Punjabi platter with a twist

Manika Ahuja

Who said that food items sprinkled with dollops of spices such as cinnamon, cloves, ginger, pepper, turmeric, coriander, cumin, cardamom and garlic, entices only the Indian, or to be specific, the Punjabi taste buds? As it stands today, traditional and yet much-loved Punjabi delicacies such as butter chicken and sarson ka saag, are increasingly exercising a magnetic pull on foreign tourists. Agrees Ranvijay Singh, nouveau executive chef of Chandigarh’s Hotel Taj, who feels; that though the food scenario is witnessing rapid changes, courtesy the sedentary lifestyle of the millennial; there is one thing that never ceases to change- love for Punjabi dishes and the punch in the palate that they continue to offer!

Speaking of Punjabi delicacies, with butter chicken being the undisputed winner among all other Punjabi culinary delights, one wonders how the same dish can be presented in a fresh manner every time. Singh nods his head, and elaborates on his belief of how, kitchen counters connote a place not to dish out tried and tested vapid food items; it is a place that affords anyone donning the chef’s hat a chance to unleash culinary creativity. “Experimentation is the key. Authentic butter chicken, is traditionally made in heavy makkhani gravy; but that should not stop you from experimenting with it!”

Punjabi touch

So, in addition to butter chicken, what are some other dishes that continue to garner all the love? “It has to be Amritsari fish, butter fired fish and chole-kulche,” informs Singh; as he goes on to voice some pertinent concerns, “foreign tourists visit the city to try out authentic Punjabi dishes. Sadly, more often than not, it is always the continental dishes that they are served with even in India. What’s the point? I remember how a couple of days back, a group of German tourists could just not get over their admiration for spicy Punjabi dishes! Love for Punjabi cuisine only seems to be increasing by the day. So, it is wrong to hold back the taste of authentic Punjabi food from tourists.”

Eat, pray, repeat

With an experience of 18 years in the arena, true to his words, Singh has introduced innovative dishes to tickle your taste buds. Apart fromNorth Indian food, Italian and Lebanese favour high on his personal list. Here are some recent additions to the menu that the chef recommends, “Chilli crab and murg musallam. Both of them have been infused with fresh ingredients.”