Made In Punjab, Bangalore

Made In Punjab, Bangalore

My experience with Punjabi cuisine has been nothing but non-existent which is why my understanding of this exquisite cuisine from the “land of the five rivers” has been minimal. Over the years, my knowing of this cuisine has been based on just one (but legendary) dish- Butter Chicken. Nonetheless, my recent visit to Chandigarh exposed me to more delectable dishes from this cuisine. Although far from being able to vouch if a Punjabi dish served to me is authentic yet in a position to say the food resembles and tastes ‘like’ the original.

Massive Restaurants Pvt. Ltd recently launched Made In Punjab- a casual restaurant which celebrates the culinary legacy of Punjab. Made In Punjab is located in UB City on Lavelle Road- a very popular and lavish mall in Bangalore. At the launch of Made In Punjab (MIP), founder Zorawar Kalra spoke about how Indian cuisine has been mostly synonymous with Punjabi cuisine and how MIP aims to showcase recipes and dishes that figure on every dining table and highway dhaba in Punjab. At the same time, offering quirky takes on traditional classics and lastly giving equal emphasis on beverages.

I was invited to a dining experience at Made In Punjab last week and must say I am still reeling over the wonderful time that I had. We started off with a couple of cocktails, namely Vojito-Mojito and Piña colada. Both the cocktails were well prepped and to go with them a couple of chaat dishes- namely, Tokri Chaat and “POPEYE paaji ki favorite chaat”. The former was an Aloo ki tokri topped with crisp turnip, green peas and khatti chutney whereas the latter was fried spinach leaves with yoghurt, mint and tamarind chutney. For starters, we were served some outstanding dishes such as Gabbar Prawns, Fharid Tikka, Legacy Tandoori Champ and LOL Tikki. The LOL Tikki is a deep fried mixture made from the leg of the lamb infused with bone marrow.

For main course, a trifecta of rich and lip-smacking curries- Luxury Butter Chicken, Nalli Hard-Kaur and Meat Truck Wallah. The Luxury Butter Chicken is not for the purist- the taste was different and the quality of butter used was insane. The Meat Truck Wallah is Chef Parth’s take on the Kheema-Khaleja served in dhabas all over Punjab. All the dishes were delicious and no doubt- cooked beautifully. Before the main course arrived, I remember our server Babul recommended a cocktail by the name Nasheeli Chai. This would turn out to be the most mind-blowing cocktail I have tasted in recent times. Nasheeli Chai is made from white spirits (Gin, White Rum, Vodka and Tequila) and a tea concoction infused with cinnamon. It also acted as a palate cleanser which is why we had too much of it (no regrets!).

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Unfortunately, the desserts served were not as extravagant as the starters or main course dishes served. But then, I wouldn’t let it impact my overall take on Made In Punjab as I myself am not a person with a sweet tooth. To sum up my review, Made In Punjab is by far one of the best Punjabi restaurants that I have had the pleasure of dining at in Bangalore. In spite of being located at UB City where people consider everything you touch to be gold- the price of the cocktails, starters and main course dishes at MIP is reasonable and not exorbitant.