Why We're Bringing Panjiri to American Kitchens

Babo's Kitchen is helping introduce Panjiri to the modern American pantry.

Panjiri is a centuries-old South Asian food with recipes that vary across regions and families, traditionally made by slowly roasting ingredients in ghee.

For generations, Panjiri lived where many of the world's best foods begin: at home.

Passed between family members, prepared for celebrations, comfort, recovery, and everyday nourishment, Panjiri has long been a beloved staple across South Asian households. Yet outside those communities, few people had ever heard its name.

When Babo's Kitchen launched, we saw an opportunity.

Not to reinvent Panjiri.

Not to replace tradition.

But to introduce one of South Asia's most cherished foods to a wider audience.

We believed Panjiri deserved a place alongside granola, trail mix, and other modern pantry staples not because it needed validation, but because more people deserved to discover it.

That's why we built Babo's Panjiri differently.

We took our family's lentil-based Panjiri and made it retail-ready and shelf-stable without changing what made the recipe ours. Roasted moong lentils remain the foundation, alongside nuts, seeds, coconut, cardamom, ghee and the other ingredients we grew up with. What changed was the format: a family recipe could now sit on a grocery shelf and be discovered by someone who had never heard the word Panjiri before.

Today, customers enjoy Babo's Panjiri over yogurt, paired with fruit, sprinkled on desserts, packed in lunch bags, and eaten by the handful straight from the pouch.

What was once unfamiliar to many Americans is slowly finding its place in modern kitchens.

We're proud to be part of a new chapter for Panjiri.

A chapter where a centuries-old South Asian pantry staple isn't hidden on the margins of grocery culture but celebrated for what it has always been: nourishing, delicious, and worthy of a spot in every pantry.

At Babo's Kitchen, our mission isn't simply to sell Panjiri.

It's to help ensure the next generation knows what Panjiri is.

New to Panjiri?

Start with What Is Panjiri?, discover What Panjiri Is Made Of, or see 12 Easy Ways to Eat Panjiri.