Winter Menu @ Punjab Grill, Delhi: A Truely Punjabi Home Coming

Ask a Punjabi to choose between expensive foie gras, caviar or countryside Makke di roti with sarson ka saag, and the choice is anybody’s guess. Rustic flavors have a sense of belongingness and take us closer to the roots and an era of nostalgia. So come whatever I may eat around the world, the charm of traditional Punjabi food is overwhelming with true blue Punjabi blood running down my veins.

Given the modern, fast-paced lifestyle in the city and the lack of time and those earthy utensils, I do miss on those favours that my mother used to treat me with so much of affection. I was expecting the usual fare when I heard about the Punjab Grill winter menu but still decided to give it a try. Never did I expect that this will be like a homecoming.

The sound of flowing water from an artificial indoor fountain with natural plants and the aroma of soil created a perfect and soothing ambience to experience north frontier food. The tasting portion of the new menu compiled by Punjab Grill’s young and promising executive chef Gurpreet Singh Gehdu is competitively priced at Rs795 for veg and Rs895 for non-veg, and naturally non-veg was my choice.

The kali gajar ki kanji (Fermented black carrot juice) is now a rarity and it was an absolute delight. Very well matured and all flavours intact, we couldn’t have asked for a better beginning. Though not in the menu, I ended up spiking kanji with little vodka and rock salt. If given with a slit green chilly stirrer, this can be India’s version of bloody marry. I wish Punjab Grill soon trade marks it and offers me some royalty for the suggestion 🙂

Shakkarkandi and kamrak ki chaat (sweet potato & star fruit chaat) excited with its apple wood smoky flavours while gelatinous lamb trotter soup (kharode ka shorba) was robust. However the soup can be given a better and authentic presentation with a small piece of nalli (bone). After all, this is how I always had my soup as a child. The small cheese naan with cheddar and little blue cheese took the soup to a different level.

The bheja masala’s (Lamb brain) was nice and got better with addition of a little black pepper. Tabak maaz is a kashmiri dish and completely fits in the chef’s description of north frontier food. Not only was it cooked to perfection, it had no extra trace of oil which I find very annoying at most other places. Each rib came out very smoothly of its meat and was finished in no time. A little more flavour of cardamom, and it would have been a perfect tabak maaz.

Methi chicken tikka was infused with fresh methi rather than the usual kasoori methi. It was grilled to perfection and undoubtedly it was the best I have had. Sarson da saag wasn’t churned in the mixture, and rightly so. It still retained rough bites just like my mom used to say – ghota hua. The gur served along needs a special mention. Mixed with flack seed, dried ginger and black pepper and am sure you wouldn’t have something as good anytime recently. This is what simple pleasures means for me and I am glad someone is taking his job so seriously.

Deg Hot Pot is something new for me. It is like a veg stew in ladhakhi cuisine where mix of vegetables and meats are cooked together. A mix of mutton kofta, mutton jus, baby carrot and many other winter vegetables, this will certainly see me going back for more and more. Served with mix of breads – Sheermal, bakarkhani, and taftan, I was in heaven. The meat was just falling off the bone and vegetables being a great companion.

The accompaniments of Meat ka achhar , gajar-gobhi-shalgam ka achaar and white butter were perfect  seasonal companions to this hearty fare and were infused with the flavours of a Punjabi home.

While we were having a gastronomic orgasm, I kept wondering how Punjab Grill is managing so many quality dishes at such a premium mall within the competitive priced tasting menu. However I was in for more – Gur ke chaawal served with vanilla icecream and baajre ki choori served with makhan malai. Many people would know this melt in mouth, foamy milk dish makhan malai as daulat ki chaat and I was happy and elated to find this in a restaurant. Gur ke chaawal were addictive. The ice-cream pairing was not required but any extra does no harm. Baajre ki choori presented with garnish of marigold and lavender flowers was nice without being exceptional. It needed more ghee for that choori effect.

This meal at Punjab Grill is surely going to be like a reliving ones childhood. A meal which evokes many emotions and sentiments, and a meal that you would like your entire family to cherish. On till 13th Jan’14, go back till it lasts. As far as my emotions post this visit – “Balle balle, shavaa shavaa”

Ratings (out of 5):

Food: 4.5 | Ambience: 4.0 | Service: 4.5 | Overall: 4.5

Meal for two: Rs. 2000+ without alcohol | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes | Timings: 12 Noon – 11.30 PM

Address: Punjab Grill, Level – 2, Select City Mall, Saket, New Delhi | Telephone: +91-11-41572977

– Pawan Soni with inputs from Anjum Kapur