Urad Dal Pinni

A Traditional Punjabi Sweet prepared with Urad dal. Usually people prefer preparing this delectable sweet with Whole Wheat Flour. To give it a more grainy texture and enhance its flavor I have added ground urad dal and have prepared this delectable sweet especially for people who have a sweet tooth.

Delectable sweet prepared with Urad Dal, Semolina, Bengal Gram flour and Whole Wheat Flour , with the goodness of Clarified Butter , sweetened with sugar syrup, flavored with cardamom powder and garnished with Almonds, Pistachio nuts and Sunflower Seeds.

Preparation Time: 3 hours including the soaking time of Urad Dal

Cooking Time: 45 to 50 minutes

Makes: 25 pieces

Ingredients and Quantity:

Split Black gram , skinless (Dhuli Urad Dal) – 1 1/4^th cups.

Milk- 02 tbsp to grind Urad dal + 1/4 th tbsp. to clarify sugar syrup.

Bengal Gram Flour (Besan) – 01 tbsp.

Whole Wheat Flour (Atta), preferably Punjabi Atta- ½ tbsp.

Semolina (Sooji) – 2 ½ tbsp.

Khoya (Mawa), grated- 3/4^th Cup

Clarified Butter (Desi Ghee) – ½ Cup

Sugar- 01 cup

Green Cardamom Powder- 1/4^th tsp.

For the Garnish:

Almonds, halved and lightly sautéed in pure ghee- 02 tbsp.

Pistachio nuts, chopped coarsely- 01 tbsp.

Sunflower seeds, lightly toasted- 1/4^th tbsp.

Method:

Wash the Urad dal and soak it for 2 ½ hours.

Drain and Wash the dal again.

Grind into a smooth paste with the help of milk.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat ghee add Bengal gram flour, semolina and whole wheat flour.

Over medium heat sauté till the flours turn in to light brown in colour.

Add grated khoya, keep stirring and sauté till light brown in colour and till it blends well with the flours.

Add the ground dal, sauté for almost 10 minutes. Add more clarified butter if required.

Ensure that you keep stirring the mixture, in order to prevent it from burning.

Let it cook for another 15 to 20 minutes  on a low flame, till the raw aroma disappears and it turns into light brown in colour.

Add Cardamom powder. Remove from the flame and set aside.

Prepare sugar syrup of one string consistency.

Place the cooked pinni mixture on the flame add the sugar syrup and ensure that you stir it as it might form lumps. Once it thickens. Remove from the flame.

Take a Stainless Steel tray and pour this thick mixture you may form balls or give different shapes to the pinni.

Garnish it with Almonds, Pistachio nuts and Sunflower seeds.

Chef Tips:

1. Use a heavy bottomed pan to prepare pinni as it may stick to the bottom of the pan and get burnt.
2. For the Sugar Syrup: Ratio of sugar to water may be varied from 2:1 i.e. two parts of sugar to one part of water to 1:1 One part of sugar to one part of water. 3 ½ cups of sugar to 3 ½ cups of water.
3. Add a few drops of milk to clarify the sugar syrup, remove the scum from the top and discard the scum.  Before adding the sugar syrup, strain it through a muslin cloth. This clarification process helps preventing the pinni from getting discolored.