Stuff Panjabi Sikh Moms Like…
So recently I came across a blog about all the “Stuff Korean Moms Like”. A Korean girl, Chiyo, who loves her KM (Korean Mom) decided to create this blog “to share the joy and dread of KM”.
As I went through the list … I kept thinking about our own PSM’s (Panjabi Sikh Moms) … now now don’t think it’s funny to call our mummies’ PMS that actually stands for Panjabi Male Syndrome!
From corningware to marrying people off and stank eye … I found many similarities between KMs and PSMs (although the differences were stark … I don’t even think many PSMs know what redbean is let alone love it. And when it comes to Jesus … let’s just stick with the Gurus and Waheguruji)!
Inspired by Chiyo’s blog on Korean Moms, let’ start our own list of “Stuff Panjabi Sikh Moms’ Like”! I will begin …
- Tupperware (i.e. I am not just talkin’ about Rubbermaid … I mean sour cream and whipped butter dabhaa). Over time this Tupperware becomes yellow from all the haldhee in sabjis … but soak it in the sun and most of the stains go away. Slowly over time old ones are replaced as new ones are collected.
- Corningware (do I really need say anything more … I think Chiyo’s explanation resonates perfectly with PSMs).
- Zee TV, Sony TV, and Alpha Etc. Punjabi nateekhs (what’s your mom’s favorite soap opera …).
- Noon Dhani (i.e. the steel container with small steel bowls and spoons for all their spices).
- Dhahee (i.e. homemade yogurt … sorry I personally can’t stand the boxed stuff after growing up on my mom’s delicious freshly made dhahee).
- Outrage at the rising cost of Ataa (i.e. flour that is commonly bought at the Indian store to make roti).
- House-walls that are painted hospital white … look how clean and simple they look. The rooms feel much more lighted with this color.
- Overstuffing Family And Friends With Food … lai if they leave your house without a food-coma, they did not have a good-time.
- Cooking your favorite Panjabi dish when you come home from college. It’s a sign of how much she missed you.
- The ten Gurus’ pictures, particularly those of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Guru Gobind Singh Ji, are the number one home-decorating items.
Please add to the list ( it’s in no particular order)! What do you think Panjabi Sikh Mom’s really like? I know many of you must have your own favorites! 
Disclaimer: Please keep it clean, respectful, and hate-free … I really should not have to say this, but unfortunately in the virtual world people often display a “holds-no-bar” attitude when commenting on issues like this one.
40 Responses to “Stuff Panjabi Sikh Moms Like…”
Haha, great post! I think this is also riding the "Stuff White People Like" theme.
Corningware? So it has a name! I thought it was just my mother's God-awful taste. I didn't know it was a pan-Asian epidemic.
My contribution and the bane of my childhood taste buds are steel plates and cups. Despite my parents' denial, steel cups change the taste of drinks, especially dudh-coke.
Haha, great post! I think this is also riding the "Stuff White People Like" theme.
Corningware? So it has a name! I thought it was just my mother's God-awful taste. I didn't know it was a pan-Asian epidemic.
My contribution and the bane of my childhood taste buds are steel plates and cups. Despite my parents' denial, steel cups change the taste of drinks, especially dudh-coke.
"So it has a name! I thought it was just my mother’s God-awful taste. I didn’t know it was a pan-Asian epidemic"
ha ha haa…. so funny.
no way… steel glasses are cool.
stank eye is sooooooo real. Every Punjabi mum's weapon!
flowery settees and settee covers!! Um… pretty much any item of furniture would get dressed with fabric of some description… oh usually with a lace trim.
Another one….
Ugly plastic runners. Throughout our house we have these to so-called 'protect' our carpet. Instead we have narrow strips of 'protected' carpet with the rest having the usual dirt and fade of time.
In fact, continuing on this plastic theme. Now this may be limited to my household, but we have a glass dining table with a sheet of plastic on top to 'protect' the glass. Now that is lame.
Daris on our carpet throughout the house
“So it has a name! I thought it was just my mother’s God-awful taste. I didn’t know it was a pan-Asian epidemic”
ha ha haa…. so funny.
no way… steel glasses are cool.
stank eye is sooooooo real. Every Punjabi mum’s weapon!
flowery settees and settee covers!! Um… pretty much any item of furniture would get dressed with fabric of some description… oh usually with a lace trim.
Another one….
Ugly plastic runners. Throughout our house we have these to so-called ‘protect’ our carpet. Instead we have narrow strips of ‘protected’ carpet with the rest having the usual dirt and fade of time.
In fact, continuing on this plastic theme. Now this may be limited to my household, but we have a glass dining table with a sheet of plastic on top to ‘protect’ the glass. Now that is lame.
