, turn the kulcha over and cook till done.
- Apply butter to it, serve it with lassi and enjoy!
Must Check: Paneer Tikka Masala Dhaba Style – Perfect Treat to Paneer Fans!
Chicken Saagwala
Chicken saagwala will present you with a delicious Vaisakhi special dish that is full of flavors and aroma. It is a light curry dish that is made using flavorful spices like turmeric, cinnamon, garam masala, and fresh spinach. Add browned pan-fried chicken and you have one of the most delicious and healthy dishes!
Quick Stats
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6 serves
Ingredients
- 3 large bunches of spinach
- 2 ⅕ pounds of skinless chicken pieces, legs or breasts
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for cooking
- 5 whole black peppercorns
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 pods cardamom
- 2 large onions, chopped very fine
- 2 tablespoons garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped fine
- 1 dollop of unsalted butter, for garnish
- Salt, to taste
Method to Prepare
- Get all the ingredients and wash the spinach well. After washing, chop it.
- Now, add spinach into a pot and pour half a cup of water. Sprinkle some salt and simmer it until just cooked, for a couple of minutes.
- Grind the spinach into a paste using a food processor and keep it aside.
- Now, heat oil in a pan over medium flame and pan-fry the chicken pieces until they’re well browned. Remove them and keep them aside.
- Again, use the same oil and heat it. Add the whole spices. Once the spices start to turn slightly dark into color, add onion, ginger-garlic paste.
- Fry everything until the onions are pale golden in color.
- Then, add coriander, cumin, and garam masala and fry for five minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and fry till the oil begins to separate from the spices.
- Then, add fried chicken to this masala, give it a good mix, and pour half a cup of water.
- Cook the chicken until it is almost done.
- Now, add the spinach and mix well. Cook everything until the water is gone from the recipe.
- Remove the chicken saagwala from the gas and add a spoonful of butter.
- Serve it with makki di roti and enjoy!
Must Check: Sarso ka Saag Recipe: Traditional North Indian Recipe You Must Try!
Pindi Chana Recipe
This is one of the traditional Vaisakhi special recipes as it is very easy to make. If you are having friends or family for a meal, this is one of the best dishes to make. Pair this dish with Makke ki roti or rice of your choice and relish the fantastic flavors of this recipe!
Quick Stats
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Servings: 5 serves
Ingredients
- 2 cup chickpeas
- salt as required
- 4 clove
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon dried pomegranate seeds
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 green chili
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 tablespoon coriander powder
- 4 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 small onion
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 1 inch chopped ginger
- water as required
- 1 tablespoon dry mango powder
- 2 cinnamon stick
Method to Prepare
- Start the recipe by adding chickpeas and water into a bowl. Let the chickpeas soak in the water overnight. The next morning, drain the water from the chickpeas.
- Then, chip the onion into thin slices. Now, put a frying pan over medium heat and add dried pomegranate seeds and cumin to it.
- Dry roast both of them and transfer them into a mixer jar. Grind them until you get a fine powder.
- Now, add soaked chickpeas into a pressure cooker and pour enough water into it. Keep it over medium heat and add salt, cinnamon stick, cardamom, and cloves.
- Now, close the cooker with the lid and pressure cook them for around 15 to 20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let the steam release itself.
- Reserve the liquid you get from the prepared chickpea mixture. We will use it afterward.
- Now, add salt, pomegranate powder, mango powder, coriander, pepper, and garam masala to the remaining mixture.
- Give it a thorough mix to ensure that chickpeas are well coated with all the spices.
- Top the coated chickpeas with ginger and green chilis and mix them again.
- Now, heat a non-stick pan over medium flame and add ghee and vegetable oil to it.
- Once it is warm, pour the ghee mixture over the chickpeas along with the reserved mixture.
- Give chickpeas a good mix and ensure that everything is combined for equal flavors.
- Now, put the pressure cooker with the chickpeas mixture over medium heat and cook until the moisture is gone and the oil starts to separate.
- Once done, serve them by garnishing them with chopped onions and serve them hot!
Makki di Roti
Makki di roti is a quintessential Indian flatbread that you will find in every Punjabi household. Additionally, it is one of the most loved and delightful recipes, that is prepared on special occasions and festivals. Serve this roti with your gravy Vaisakhi recipes and enjoy a delicious meal!
Quick Stats
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 serves
Ingredients
- 1 cup maize flour
- 1 pinch of red chili powder
- boiling water as required
- 1 ½ tablespoon ghee
- salt as required
Method to Prepare
- Begin the recipe by sifting the maize flour with salt. Mix them thoroughly.
- Once you are done mixing the flour with salt, add finely chopped fenugreek leaves along with red chili powder and ghee. Mix everything well once again.
- Now, add hot water to the flour mixture and knead with soft hands.
- After kneading a soft dough, divide it into equal parts and make medium-sized balls.
- Dust the dough with some flour and flatten it to make rotis.
- Heat a tawa or pan over medium flame. Once it is hot enough, prepare to cook rotis.
- You need not have to apply ghee, oil, or butter to it, as it is already present in the dough, which is enough to grease the roti.
- However, if you think the roti is too dry, you can pour some dollops of melted ghee and cook both sides of the rotis.
- Once the rotis are cooked, transfer them to a serving plate, apply some butter and serve them hot with Sarson ka saag or chicken saagwala.
Kada Prashad Recipe
Wheat halwa is known as Kada Prashad in Sikh culture. This mouth-melting, simple, and toothsome halwa is believed to be blessed by the Sikh Guru. So, try this recipe during this Vaisakhi and fill your home with blessings and sweet flavors.
Quick Stats
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 serves
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (gehun atta)
- 1 cup clarified butter (ghee)
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 4 cups water
Method to Prepare
- Take a heavy bottom flat pan and heat ghee in it.
- Now, add flour to the pan and start roasting it over low flame until the color is changed to deep brown.
- After 10 to 15 minutes, you will smell a sweet roasted aroma. This will indicate that your flour is roasted. Keep stirring the flour as it will roast it evenly and prevent burning.
- While you are roasting the flour, bring water and sugar to a boil over a medium-high flame until the sugar is completely dissolved in the water.
- Once it is completely dissolved, simmer the sugar syrup over low flame until your flour is ready. You can also add a teaspoon of cardamom powder for taste and aroma.
- Now, add warm sugar syrup to the roasted flour. Ensure that you stir it constantly in a circular clockwise motion. It will help you avoid any lumps in the flour.
- Then, keep stirring and cooking the halwa till it absorbs all the sugar syrup.
- Cover the pan and cook the halwa for one minute over a low flame. After a minute, turn off the flame.
- Get the halwa into the serving bowl and garnish it with sliced almonds.
- Serve it warm and enjoy!
Must Check: Gajar Ka Halwa Recipe: Delectable Indian Dessert Delicacy!
Final Words
As we all know that Indian festivals are incomplete without delicious food. This Vaisakhi, fill your festival with flavors with these special toothsome authentic dishes. Try these Baisakhi special recipes and enjoy the festival in the most delicious way possible!
