Re: Punjab Week - Cultural dimension of Punjab
sounds like a punjabi version of Qand
Khand is sugar in Sindhi. So I took it same for Punjabi. I believe as loon is same in both languages, the word for sugar might be same.
Re: Punjab Week - Cultural dimension of Punjab
How well is the language doing?
I read somewhere that Punjabi is not even taught in the schools
Re: Punjab Week - Cultural dimension of Punjab
You already wrote somewhere lolz. BTW baat meethe ki bhi ho rahi hai...
Re: Punjab Week - Cultural dimension of Punjab
How well is the language doing?
I read somewhere that Punjabi is not even taught in the schools
yes, not at school level, but Punjab University offers MA in Punjabi.
BTW, do you know Punjabi of 'North'. Its so poetic (I just asked my Punjabi colleague today).
Re: Punjab Week - Cultural dimension of Punjab
My two cents:
There is a common perception that Punjabi cuisine is heavily based on meat consumption (i.e Paaye, Nihari, Pilao etc) - which is not every true.. Punjab has one of the most fertile agriculture land in the world - it produces variety of vegetable crops, so an average everyday Punjabi diet is more vegetarian than meat based (or mix of both), and unlike in Western world where you get things all year round, in Punjab there is a strong tradition of only eating seasonal vegetables. Harvesting of *Saag *crops is very much the highlight of Punjabi winter.
However, Lahore has its unique culinary culture which heavily borrows from Mughal and Kashmiri influences, and I'd say typically Lahori dishes are more meat based and the cooking method is more refined.
Lahore maybe famous for Paye and stuff, but the traditional dish of Punjab would be sarson ka saag and makki ki roti, and this one dish sums the agrarian culture of Punjab.
But still being agricultural does not mean that your food would be vegetarian. There are areas for cattle and poultry farming and therefore there should be traditional dishes based on say egg, milk (lassi might be more popular with roti than any sabzi), meat (as animals are fianlly destined to meat consumption), etc. Then being land of five rivers fish might have been popular dish all across besides migrated birds like murghabi.
Interaction with my Punjabi friends let me know that Panjeeri is traditional meetha. Then rou (sugarcane drink as mentioned by ajazali) is the traditional and most found drink in Punajb and Sindh. What are other traditional sweets. GuR wale chawal (known as Tahiri in Sindh, though Tahiri in Urdu speaking families is aaloo matar wala pulao) might be a popular sweet dish. I believe traidtional kheer might be made from guR as sugar is recent phenomenon.
Then we should also consider sattoo (being a summer drink), which is more popular in Punjab than Sindh or other parts of Pakistan. Was / is there anything which can be termed a winter drink like soups. Soup is probably not drink but an appetizer. Now thats raise another question, do our part of world (Punjab, Sindh, etc) have any traditional appetizers?
Bitter - kora
Salt - loon or loona for salty.
Sugar - mitha (in olden times, gur or shakar).
Garam - tata (taara wala tey)
Cold - thanda
Luke warm - kosa
All the terms are quite same in Sindhi. Luke war is kosa in Sindhi... Cold / Icy water when put at room temperature and it lost coolness is called Sajjar. Now this Sajjar is 'fresh' in Punajbi but probably not used for water but for flowers like Sajre phul means 'fresh flowers'.
What are the names of sides 'North, East, West, South' in Punjabi? I asked this from my Punajbi colleague and he came up with terms which were quite similar to Sindhi.
East = Ubharanda / ChaRhda = It Obhar in Sindhi
West = Lahnda = Its Olah in Sindhi
South = Dakhkhan (same in Sindhi)
North = Uttar (same is Sindhi). Now North is also called Parbat... Geographically correct as most of mountain ranges lies in North. Utar (utarna) is also very correct as people uttar from mountain as the famous Punjabi folk song 'Jogi uttar pahaRon aaya'.
