CHENNAI: Be part of Amritsari Chatkare, the Punjabi food festival at the Pride Hostel, and let the authentic taste transport you to the land of Bhangra. The food brings alive memories of sarson ka khet or the mustard fields, and the melting chunks of white butter which Punjab meals are known for. Chefs at Puran Da Dhabba, the roof top restaurant at the Pride Hotel, have tried to preserve the originality of most dishes, while improvising certain aspects of the food.
Step into the hotel and you will witness the setting of a rustic dhabba with paan corners, chaats and ice gola besides sweet corners and a see through kitchen, where everything is prepared infront of you.
There is space for interaction and learning various recipes, say chefs Kedar Singh and Manan Chakraborty. Adding to the ambience is singer Ilias, who, with his beautiful Bollywood song renditions and ghazals, takes you down memory lane. Further, the copper crockery and waiters’ uniform that go by the theme, are reminiscent of the rich culture.
The menu consists of 25 to 30 dishes, with one signature dish by one of the two chefs every day. The menu includes angoori lassi, Amritsari aloo, sarso ka saag, Amritsari chatpate machli, bhatti da murg, Punjabi aloo dum, Punjabi vadi khadi, chola batoora, gajjar ka halwa, churma ladoo, varieties of jalebi and more.
Manan Chakraborty, executive chef, says, “The speciality of the menu is that it is exclusively cooked in mustard oil, white butter and desi ghee, which bring the true flavour of Punjab. Menus may differ each day, but we see to it that the method of cooking is the same.”
He adds that master chef Bhalbhadra Singh started the tradition of Puran Da Dhabba 15 years ago, taking forward the trends of food and signature dishes, across 16 hotels all over India.
He says,”For most people in the city who are from North India, this place is a home away from home.”
The hotel has a food fest each month such as Chettinad and Maharashtra.
The food festival is on at the Pride Hotel till September 20.