Did the IAF 'taste' triumph with Rawalpindi chicken tikka, Balakot tiramisu?

A supposed 'Indian Air Force 93rd anniversary dinner menu' has gone viral on social media — but turns out, it’s not real. The widely shared list featured dishes named after Pakistani cities and sites linked to Operation Sindoor, the May 7 strike that came in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

The 'menu', now circulating on X and WhatsApp, included tongue-in-cheek names such as:

Starters & Main Course

• Rawalpindi Chicken Tikka Masala
• Rafiqui Rhara Mutton
• Bholari Paneer Methi Malai
• Sukkur Sham Savera Kofta
• Sargodha Dal Makhani
• Jacobabad Mewa Pulao
• Bahawalpur Naan

Desserts

• Balakot Tiramisu
• Muzaffarabad Kulfi Faluda
• Muridke Meetha Pan

Each dish referenced locations in Pakistan or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir reportedly targeted during the air operation — a clever touch that many users initially believed to be an official IAF gesture.

However, those present at the event clarified that no such menu was ever issued for the anniversary celebrations.

Despite being fake, the “Operation Sindoor menu” sparked a wave of memes and admiration online, with several users calling it “the most creative tribute ever.” Interestingly, even former senior Army officials shared the supposed menu.