Aate ki Pinni

What is Aate ki Pinnie?

A quintessential winter food of North India, these Atte Ki Pinnis are prepared with atta or wheat flour, ghee, sugar, and lots of dry fruits, along with cardamom powder for flavoring. 

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. 

Besides wheat flour, desi ghee, sugar, and nuts are also the essential ingredients that make this recipe a lovely treat. Trust me, there is nothing compared to the sweet aroma which comes from roasting the Atta in ghee, and I bet you will crave these pinnis before they are ready to devour! 

This atta ladoo has a melt-in-the-mouth texture and is packed with healthy and warmth-producing ingredients.

People in North India typically prefer to make these Atte Ki Pinnis in big batches and store them in air-tight containers to consume them through the winter season!

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.

Reasons You’ll ♡ Aate Ki Pinni

When it comes to winter desserts, pinnis are the front-runners in North Indian cuisine. This Aate Ki Pinni is one of the most popular recipes and is loved as it is —

• 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.

Punjabi Aate Ki Pinni Ingredient List

Flour — Wheat flour/ atta is the base ingredient of this recipe. It gives flavor, structure, and texture to the pinni and makes it wholesome and nutritious. 

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. 

Melted Ghee — Homemade ghee is used for roasting the flour. Ghee adds a delicious nutty flavor to the pinni, making it irresistible. 

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. 

Aate Ki Pinni Recipe Tips and Variations

The key to best-flavored pinni — Ghee plays an essential part in roasting wheat flour, and much of the flavor depends on the quality of the ghee used. Therefore, always pick the best ghee for making this delicious atta pinni. Homemade pure ghee is the most preferred choice for me!

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. 

No over-roasting — Wheat flour/ atta needs to be roasted until it changes its color to light brown and emits an exquisite aroma. It takes a while to do so. However, avoid over-roasting, as it will leave an unpleasant burnt aftertaste. 

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.

Use a heavy-bottomed pan — To prevent the flour from sticking to the bottom of the pan while roasting, always prefers using a heavy-bottomed pan. It also ensures an even roasting of the flour. 

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.

Options for sweeteners — This aate ki pinni recipe uses sugar as the sweetening agent, but you can also use jaggery/ gur as an alternative. Flavoring these Aate ki pinnis with powdered sugar or desi khand (muscovado sugar/ unrefined cane sugar) is also a great option. However, using any option other than sugar will result in lighter-hued pinnis. 

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.

To turn them gluten-free — These Aate ki pinnis are not gluten-free, but they can be turned into a gluten-free variation by replacing the Atta (wheat flour) with urad dal flour, moong dal flour, or gram flour (besan). However, you will have to settle with the different flavors and textures. 

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. 

Add Goond for a healthier version — This recipe for delicious Aate Ki Pinni is a healthy version, but you can add more nutrition to it by adding edible gum or Goond (tragacanth gum). It is an immunity booster and a natural remedy for common colds and coughs. Goong lends the pinnis a nice crunch and taste, besides the health benefits

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!

Let me know what you think!

These irresistibly delicious Atta Pinnis require no fancy equipment or ingredients. Just a few simple ingredients and 30 minutes of your time are all you need to prepare these gorgeous little sweet treats!

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!

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