Baisakhi Special: Add These Chef-Special Recipes To Your Meal

As the Punjabi festival of Baisakhi approaches on the 13th of April 2025, North Indian households prepare to celebrate the harvest festival with sheer joy, gratitude, and, of course, traditional spreads. Marking the beginning of the Punjabi New Year, Baisakhi, also known as Vaisakhi, is also a time when farmers express their gratitude after a successful harvest.

While preparing the lands for sowing the next batch of crops, the Northern states of India, particularly Punjab and Haryana, make the most of the rabi harvest. If you want to make a traditional meal for Baisakhi, all you have to do is pick some seasonal ingredients and follow these chef-approved recipes, and you’ll get an authentic Punjabi spread.

Sarson Ka Saag

By Chef Rakesh Jadhav, Executive sous chef at DoubleTree by Hilton Pune-Chinchwad

Ingredients:

  • 500 gm sarson
  • 250 gm palak 
  • 250 gm bathua
  • 2 tbsp makki ka atta
  • 2 green chillies
  • 1-inch piece ginger
  • 5–6 cloves garlic
  • 1 small onion
  • 2–3 tbsp ghee
  • Salt to taste
  • Water as needed

For the Tadka:

  • 2 tbsp desi ghee
  • 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 whole red chillies
  • A pinch of hing

Instructions:

  1. Wash and chop all the greens roughly. In a large pot, add sarson, palak, bathua, green chillies, garlic, and ginger with a little water. 
  2. Cook covered for 45–60 minutes on low heat. You can also use a pressure cooker (2–3 whistles).
  3. Cool slightly and grind into a coarse purée using a wooden madani or hand blender.
  4. Return the purée to the stove and slowly stir in maise flour. Simmer for 30–45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The longer it cooks, the deeper the flavour. 
  5. Heat ghee in a small pan. Add chopped garlic, whole red chillies, and a pinch of hing.
  6. Pour over the simmering saag just before serving.
  7. Serve hot with a pat of white butter on top and Makki di Roti, with jaggery and radish salad on the side.

Ganne Ki Kheer

By Chef Anuj Mathur, Executive Chef at Taj Surajkund Resort & Spa, Delhi NCR

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Ingredients:

  • 100 gms basmati rice
  • 1000 ml full-fat milk
  • 50 gms grated coconut
  • 100 gms desi ghee
  • 350 ml locally sourced sugarcane juice
  • 15 gms broken cashew nuts
  • 15 gms raisins
  • 40 gms makhana
  • 15 gms chironji
  • Chopped pista for garnish

Instructions:

  1. In a heavy bottom non-stick pan, boil milk and add soaked rice, stirring continuously.
  2. Add sugarcane juice, stir well, and reduce to half. Check if the rice is cooked well.
  3. In a pan, add ghee, sauté nuts and keep aside. 
  4. Sauté grated coconut until golden brown. 
  5. Soak Makhane with milk and blend. Add to kheer and cook well. 
  6. Serve in a bowl. Garnish as required.

Rice Kheer

By Chef Rakesh Jadhav, Executive sous chef at DoubleTree by Hilton Pune-Chinchwad

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 litres full-fat milk
  • ¼ cup basmati rice (soaked for 30 minutes)
  • ½ cup sugar (adjust to taste)
  • 3–4 pods green cardamom (elaichi)
  • A few strands of saffron
  • Chopped dry fruits (almonds, pistachios)
  • 1 tsp ghee

Instructions:

  1. In a thick-bottomed vessel or kadhai, boil the milk. Once it starts boiling, reduce to a simmer.
  2. Lightly sauté soaked rice in a tsp of ghee. Add to the boiling milk. 
  3. Stir regularly and let it cook on low heat until the rice is completely soft and the milk thickens (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).
  4. Add cardamom, saffron (soaked in warm milk), and sugar. Simmer for another 10–15 minutes.
  5. Add chopped dry fruits. The kheer should be thick and creamy, not too runny.
  6. It can be served warm or chilled, traditionally in mitti kulhads for that earthy aroma. Garnish with a few saffron strands and serve.