Daris on our carpet throughout the house
a freezer full of frozen saag – to eat when there is no fresh saag
a chula/propane stove somewhere outside the kitchen where it typically would not belong
and one that i just noticed after watching the video on sikhs in italy which fits with the carpet protection devise in Mewa Singh's house: furniture protection – be it clear plastic, a custom sofa cover, a sheet, or knit arm rest protectors i've seen it all in punjabi homes.
a freezer full of frozen saag – to eat when there is no fresh saag
a chula/propane stove somewhere outside the kitchen where it typically would not belong
and one that i just noticed after watching the video on sikhs in italy which fits with the carpet protection devise in Mewa Singh’s house: furniture protection – be it clear plastic, a custom sofa cover, a sheet, or knit arm rest protectors i’ve seen it all in punjabi homes.
"or knit arm rest protectors"
OMG yeahh!!! Mum was never allowed to go that far!
but yeah plastic sheets on tables… and fabric headdboard covers!!!
“or knit arm rest protectors”
OMG yeahh!!! Mum was never allowed to go that far!
but yeah plastic sheets on tables… and fabric headdboard covers!!!
Haha … frozen saag, plastic covers, steel dishes, and furniture covering … I love it! Thanks for sharing and keep it coming everyone!
Our dining table has a plastic cover on it to "protect" my mom's prized table cloth that is the infamous self-printed white. My mom decided to get cloth runners to protect the carpet and instead of protecting anything they became a hazard (my dad of course was tripping all over them). Thus, they are finally gone … hip hip hurray!
As for furniture cover … my Naniji made cloth covers, with zippers, for her washing machine and dryer. Can you believe it! One part of totally admires her creativity and efforts; where as, the other part of me can't stop laughing!
Also, has anyone noted the plastic covers on dining room chairs … it’s really embarrassing when guests come over and it sounds like they are releasing gas when they are just moving in their chair to get another “karshi” of daal.
Haha … frozen saag, plastic covers, steel dishes, and furniture covering … I love it! Thanks for sharing and keep it coming everyone!
Our dining table has a plastic cover on it to “protect” my mom’s prized table cloth that is the infamous self-printed white. My mom decided to get cloth runners to protect the carpet and instead of protecting anything they became a hazard (my dad of course was tripping all over them). Thus, they are finally gone … hip hip hurray!
As for furniture cover … my Naniji made cloth covers, with zippers, for her washing machine and dryer. Can you believe it! One part of totally admires her creativity and efforts; where as, the other part of me can’t stop laughing!
Also, has anyone noted the plastic covers on dining room chairs … it’s really embarrassing when guests come over and it sounds like they are releasing gas when they are just moving in their chair to get another “karshi” of daal.
Saving ANY bags from ANY store. We even have bags from India at our house…Oh and saving ALL containers and not throwing those away either.
Frozen blendered garlic and ginger. so she can just pick a piece of it off and throw it into the taarka.
Mom always making the house smell like onions and then saying it smells good.
She makes everyone do harecore cleaning both inside and outside of the house when any guests come over…espeically if they are from abroad.
Giving people suits, shirts, money when they come to your house for the first time, only to get it back, when we go to their house.
Frozen blendered garlic and ginger. so she can just pick a piece of it off and throw it into the taarka.
Mom always making the house smell like onions and then saying it smells good.
She makes everyone do harecore cleaning both inside and outside of the house when any guests come over…espeically if they are from abroad.
Giving people suits, shirts, money when they come to your house for the first time, only to get it back, when we go to their house.
Saving ANY bags from ANY store. We even have bags from India at our house…Oh and saving ALL containers and not throwing those away either.
"has anyone noted the plastic covers on dining room chairs"
Yes I have some!!
but that cos we have cream seats!
um and "Frozen blendered garlic and ginger. so she can just pick a piece of it off and throw it into the taarka"
Is an excellent time saving solution – I do the same!
using plastic carrier bags as bin liners too!! but hey that's recycling right?!
“has anyone noted the plastic covers on dining room chairs”
Yes I have some!!
but that cos we have cream seats!
um and “Frozen blendered garlic and ginger. so she can just pick a piece of it off and throw it into the taarka”
Is an excellent time saving solution – I do the same!
using plastic carrier bags as bin liners too!! but hey that’s recycling right?!
oh my goodness, after reading all of your posts, I think I am becoming my mother.I have been known to have tarka in my freezer (along with any saag I can sneak away from my mom's house). But I think this one tops it all…I have a propane stove in my garage.
oh my goodness, after reading all of your posts, I think I am becoming my mother.I have been known to have tarka in my freezer (along with any saag I can sneak away from my mom’s house). But I think this one tops it all…I have a propane stove in my garage.
i can say i have the same psm as all of you do lol
i can say i have the same psm as all of you do lol
It would appear Punjabi mums are not the same the world over.
