ਚੂਰੀ

Choori (ਚੂਰੀ), pronounced choo-ree, is a traditional Punjabi sweet made by crumbling a hot roti or paratha by hand and mixing the coarse crumbs with desi ghee and sugar or grated gur. It takes only minutes to make, uses the simplest ingredients in the house, and for many Punjabis it is the taste of childhood.

What is choori made of?

Choori has only three essential parts: bread, fat and sweetness. The bread is a tawa paratha or a plain roti, fresh or left over from the day before. The fat is desi ghee, warmed so that it coats every crumb. The sweetness is sugar or grated jaggery, and richer versions add chopped almonds, cashews or other dry fruits, sometimes roasted first in the ghee.

How is choori made?

The parathas are first torn into small pieces by hand, then pounded in a mortar or crushed in a chopper into a coarse, crumbly mixture. Nuts, when used, are roasted for a couple of minutes in warm ghee until fragrant. The crumbs are stirred through the ghee for two or three minutes, the pan is taken off the heat, and the sugar or jaggery is tossed in until it melts through the warm crumbs. Choori is served warm, often with a glass of milk.

When is choori eaten?

Choori belongs to the cold months in the Punjabi home. It is traditionally given to young children in winter, as ghee is believed in the home to warm the body and guard against the cold. It is also the classic way to give leftover rotis a second life the next day, and many families eat it as a mid-morning snack or pack it in a child's snack box.

Can choori be made with leftover roti?

Yes. Choori is a natural way of using bread that is already made, and leftover parathas or rotis from the day before work well. Warm them through in the ghee so the crumbs soften and take in the fat, then add the sweetener off the heat. Fresh, hot bread gives the softest result, but using leftovers is the older habit, and it is still how many homes make the dish.