Delhiites get a taste of Amritsari cuisines

Delhiites were treated to authentic Amritsari food recently, when well-known chefs from the citys roadside eateries (dhabhas) were especially flown in here.

New Delhi, Nov 25 : Delhiites were treated to authentic 'Amritsari' food recently, when well-known chefs from the city's roadside eateries (dhabhas) were especially flown in here.

Delhi's Jaypee Vasant Continental hosted the "Ambarsariyan Da Mashoor Ambarsari Food Festival" with Sucha Singh's 'Sarson da Saag' (a dish of mustard leaves) cooked in desi ghee with plenty of spices, topping the menu.

"Sarson da Saag" goes perfectly with "Makki di Roti" (bread made of corn flour).Sucha Singh was among the four popular chefs, including Bakshish Singh, Balraj Ahuja and Surinder Singh Kapoor, flown in to treat Delhiites to authentic food native to the rustic bylanes of Amritsar.For 15-days, be it the "chole-kulchee", "Tawa meat" or "Sweet Lassi" (sweet curd milk) - the food was truly original.

Jitender Singh Sodhi, organiser of the food festival, said "Cooking is a tradition just as Sucha Singh's 'Chole-kulche' is a specialty for decades."

Surinder Singh Kapoor, Amritsari Dhaba Chef, said "I am very particular about the usage of ingredients - dollops of desi ghee and spices -- which are of superior quality and don't harm the customer. I purchase better-quality meat for my dishes."With starters like 'Ahuje kesar wali lassi' (saffron curd milk), followed by the main course - Naan (a bread), spicy "Magaz masala", "Chaamp", "Vadiyan matter" (a dish of peas) and "Bharwan Aloo" (stuffed potato) and lots and lots more was served on the platter.The occasion was indeed an opportunity for Punjabis to treat guests. M S Kohli, a businessman, invited his foreign guests on a lunch of 'original' Punjabi food. Kohli, a food aficionado, said "It's a good concept to make people aware about Punjabi cuisine. It is different in taste from the regular food we eat, but authentic food from Amritsar makes you nostalgic. Punjab's food is popular worldwide for the delectably spiced dishes."

Punjabi folk music added an original charm to the food being served at Paatra Restaurant.

Punjabi food festivals are always a hit in Delhi.

Vishal, manager of the Paatra Restaurant, said: "Actually 60 per cent of Delhiites relish traditional cuisine in Punjabi style. So that's why we thought of bringing chefs from Amritsar, who can lend that desi flavour to the food served to our customers."Guests at the food festival left with sweet memories of desserts like "Gajrela" (carrot pudding), "Kesar Di Phirni" (saffron pudding) and "Jalebi Rabri Nal" (a sweet made from Maida flour). By Ravi KhandelwalANI)

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