Punjabi Food & Kitchen Vocabulary for Beginners

Essential Punjabi food words include roti (bread), daal (lentils), chawal (rice), sabzi (vegetables), doodh (milk) and paani (water). The word for food or a meal itself is khaana (ਖਾਣਾ). Few corners of a language are as warm — or as useful — as the kitchen, so this is a great place to build vocabulary.

Food Vocabulary in Punjabi

Punjabi food words travel everywhere: a langar hall, a dhaba on the highway, a grandmother's kitchen. Learn a handful and you can follow most mealtime conversation. We have grouped them into staples, drinks and basics, kitchen items, and mealtimes.

Staple Foods & Dishes

Food	Gurmukhi	Word	Pronunciation
Bread / flatbread	ਰੋਟੀ	roti	ROH-tee
Rice	ਚੌਲ	chawal	CHO-wal
Lentils	ਦਾਲ	daal	daal
Vegetable dish	ਸਬਜ਼ੀ	sabzi	SUB-zee
Yogurt	ਦਹੀਂ	daheen	du-HEEN
Butter	ਮੱਖਣ	makkhan	MUK-khan
Clarified butter (ghee)	ਘਿਓ	ghio	ghee-oh
Cheese (paneer)	ਪਨੀਰ	paneer	pa-NEER
Pickle	ਆਚਾਰ	aachaar	aa-CHAAR
Yogurt drink	ਲੱਸੀ	lassi	LUS-see

Drinks and Basics

Item	Gurmukhi	Word	Pronunciation
Water	ਪਾਣੀ	paani	PAA-nee
Milk	ਦੁੱਧ	duddh	dudh
Tea	ਚਾਹ	chah	chaah
Sugar	ਖੰਡ	khand	khund
Salt	ਲੂਣ	loon	loon
Oil	ਤੇਲ	tel	tail
Flour	ਆਟਾ	aata	AA-taa
Egg	ਆਂਡਾ	aanda	AAN-daa
Meat	ਮਾਸ	maas	maas
Fish	ਮੱਛੀ	machhi	MUCH-chee
Chicken	ਕੁੱਕੜ	kukkar	KUK-kar

In the Kitchen (Rasoi)

Item	Gurmukhi	Word	Pronunciation
Kitchen	ਰਸੋਈ	rasoi	ra-SOH-ee
Plate	ਥਾਲੀ	thaali	THAA-lee
Glass	ਗਲਾਸ	glaas	glaas
Spoon	ਚਮਚਾ	chamcha	CHUM-chaa
Knife	ਚਾਕੂ	chaaku	CHAA-koo
Pot / vessel	ਭਾਂਡਾ	bhaanda	BHAAN-daa
Stove	ਚੁੱਲ੍ਹਾ	chullha	CHULL-haa
Griddle (tawa)	ਤਵਾ	tava	ta-VAA
Rolling pin	ਵੇਲਣਾ	velna	VAIL-naa

Mealtimes

English	Gurmukhi	Word
Breakfast	ਨਾਸ਼ਤਾ	naashta
Lunch	ਦੁਪਹਿਰ ਦਾ ਖਾਣਾ	dupehir da khaana
Dinner	ਰਾਤ ਦਾ ਖਾਣਾ	raat da khaana
Hunger	ਭੁੱਖ	bhukh
Thirst	ਪਿਆਸ	pyaas

Common Phrases at the Table

• Mainu bhukh laggi hai. — I am hungry.
• Khaana taiyaar hai. — The food is ready.
• Bahut swaad hai! — It is delicious!
• Chah peeoge? — Will you have some tea?
• Pet bhar gaya. — I am full.

Want more everyday lines like these? See our 10 essential Punjabi phrases for beginners.

Cultural Note: Punjabi Hospitality

In Punjabi homes, food is love. Guests are rarely allowed to leave without eating — you will hear "khaana kha ke jao" ("eat before you go") more than once. The Sikh tradition of langar, the free community kitchen at every gurdwara, takes this further: anyone, from any background, is fed as an equal. Knowing the words on this page lets you take part in that warmth, not just watch it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Punjabi word for food?

The Punjabi word for food or a meal is khaana (ਖਾਣਾ). To say "I am hungry," you say "Mainu bhukh laggi hai."

How do you say bread and water in Punjabi?

Bread (flatbread) is roti (ਰੋਟੀ) and water is paani (ਪਾਣੀ).

What is langar?

Langar is the free community kitchen run at every Sikh gurdwara, where a simple vegetarian meal is served to all visitors regardless of background — a living expression of Punjabi and Sikh hospitality.

Practice Food Words with Alfaazo

Reading a table is a great start, but vocabulary really sticks when you hear it and use it. Alfaazo teaches Punjabi the natural way — native audio, the Gurmukhi script, and bite-sized lessons you can finish in five minutes a day. The food and dining lessons are a tasty place to begin. Free on iOS and Android.