Punjabi mums in the UK insist on wallpaper. White painted walls, they say, are clinical and belong in hospitals.
Plastic furniture / carpet protection, Punjabi mums in Britain say, is part of the 'Canadian disease'…"we don't do that here".
Which brings me nicely to that other anomaly ; The one where the Punjabi mum in the UK insists that guests do NOT remove their shoes when entering the home. "This is not Canada and we are not Chinese" she likes to remind them.
It would appear Punjabi mums are not the same the world over.
Punjabi mums in the UK insist on wallpaper. White painted walls, they say, are clinical and belong in hospitals.
Plastic furniture / carpet protection, Punjabi mums in Britain say, is part of the ‘Canadian disease’…”we don’t do that here”.
Which brings me nicely to that other anomaly ; The one where the Punjabi mum in the UK insists that guests do NOT remove their shoes when entering the home. “This is not Canada and we are not Chinese” she likes to remind them.
Having a collection of ketchup and other condiments from fastfood restaurants in a drawer – you can see McDonalds' evolution in brand labeling in that drawer from the 1970s until today.
Having a collection of ketchup and other condiments from fastfood restaurants in a drawer – you can see McDonalds’ evolution in brand labeling in that drawer from the 1970s until today.
I'm from the UK and you've all described my mom – except for the plastic furniture – we do have it but its kept in the garden shed for emergencies only – you know when you expected just the two relatives to pop over on a sunday but you open the door to see a sea of faces greeting you – you in return put on the broadest smile and welcome them in. But all the while you think bugger, better put more tea on (because its being made tradionally on the stove), more pakora/samosa/mathai/biscuits and get the extra chairs out of the shed.
Great posts guys – thanks for cheering me up in rainy london!
I’m from the UK and you’ve all described my mom – except for the plastic furniture – we do have it but its kept in the garden shed for emergencies only – you know when you expected just the two relatives to pop over on a sunday but you open the door to see a sea of faces greeting you – you in return put on the broadest smile and welcome them in. But all the while you think bugger, better put more tea on (because its being made tradionally on the stove), more pakora/samosa/mathai/biscuits and get the extra chairs out of the shed.
Great posts guys – thanks for cheering me up in rainy london!
this is my first exposure to this hilarious comments about PSM.
Love it!
Indian mom (IM)
this is my first exposure to this hilarious comments about PSM.
Love it!
Indian mom (IM)
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In my view, the article is really the most informative on this valuable topic. I agree with your conclusions and expectantly look forward to your future updates. Just saying thanks will not just be enough, for the tremendous clarity in your writing. I will grab your rss feed directly to stay informed of any updates. Solid work and much success in your efforts!
I have been reading the comments, some of it sounds like obvious sarcasm and someone of them sound meaningful. I personally think out of all it that most of the Punjabi homes I have been to the plastic cover stuff over chairs, sofas, remote controls, and any other covers over washing machines is etc, is RARE. But yes frozen garlic, ginger, green chillis, coriander etc still exists, which I think is a good thing. It makes life so much easy and its no fuss. White wallpaper I have not really seen in alot of Punjabi homes, I think it ranges from various light plain colours. I come from traditional family, and it is not as people are saying it is in even most homes. Also I don't think people make a great fuss anymore of feeding guests before they leave,unless they are staying the night. Bottles of body olive oil/mustard/jasmin oil also still exist around the home for health reasons or whatever.But I think other than that our mums level of creativity has a healthy balance of east and west.
I have been reading the comments, some of it sounds like obvious sarcasm and someone of them sound meaningful. I personally think out of all it that most of the Punjabi homes I have been to the plastic cover stuff over chairs, sofas, remote controls, and any other covers over washing machines is etc, is RARE. But yes frozen garlic, ginger, green chillis, coriander etc still exists, which I think is a good thing. It makes life so much easy and its no fuss. White wallpaper I have not really seen in alot of Punjabi homes, I think it ranges from various light plain colours. I come from traditional family, and it is not as people are saying it is in even most homes. Also I don't think people make a great fuss anymore of feeding guests before they leave,unless they are staying the night. Bottles of body olive oil/mustard/jasmin oil also still exist around the home for health reasons or whatever.But I think other than that our mums level of creativity has a healthy balance of east and west.
[…] it sound faintly familiar? What are your thoughts? We have previously discussed what Punjabi motms like, but are they superior? When/if you are a parent, what is your model of […]