Re: Punjab Week - Cultural dimension of Punjab
But still being agricultural does not mean that your food would be vegetarian. There are areas for cattle and poultry farming and therefore there should be traditional dishes based on say egg, milk (lassi might be more popular with roti than any sabzi), meat (as animals are fianlly destined to meat consumption), etc. Then being land of five rivers fish might have been popular dish all across besides migrated birds like murghabi.
Interaction with my Punjabi friends let me know that Panjeeri is traditional meetha. Then rou (sugarcane drink as mentioned by ajazali) is the traditional and most found drink in Punajb and Sindh. What are other traditional sweets. GuR wale chawal (known as Tahiri in Sindh, though Tahiri in Urdu speaking families is aaloo matar wala pulao) might be a popular sweet dish. I believe traidtional kheer might be made from guR as sugar is recent phenomenon.
Then we should also consider sattoo (being a summer drink), which is more popular in Punjab than Sindh or other parts of Pakistan. Was / is there anything which can be termed a winter drink like soups. Soup is probably not drink but an appetizer. Now thats raise another question, do our part of world (Punjab, Sindh, etc) have any traditional appetizers?
You are right that domesticated animal farming is a very integral part of rural Punjab, so invariably dairy produce is also a large component of traditional Punjabi diet.
But what I was trying to suggest was that meat was considered luxury (and it still is to some extent). A lot of families and farmers for economic and sentimental reasons would not slaughter hens that would lay eggs daily and milk yielding cows and goats - as alive animal was considered a more sustainable source of food and income, and security for hard times. For example, families that did not own any gold, used to sell their animals to overcome financial crisis. Moreover, domesticated animals would only be slaughtered when they would fall ill or if a wedding falls. But it's not that people didn't eat meat by choice, it was more of the fact that only upper class folks could afford regular meat consumption, not peasantry or working class families.
My grandmothers say that because back in the day they didn't have freezers to store food like we have today, so it meant that if an animal is slaughtered, it would need to be consumed on the same day as meat will start to rot. So even for well off families, animal will be slaughtered for special occasions to feed a large gatherings.
So these things just reflect why traditionally meat was not part of average everyday Punjabi diet. But these days traditional vegetarian dishes are now so commonly paired with meat - like shaljam gosh, kareley qeema, kadoo ghost, aloo gosh, gobi gosht, palak gosht, bhindi gosht, daal gosht, saag gosht, bhindi gosht - and there are Punjabis (like one of my uncles) who cannot imagine eating vegetable salan without meat in it.
So it's just interesting to note how traditional Punjabi diet has evolved over the years, and how the eating habits had been influenced by socio-economic factors, and even religion.
Re: Punjab Week - Cultural dimension of Punjab
Coming back to dairy use in everyday eating - plain boiled rice topped with yogurt (or milk) with shakar is considered quite a comfort food and children's favourite. I still have that as breakfast sometimes, lol. Very good way of using the leftover rice.
In terms of fish - Lahori fried fish is hugely popular, but generally don't think sea food is popular option in Punjabi cuisine, maybe in the regions and areas that border rivers.
Satoo is a popular drink. But lassi is way more common - the ultimate cooling drink, and lot easier to make compare to satoo. Last time I was in Pakistan for summer - I had imli and aloo bukhare (plum) ka sharbat which was quite nice. We also have skanjavi (or skanjibeen in Urdu), and doodh soda (7up with milk) LOL.
Yes gurr is the traditional sweetener, halwas, kheer, rice were all made with gurr. My mother occasionally makes soooji ka halwa in gurr, and I must say it taste better than the one they make it with normal sugar. My sister's father in law only drinks tea with shakar in it, not sugar.
