Who loves Punjabi food ?

Hey Everyone,
My name is Amritpal singh, I live in Amritsar and I am completely in love with punjabi food.

Paneer masala, chole bhatoore, Amritsari kulcha and sweet lassi are one of my top favorite foods.

What about you ? Have you ever tried punjabi food before ?

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Welcome to the forum.

Yes, I’ve often eaten Punjabi food in the UK - both restaurant and home cooked meals. That said, my current favourite Indian restaurant specialises in food from Maharashtra. They serve a chilli & onion kulcha which I really like - is the Amritsar version similar to that?

I presume from your name and location that you are Sikh. Are there any Punjabi dishes that are specific to your community or are the dishes similar to dishes Hindus would eat? I appreciate that Muslims have different diets to Hindus & Sikhs and, indeed, that the geographical Punjab is divided between India & Pakistan.

I’ve been to Amritsar and really loved the kulcha naan. I also had gobi paratha for breakfast a few times but wasn’t aware if anything made it particularly Punjabi. I had to look up chole bhatoore. I did have that in Amritsar and also in Chandrigarh. It’s similar to poori masala though I’m guessing the chana masala with the bread is the difference ? I don’t recall that elsewhere in India with the poori.

Thank you so much John,

Yes there are number of great indian restaurants in UK. Maharashtra’s Mumbai is famous for Vada pau and Bhel puri, kulcha is exclusive to Amritsar. I mean the real kulcha (One which is layered and crispy). But I’m pretty sure the one you are getting in UK would look exactly the same, its when your tongue steps in that you are able to tell the difference.
There is a funny story where the Restaurant owners in delhi after numerous failed attempts of perfection, decided that the secret of Amritsari kulcha was in water. so they transported gallons of water from Amritsar to Delhi, and tried preparing the kulcha with it. The results still were far away from the quality of Amritsar, so ultimately it was decided that the PH level of air and other climatic conditions also contribute to the creation of this amazing masterpiece.

Yes I am a sikh, we have a huge community in UK. Some exclusive punjabi dishes are Sarso ka saag, Chole bhature, kulcha, lassi and many many more. But in these modern times they are available in all parts of india. Just like you can walk into a pizza place in Amritsar and order a NY pizza. Foods are no longer kept in the boundaries of communities or borders, if it tastes better the internet will make sure you hear about it and ultimately try it. Punjabis are famous in india for eating good and drinking good, that too in huge quantities.
Let me tell you funny story. I have grown up in the streets of Amritsar eating alot of different dishes,One of these dishes were Vada pau. I thought I knew what Vada pau tasted like, until I visited Mumbai. Let me tell you I was completely blown away by the taste, it was in that moment that i realised, what I was eating in the name of Vada paw in Amritsar was like a xerox copy of the original thing.

I would recommend you try Sarso ka saag when you visit the restaurant next time.

What is your favorite native dish ? one which you have grown up with.

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I see that you have witnessed the golden temple. Yes Gobi prantha is not that particular punjabi dish now, but the Pranthas are the universal punjabi breakfast. Thousands of pranthas are made every morning for the hungry punjabis waking up from a good night of sleep.
yes chole bhatoore is different than poori masala, Bhatoora is much more softer and flufier than poori.
When did you visited Amritsar ? How was your experience ?

Oh, that’s so difficult a question. I am a meat eater but very much enjoy Indian vegetarian dishes, like the chole.

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If those are Punjabi dishes, then Bombay Talk six miles from us in Sayreville (NJ) serves it, and I like it. What’s not to like?

(Yes, I know Mumbai isn’t in Punjab. I didn’t name the restaurant.)

We used to have a local restaurant called the Punjab Tandoori. It specialised in South Indian food - so nothing Punjabi and no particular use of the tandoor. I can only guess the restaurant name predated the current owners (or maybe they just swapped cuisines to find a new market).

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Here in New England, most restaurants serve mainly or exclusively Punjabi food. Most non-Indians don’t know that there are various types of Indian cuisine. A vegetarian restaurant near me serves a weekly buffet dinner that alternates among regional Indian cuisines. I thoroughly enjoy the variety of ingredients and cooking styles but usually have no idea what I’m eating!

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An Indian friend used to describe most SF Bay Area Indian cooking as “indifferent Punjabi cuisine”; there’s still plenty of that around, but in general it’s gotten better, and we’ve got a lot more regional variety. I haven’t checked out anything specifically identifying itself as Punjabi for a while, though there’s a good Pakistani restaurant that’s got somewhat similar food. Good parathas are great when I can find them, though.