Love at First Bite! Punjabi Food

The only thing Punjabi live for… is to eat!

Commonly its said here in Punjab everything you do in life is for food and food only! and yes its very much true to all Punjabis they would do anything to eat what they like even knowingly that it can be harmful and contains cholesterol… its the taste that drives them as well as (not to mention) quantity…  Yes you have to believe me on this quantity also matters to most of the Punjabi people. Usually they will never walk into/prefer to eat at any restaurant  where serving size is small… they want good food and more food… though very particular about the taste and will travel 100s of miles for the food but still first preference will be the quantity.

Punjab has a variety of taste and dishes that can entice your taste buds… the romance of flavor goes on and on as we move from city to city. In this part I will give a brief intro on some of the famous delicacies Punjabi cuisine has to offer as its hard to accomplish a full review on each and every food item Punjabi make, even the same dishes has variants according to the region they are prepared in e.g., same labeled MURGH KARAHI in Lahore would taste absolute till you taste the other version of same dish MURGH KARAHI from Gujranwala and still wont be able to decide which tastes better… it might that these are my taste buds which are incapable of making a condescension amongst but still you can have the challenge if your ready to taste some really healthy food 😉

Sweet Lassi
Lassi is the favourite drink of Punjabis. It is made from beaten curd and milk. It is a healthy drink as it does not contain any artificial flavours. It is usually served in tall steel glasses.
A glass of thick and creamy lassi can be had with breakfast or lunch or even otherwise. It is believed that lassi induces sleep. So beware when you have it during working hours! Lassi is usually sold at Dudh Dahi Shop (Milk Shop) and is served in a glass that’s like a half a liter at least in portion, lassi is not considered good unless it has cream in it… good lassi glass contains at least no less than 50 grams of cream, Two peeras (Sweeten condensed milk balls) and loads of sugar…

Halwa Puri – Punjabi Favorite Sunday Breakfast

No Sundays in punajb are not considered sunday if you are not having Halwa Puri in the breakfast, Punjabis love halwa puri  more than their girlfriend or their wife… its a lovely combination of white bread deep fried in oil, served with chaney and salad and Achar. The breakfast combo cannot be complete without a glass of sweet lassi.

The aroma of freshly puri being fried is the essences of the Sunday, when its served fresh from the fryer one can have as many as there can considering if you are a punjabi, the taste tangles and plays on the tongue when puri is eaten with Halwa… the whoesome experience is not less than a Tango of taste in mouth unless its experienced.

Chicken Karahi

Punjab is known for the best chicken dishes, be it tandoori or chicken tikka. In my point of view probably Punjabis hate chicken and they want to eat every single one of them and finish the race but still somehow it has survived for centuries …  One of the hot favorites of Punjabi’s is Chicken Karahi. It is high on calories as it contains butter but it is a mouth watering creamy dish and impossible to resist. It is best served with butter naan.

Sarson da Saag and Makki di Roti

Sarson ka Saag and Makki di Roti is the traditional dish of Punjab. It is the most popular winter dish of Punjabis. It is a highly nutritious because mustard leaves contain a lot of iron and protein. But at the same time it can be little high on calories if it is served traditionally with lots of desi ghee or butter. Along with mustard leaves, spinach is also added which further enhances the nutritional value and taste of saag.

The best part of the meal is the additional butter poured over the Saag which melts down into the hot saag and with every bite you are actually eating more chelostroal making it a perfect punjabi meal.

Murgh Chaney

Murgh Chaney is one of the favourite main course dishes of all Punjabi’s irrespective of age. It is served with fresh nan and salad with lemon and green chilies. It is very popular for most of Punjabi families on weekends as Breakfast. Chaney are rich in iron and protein. Therefore it is a wholesome meal.

Pujab has lot of varieties of the chaney best ones are found on dhabbas and are the best to eat sitting roadside, combined with chicken, red meat balls, boiled eggs or even plain served with naan is lahori’s favorite food. Another major reason for it to be popular amongst the masses is its value for money, one can have full meal in under 50 Rupees anywhere.

As our journey continues we will be discussing more specialties from town to town, so stay in touch for more for this taste orchestra.