There's also traditional sweet dish called* piniyan,*it's basically rice flour mixed (or cooked) with gurr syrup, desi ghee with lots almonds and nuts, and then turned into round balls - basically rice flour ladoos. It is similar to panjeeri, although panjeeri is a traditional Punjabi meetha, but it's not a meetha that you make it to distribute. It's so high on protein and quite expensive to make. From my family's experience, it's normally eaten as a treat in winters to stay warm or specially made for expecting or breast feeding mothers because it considered to be packed with nutrients. That's the reason why Punjabi women go so huge after giving birth because their mothers or mother in laws feed them killos of Panjeeri which is soaked in desi ghee. My poor sister had to go through all that, lol.
Now all these things are largely the way things are done in my family or things I have observed from travels in Punjab. Obviously, customs and traditions change from family to family, tribe to tribe, area to area. I'm just a very observant and curious person, otherwise my cousins who live in Punjab probably don't know all that, lol. But having said that, some of those things are probably not even strictly Punjabi.
Re: Punjab Week - Cultural dimension of Punjab
Pure desi ghee
And halwa
That's punjab
Re: Punjab Week - Cultural dimension of Punjab
Few random questions:
What are the names of sides (North, West, etc) in Punjabi?
Punjabi of Sugar and Salt?
We know that they use khatta and Meetha for sour and sweet (correct me if there are other words), what is Punjabi of bitter?
Hot and Cold might be (garm and sard), what is Punajbi of luke warm?
Garam is Tata
and Salt is Loon
Re: Punjab Week - Cultural dimension of Punjab
Proud Punjabi here and Lahori too
Love my language and culture of it
The typical foods are Makki ki roti and sarson ka saag and Parathay with Dahi with Lassi 
Re: Punjab Week - Cultural dimension of Punjab
You are right that domesticated animal farming is a very integral part of rural Punjab, so invariably dairy produce is also a large component of traditional Punjabi diet.
But what I was trying to suggest was that meat was considered luxury (and it still is to some extent). A lot of families and farmers for economic and sentimental reasons would not slaughter hens that would lay eggs daily and milk yielding cows and goats - as alive animal was considered a more sustainable source of food and income, and security for hard times. For example, families that did not own any gold, used to sell their animals to overcome financial crisis. Moreover, domesticated animals would only be slaughtered when they would fall ill or if a wedding falls. But it's not that people didn't eat meat by choice, it was more of the fact that only upper class folks could afford regular meat consumption, not peasantry or working class families.
My grandmothers say that because back in the day they didn't have freezers to store food like we have today, so it meant that if an animal is slaughtered, it would need to be consumed on the same day as meat will start to rot. So even for well off families, animal will be slaughtered for special occasions to feed a large gatherings.
So these things just reflect why traditionally meat was not part of average everyday Punjabi diet. But these days traditional vegetarian dishes are now so commonly paired with meat - like shaljam gosh, kareley qeema, kadoo ghost, aloo gosh, gobi gosht, palak gosht, bhindi gosht, daal gosht, saag gosht, bhindi gosht - and there are Punjabis (like one of my uncles) who cannot imagine eating vegetable salan without meat in it.
So it's just interesting to note how traditional Punjabi diet has evolved over the years, and how the eating habits had been influenced by socio-economic factors, and even religion.
I kinda agree with this, as I myself experienced this phenomenon in rural Sindh, where meat was rarely used (may be once a week). The media and cooking channels did changed the cuisine habits and now meat is consumed more regularly. I wonder, when we (Sindhi and Punjab) got so much link to vegetarian dishes why then all masala packets (Shan, national, etc) are all about meat dishes?
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as alive animal was considered a more sustainable source of food and income, and security for hard times. For example, families that did not own any gold, used to sell their animals to overcome financial crisis.
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This made me think about factors affecting mobility. It appears that mobility towards other part of the world by groups who have less possession was more easier than those who have more possession. If we compare Pashtun tribes with Punjab or even Sindh, the mobility of norther (Pashtun) population was higher than people in settled areas of Punjab and Sindh.
If we look at pre-partition mobility of Punjab's population to other parts of the country (united India) or world, they might not be as dispersed as they are today. Obviously, post partition rapid developments and opportunities did affect the mobility, but to me it appears that loss of possessions during partition riots also has an impact on overall migration.
