Lunch Date – { Made in Punjab } by Zorawar Kalra
What do you do when you find THE most amazing ‘North Indian’ restaurant? Never.Let.Go. The recently opened ‘Made in Punjab’ by Zorawar Kalra is literally a different world where everything tastes fabulous! Your typical Punjabi cuisine, very authentic and perfect for the Delhi taste-buds. Located in the Cyberhub, Gurgaon, Made in Punjab is Zorawar’s first restaurant in Delhi/NCR while he has another one in Mumbai. My guess – the one in Mumbai will get way more popular because there are places in Mumbai which serve yellow dal as Dal Makhani!
One thing I like about this place apart from its amazing food is the lighting inside the restaurant. While there isn’t any natural light coming in due to the limitations of the DLF construction, the interiors are very well lit. A lot of places have dim lighting to enable the customers in not realizing how much food they have consumed which isn’t fun for me. Made in Punjab has ample lighting and no dim corners.
Being in love with North Indian cuisine, I have had my share of experiences right from street side food stalls to the ‘Bukharas’. I love this cuisine! Kebabs, naans, raitas, butter chicken, lassi…you name it! And ‘Made in Punjab’ really swept me off my feet…or rather taste buds. They also have quite a few speciality dishes which I can’t wait to share here. Here is an account of what we ate for lunch:
Appetizers:
~ Fried & Roasted Papad with 4 different types of sauces. This is provided on all tables complimentary to all guests. The health conscious people also have the option of eating the roasted papad.
~ World’s Heaviest Lassi – A gorgeous smooth texture of heavenly goodness which can easily be a meal in itself
~ Palak Patta Chat – Loved how unique this chat is! They have a crispy spinach leaf on top and have replaced potato with sweet potato. Who said tasty food can’t be healthy?! Very light and refreshing.
Starters:
~ Beetroot Tikki – Don’t make a face reading the beetroot bit just yet. Because I did. And I turned out to love it! Made out of pure beetroot mash with herbs and masalas and fried to crispy golden brown perfection, you don’t really taste the fresh beetroot like you would in salads. Again a healthy option.
~ Dahi Kebab – These were absolutely divine. Made out of hung curd and no other additions like cottage cheese, etc that other places usually do. Crispy lovliness on the outside and soft pure hung curd on the inside. Drool.
~ Salmon Tikka – I happen to be a fan of the raw smoked salmon you get. So the idea of grilling and destroying that taste doesn’t usually excite me. I was pleasantly surprised with these however. Very lightly marinated, the taste of salmon does come through even after being cooked to perfection.
This is what the Beetroot Tikki looks like after being cut open.
And this is a section of the Dahi Kebab.
~ Bhatti Murg – Splendid dry chargrilled chicken
~ Tandoori Chat – Fruits like pineapple, apple, guava, etc are roasted in the tandoor and the result is such succulent juicy bites of flavour, its hard to stop eating this yet another healthy dish.
~ Tandoori Chaamp – In other words Tandoori Mutton Chops. Served on wood, marinated like Gods, cooked through 4 different ways, the perfect amount of tender – not too rare and not too well done, the flavours literally explode in your mouth. In total love with these.
~ Kebabris Tokri – A basket of tiny garlic naans stuffed with cheese. These bite sized devils maybe tasty but being small in size, one doesn’t realise how many have been consumed and they can get a bit heavy.
Main Course:
~ Breads – Mirchi Parantha, Garlic Naan, Makkai ki Roti(for pairing with the Sarson ka Saag)
~ Railway Mutton Curry – The typical mutton curry that you used to buy at railway stations before they were invaded with fast food joints. Sumptuous and soulful, this curry really takes you back.
~ Murg Makhani – In other words ‘Butter Chicken’, classic gravy flavour and well done chicken pieces.
~ Dal Makhani – Rich creamy dal, one of the few very good tasting ones I’ve had over the years.
~ Sarson da Saag – Sarson in other words is mustard. This is a classic winter dish and is served with white butter and ‘gur’ or jaggery. Lovely warmth and a feeling of being at home.
Desserts:
I’m not too fond of Indian desserts but I do occasionally consume some mostly during weddings. The jalebis are so precious – thin, dainty and crunchy. And their Gulab jamuns have a chocolate filled centre. While in theory it sounds a bit weird, surprisingly you can only get a hint of the chocolate because of the syrup and it tastes great!
They give you a little chest of different digestives after your meal. Which is a fabulous idea!
We also had a small chat with Chef Pradeep Negi who I actually wanted to hug because the mutton chops were THAT awesome! That’s him.
If this were a show, the entire performance would be a complete blast, but in my mind (and taste buds ofcourse) the starters are the real stars of the show. Its great how amazing the starters are and also have a larger variety in the menu. The main course is good too but not as smashing as the starters I feel. And for people with a sweet tooth, the desserts would be awesome too! Go here for their mutton chops, the world’s heaviest lassi, the mini garlic and cheese naans, the salmon tikka, the beetroot and dahi kebabs and the railway mutton curry.
Ratings 8.5/10
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Do share your favourite dish with me if you visit ‘Made in Punjab’
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