These magical little sweet delights are all you want to have, along with masala tea on a cold winter day or any time of the year!
For those who are not familiar with the Hindi terms, Atta means wheat flour, and pinni means sweet balls. Therefore this recipe means sweet balls made with wheat flour. This atta ladoo has a melt-in-the-mouth texture and is packed with healthy and warmth-producing ingredients. In the Northern part of India, just like Sarson ka saag, Makki ki roti, Peanut chikki – aate ki pinni is also considered the quintessential winter food. It provides many health benefits besides the joy of gorging into them at any time of the day. These are also preferred for gifting as they make a healthy option. These authentic Punjabi Atte Ki Pinnis will surely satiate your sweet tooth and also turn into your family’s favorite winter dessert in no time.
Healthy and nutritious Addictively delicious and wholesome Super easy to make with simple ingredients Can be prepared in a large batch A family favorite, rich and perfectly sweetened delicacies Can be made vegan (swap ghee with coconut oil)!
You cannot hold back from grabbing these super delicious pinnis; once you eat them, you cannot stop just at one. You will love making these Punjabi pinnis at home and never resort to store-bought ones.
Semolina — Fine sooji or semolina adds texture and crunch to the pinni. Since semolina has a slightly gritty texture, it lends a grainy-textured bite to the pinni when added to the wheat flour. You may skip adding semolina if you don’t like it. Sugar — It adds sweetness to this sweet dessert, aate ki pinni. It can be replaced with jaggery too. Dry nuts — Chopped almonds, pistachios, and yellow raisins (kishmish) are added to the recipe for more flavor and nutrition. Goond (edible gum) — Easily available at the nearby grocery store, Goond or edible gum is added to the Pinni recipe as it is a highly nutritious and warming food that generates heat in the body during the cold winter days. Cardamom (elaichi) Powder — This is added to enhance the flavor and aroma of the Atte Ki Pinni.
Use ghee generously — Ghee is used for roasting the wheat flour, and I recommend not cutting back on ghee. Since the ghee helps the flour to roast properly and also binds the pinni to take shape correctly, you must add the ghee quite generously. Roast with patience — Atta/ wheat flour needs to be roasted slowly, not burning it or leaving it raw. Always roast the flour/ atta on low-medium heat, ensuring perfect roasting. Roasting requires patience, as it takes around 30 to 40 minutes for the flour to roast completely. A perfect roasting will leave a sweet and nutty flavor to the flour and a drool-worthy aroma too. Stir for even roasting — Roasting is an essential part of the pinni-making process, and stirring it continuously will ensure an even roasting. Continuous stirring will also prevent the flour from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Perfect texture — Once the flour is roasted correctly, you will notice the ghee collecting at the sides of the pan. This marks the end of the roasting process. The atta mixture, by now, has taken a grainy texture, but it is too hot to touch. So, be careful not to touch it at this stage, or else it may cause a burn.
Shape them when still warm — Shaping these Aate Ki Pinnis when the mixture is still warm renders the best results. On cooling, it becomes challenging to bring the mix together. The ghee solidifies on cooling, making it difficult to shape into balls. However, if the mixture feels cool and hard, warm it up in the microwave for about 30 secs, and it lets the ghee melt. It will be great for shaping now. If the mixture feels crumbly — You may notice that the mix feels dry and crumbly, making it difficult to shape. To fix this, add a teaspoon of milk to the pinni mixture and knead it for some time. You will now have a smooth mixture that is easy to shape into pinnis. Great gifting option too! These Atte Ki Pinnis are delicious and great for gifting your loved ones on occasions and celebrations. They will surely bring many compliments to you! A perfect make-ahead recipe — These Aate ki pinnis can be prepared in large batches and stored for later consumption. You can make them ahead of an occasion or celebration and store them in an air-tight container. Serve your guests and loved ones when needed. Scalable recipe — This recipe can be scaled up or down following your requirement. Refer to the recipe card to know the correct measurements when scaling the ingredients. For adding Goond to the pinnis, all you have to do is to:
Saute ¼ cup of edible gum on low heat and allow the goond to puff up. Now, let it cool completely. Transfer the goond to the grinder and grind it coarsely. Now, add it to the pinni mixture and enjoy the tasty treat!
Follow the step-by-step instructions below to make the best Aate Ki Pinni
If you are wondering where and how to begin, let me guide you through. Collect the ingredients, and here we go with the recipe for the most scrumptious Aate Ki pinnis ever!
