I always thought Amritsari cuisine (popularly known as Punjabi food) is full of butter, cream and ghee. Turns out I’ve been under the wrong impression. “Yes it is rich but there are no additions of thickening agents such as cream and butter. Rather we cook the food for longer to achieve a rich yet unadulterated texture,” says chef Jyoti Arora who is hosting a special Amritsari Food festival at Jyran in Sofitel, Mumbai ahead of Baisakhi.
Jyran, tucked inside the plush complex of Sofitel (BKC, Mumbai) is a charming mix of sophistication and rustic Indian beauty. The place, thanks to the ongoing Baisakhi festival, was decked up in brightly coloured pink and orange veils and the servers were dressed in traditional Punjabi attire. The unique khaat style setup and a lassi counter made a good additional to capture the feel of Punjab. The musicians and dancers added to the celebratory mood. I was already impressed.
The meal began with a chicken shorba, followed by an equally delicious Paya shorba. Both the dishes had the authentic, spicy flavor of Punjabi cuisine. The choice for starters was quite vast with chicken tikka seekh kebab, mutton chops, fish Amritsari and the jhenga Patiala (which is a definite must-have).
The main course had a large variety of curries and I tried the dhabe ka murg, kheema, and mutton which were scrumptious enough to make me opt for second helpings. A huge glass of lassi and mutton biryani with raita completed the meal.
I opted for the traditional Punjabi gajar halwa along with pan kulfi both of which added the right flavors to my meal.
Needless to say the non-vegetarian menu got a big thumbs up from me but vegetarians have a vast choice too. Chef Jyoti Arora is also offering traditional Punjabi dishes like Baigan Bharta, Sarson ka Saag, Paneer Tikka and the likes.
The Amritsari food festival is totally worth a visit. Head straight to Jyran if you’ve got no plans this Baisakhi.
More On >> Indian Cuisine
