Punjabi food is almost a universal favourite, but not all restaurants in Bengaluru do justice to it. Bastardisation of flavours and low quality ingredients sometimes make the experience sub par. But the newly opened Kitchens Of Punjab is not willing to compromise. Helmed by chef Sonu Singh, the restaurant offers a menu that stays true to the recipes of the north western state. We visited to find out more.
The first thing on the table was an assortment of chutneys, out of which the Bag-e-Hazam was something new for us. It is a dip made of thinly sliced raw papaya tossed with nigella seeds and other spices that aid digestion. After a refreshing glass of lassi, we started on our elaborate lunch.
Say cheese
All the cottage cheese used in the restaurant is made in-house every morning, the chef tells us. This results in a very creamy and soft texture that is just not possible with commercially available ingredients. We enjoyed the Paneer Tikka Lazeez, that’s slow cooked in a tandoor, and is stuffed with fennel seeds and pistachios. Some other starters that we recommend are the Galouti Kebab, Tandoori Shikari Tangdi and Tulsi Nizaam Tangdi, a unique preparation with notes of basil.
Black List
A host of curries were brought to our table for the main course, along with a bread basket. The first thing that we noticed was a jet black naan - the charcoal naan! Made with activated charcoal, this naan was an eye-catcher, and was equally delicious.
Gimmicks aside, the restaurant also has some authentic and hearty Punjabi dishes. We started with some bankable classics like Dal Makhni (that’s cooked for 20 hours), Dal Tadka and Chole, all of which boasted exquisite flavour. One dish we really enjoyed was the Paneer Khurchan - grated cottage cheese in a cashew, tomato and onion-based gravy. It paired really well with the Warqi Paratha (a layered flatbread).
One of the signature dishes at Kitchens Of Punjab is the Lahori Gosht, a pre-partition era recipe from Lahore that’s made with tender pieces of lamb in a rich brown gravy. Also don’t miss the Kashmiri Murgh - chicken in a spicy rogan josh style gravy.
“A lot of these masalas are very difficult to find in Bengaluru, so we source them from the North - Delhi or Lucknow. We get ingredients, such as peepli masala and desi ber, from there. Our special galouti masala is made up of 120 ingredients. We get all of them from Delhi and hand-pound it here in our kitchen,” the chef explains.
We ended our meal with a Matka Malai Kesari Phirni, that’s made and served in an earthenware pot. The slow cooked thick and creamy pudding was cool and comforting, and just the right thing to end our meal with.
The attention to detail on the menu at Kitchens Of Punjab makes it a must-visit.
Cost for two Rs 800. At Old Airport Road
anagha@newindianexpress.com
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