Panjeeri for People Living Abroad
- Desi Panjeeri Team
- Dec 11
- 4 min read
Introduction: When the Cold Feels Colder Far Away
Winters abroad have a different kind of silence.The wind feels sharper, the nights stretch longer, and the loneliness arrives earlier than sunset. Everything around you looks beautiful, but inside, something feels missing.
For South Asians living abroad, panjeeri becomes more than a winter food. It becomes a small emotional anchor, a reminder that someone once cared for you in ways you never noticed until you left. A jar on your shelf that smells like childhood, comfort, and the soft chaos of home.
When you eat it abroad, you realise it is not just food. It is warmth you can hold. It is home, compressed into a single spoon.
Why Panjeeri Means More When You’re Abroad
1. It makes you feel looked after
At home, panjeeri is never requested. It simply appears when the weather changes. A mother or grandmother quietly prepares it weeks in advance.
Abroad, you suddenly become responsible for your own comfort. When you make or receive panjeeri in a foreign country, it feels like someone has wrapped a shawl over your shoulders from thousands of miles away.
2. It creates routine in unfamiliar life
Your first years abroad are unpredictable. Nothing feels stable.
But a spoon of panjeeri every morning gives you a small ritual. A moment of familiarity in a life where everything else is new or confusing.
3. It brings back the forgotten smells of home
Foreign apartments smell clean, cold, and empty.
Roasting flour in ghee, frying nuts, adding cardamom — these smells transform a silent kitchen into something that feels alive. Suddenly, you remember the noise of your home kitchen, the warmth, the unspoken love.
The Loneliness Panjeeri Quietly Fills
There is a type of winter sadness foreigners talk about. But desi expats know a different kind of winter: the one where your family is not there to comfort you.
No one reminds you to take vitamin D.No one puts a warm shawl around you.No one forces you to drink haldi doodh.
This is where panjeeri steps in.A spoonful, and for a moment, you are transported back to a crowded, warm home filled with noise, people, and love.
That feeling becomes survival.
How Expat Versions of Panjeeri Are Created
Living abroad means adapting everything, even the most traditional recipes. Every desi expat ends up creating their own version based on what their new country offers.
The Student Version
Minimal ingredients. Minimal cost.Semolina, sugar, cardamom, and whatever nuts they can afford. Sometimes even butter instead of ghee.It is simple, imperfect, but it keeps you going during long study nights.
The Suitcase Version
This is the panjeeri that has travelled more than you.
Ingredients sent by your mother in tightly taped boxes:homemade ghee, her roasted nuts, her special spice mix, and handwritten instructions.
This version finishes too quickly.Every spoon tastes like a hug.
The European Adapted Version
The longer expats stay abroad, the more creative they become.
OatsChia seedsFlaxseedCoconut sugarDried cranberries
It becomes a blend of cultures just like the person who makes it.
When Panjeeri Crosses Borders in Parcels
There are few things more emotional for an expat than receiving food from home.Parcels wrapped in brown tape and overstuffed by mothers and aunties contain more love than items.
Inside, you often find:
A box of freshly made panjeeriA short note saying, “Eat this in the mornings.”Or no note at all, because the food itself is the message
You open the container, inhale the familiar smell, and suddenly the distance feels softer.
How Panjeeri Helps During Foreign Winters
Winters in Europe, the UK, the US, or Canada are not like winters back home.They are darker, longer, and often heavier emotionally. Panjeeri supports expats in ways that go beyond nutrition.
1. A natural energy boost
Short days and long responsibilities make your body crave comfort.Panjeeri provides steady, warm energy.
2. Warmth for the body and mind
The spices used in panjeeri help generate internal warmth, something your body misses in freezing climates.
3. A sense of comfort in unfamiliar homes
Whether it is a small studio, a hostel, or a shared flat, panjeeri adds softness to cold surroundings.
4. A connection to identity
Living abroad can make you feel distant from culture and tradition.Panjeeri quietly brings you back to yourself.
Stories From the Desi Expat Community
“I cried the first time I made it myself.”
So many expats tell this story.They burned the flour, called their mother on video call for help, and tried again.When they finally got the smell right, they felt emotional because it reminded them of everything they left behind.
“My friends became my family because of it.”
In dorms, one person makes panjeeri and shares it with the group.Strangers become family over a warm bowl of something familiar.
“It tastes different abroad, but it still tastes like home.”
Even with changed ingredients, the emotional flavour stays the same.
Conclusion: Home Can Be One Spoon Away
Living abroad teaches you independence, strength, resilience — but it also teaches you how important comfort is. Panjeeri becomes a small reminder that you belong somewhere, that you come from warmth, that love has flavours.
Foreign winters will always feel a little harsh.But a jar of panjeeri on your shelf makes them gentler, kinder, and more familiar.
Sometimes, one spoon is enough to remind you that home is still with you, even when you are far away.
Disclaimer
This article is for cultural and emotional storytelling only. Individual dietary needs vary. Ingredients and experiences may differ across households and regions.
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