Re: Punjab Week - Cultural dimension of Punjab
Coming back to dairy use in everyday eating - plain boiled rice topped with yogurt (or milk) with shakar is considered quite a comfort food and children's favourite. I still have that as breakfast sometimes, lol. Very good way of using the leftover rice.
That used to be popular dish among aged and children. I saw my dadi having milk and roti in dinner. My nanihal is more into rice and they still have boiled rice with daal and naani having milk with rice even today. On dadhiyal side, we are not into that much rice. In most part of Sindh, they have very common dinner in summer. Boiled rice with mango. I never liked this combination, though almost everyone in family enjoy this combination.
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In terms of fish - Lahori fried fish is hugely popular, but generally don't think sea food is popular option in Punjabi cuisine, maybe in the regions and areas that border rivers.
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Rivers caters quite a lot part of Punjab. But still we are not aware of any popular fish dish from Punjab. Even as they say 'Palla' is popular fish in Sindh (which also form part of folklore and folk songs. Even famous Hindu saint Jhole Laal got link with palla fish), we do not hear any kind of popular fish from Punjab. Last week, I went to Meat-One (this meat shop in Karachi. Probably have some outlets in Punjab) and they were selling marinated Lahore fish. But we didn't not buy that as we know more about Lahore Chargha than Lahori fish. I kninda remember in Sohni Mehwal's story, there is mention of fish kababs. A restaurant near our office sells fish tikka and thats yummy, but I still have to find fish kababs.
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Satoo is a popular drink. But lassi is way more common - the ultimate cooling drink, and lot easier to make compare to satoo. Last time I was in Pakistan for summer - I had imli and aloo bukhare (plum) ka sharbat which was quite nice. We also have skanjavi (or skanjibeen in Urdu), and doodh soda (7up with milk) LOL.
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I think summer got more drink and lassi might be available in different varieties. In Asghar Nadeem Syed's serial Darya (based on life in Cholistan), they mention Adh-riRka (kachi lassi) I believe. Then there is chhachh. BTW, one of my Punjabi friend from Faisalabad side used to name a Lassi+mango drink (he called it chhachiya). Its a drink with some laal mirch. He never brought that for us, but he always praised it like anything. Seems a popular drink in Punjab.
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Yes gurr is the traditional sweetener, halwas, kheer, rice were all made with gurr. My mother occasionally makes soooji ka halwa in gurr, and I must say it taste better than the one they make it with normal sugar. My sister's father in law only drinks tea with shakar in it, not sugar.
There's also traditional sweet dish called* piniyan,*it's basically rice flour mixed (or cooked) with gurr syrup, desi ghee with lots almonds and nuts, and then turned into round balls - basically rice flour ladoos. It is similar to panjeeri, although panjeeri is a traditional Punjabi meetha, but it's not a meetha that you make it to distribute. It's so high on protein and quite expensive to make. From my family's experience, it's normally eaten as a treat in winters to stay warm or specially made for expecting or breast feeding mothers because it considered to be packed with nutrients. That's the reason why Punjabi women go so huge after giving birth because their mothers or mother in laws feed them killos of Panjeeri which is soaked in desi ghee. My poor sister had to go through all that, lol.
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I used to thought that pinyan is something like Maal-Pura (popular among Sindh and Gujarat) and is a puri / roti type. Confusion is probably due to some scene either from drama Dubai Chalo (where main character travel with a lunch box and say that its pinni / panjeeri). I don't think that shown Panjeeri/ Pinni during all the play, but somehow I perceived it to be like Maal-pura.
Re: Punjab Week - Cultural dimension of Punjab
I remember reading that even today, due to non existent refrigeration, rural to urban transport of milk isn't happening to lower pakistan's dairy imports. Going off a slight tangent, I am surprised that people in karachi don't eat more fish considering we are right next to the ocean.