Amritsar - Kesar da Dhaba, Famous Kulche and Kanha Sweets

As I mentioned in the first part on Amritsar’s food, going easy on stomach by just having creamy lassi at Ahuja Milk Centre and having food at the langar of Harmandar Sahib helped me reverting and I was all set to visit the most legendary food institutions in Amritsar. It is said about Amritsar that 50% of the population is busy eating something (of course laced with desi ghee or/and butter) and the rest of the populations is busy preparing the stuff for the earlier category at any given moment. J I can vouch for this. I had sifted through narrow lanes of Amritsar for the best of the culinary experiences and all I could relate my memory is with the waft of something being deeply fried in the desi ghee (the clarified butter). The air in Amritsar is so thick with this palpable aroma.

Kulchas are the specialty of Amritsar. This is the kulcha land. Honestly, I had a different impression of kulchas before stumbling upon the ambrosia version served in Amritsar. The typical chole kulcha, nutri kulcha or even my personal favorite kalari kulcha of Jammu incorporates a typical baker’s bread as kulcha. Similar to the ‘pav’ in the ‘Vada Pav’ which the Mumbaikars and rest of the Maharashtrians enjoy in any season (Please note the discrimination of Mumbai and Rest of Maharashtra!). So I had thought that kulcha was just a north Indian adaptation of a typical baker’s bread. That concept hit a rock bottom when I had ordered a kulcha (it had a prefix ‘Amritsari’) in a famous suburban Mumbai restaurant (okay, hint - Sion). When it arrived on the table, I couldn’t stop laughing. The kulcha was as thin as masala dosa JJJ Let’s come back to Amritsar now..

My food destination for the lunch on that day was …hold your breath.. “All India Famous Amritsari Kulcha”. Situated on the upmarket Maqbool Road opposite the police post, this institution is thronged by patrons even on a weekday. Luckily, I got a seat as soon as I reached there. You need not order specifically here. If you are seating there, it means all you want to eat are the divine kulchas served with chana (chick pea) preparation and salad made of spring onions and green chilies in tangy tamarind gravy. It is difficult to elaborate the experience. The kulchas are thick with the generous stuffing of potatoes, chilies and other spices in the multilayer dough preparation and the tandoor roasts every layer to a tantalizing level of crispiness due to the ghee used. It is generally served with generous amount of home made white butter which melts by the time the kulcha reaches you giving it a glistening appearance. Now eat… The kulcha can be enjoyed with chana preparation and salad separately. However, I saw a gentleman sitting next to me mixing both chana and the salad. I also followed the same procedure and it tasted divine. My gastric juices were on fire merely with the sight of kulchas and I finished 3 kulchas at a go. I had heard the owner of this restaurant saying that generally even a person with heavy appetite finds it difficult to go beyond 3 kulchas. I had achieved the feat.

All India Famous Amritsari Kulcha... 10/10 in Taste!!!

‘All India Famous Amritsari Kulcha’ is a purist’s den. The food is the experience. The seating arrangement is very basic and common houseflies may test your patience. Your ideas of décor and upholstery will go for a toss here. But hello…the kulcha is available for just 25 bucks! Beat that! I tried to strike a conversation with the smiling but very shy Mr. Shucha Singh who is the owner of the restaurant and all I could get was a gesture of gratitude. Well..Sir, I am the one who is indebted that you allowed me to have such a wonderful experience! Please don’t miss this place if in Amritsar even for few hours and you’ll be indebted to me! J

All India Famous Amritsari Kulcha, Maqbool Road, Amritsar

Taste – 10/10  Ambiance – 5/10  Service – 10/10  VFM – 10/10

A special mention for the Maqbool Road area. I was amused by the size of the bungalows on this road. I am rather more amused by the size of the gardens these people are maintaining in front of their bungalows. And it is not a case for few. There is a 100% hit rate for this kind of arrangement on Maqbool Road. Extreme opulence but still very very adorable. Lahore is just 50 km away…

Food at ‘Kesar da Dhaba’ in Amritsar is the only way you may claim that your trip to Amritsar was complete. Dinner is always an exquisite event and if in Amritsar then make it sure that you are at Chowk Passian (now being called as ‘Chowk Passion’…see what food can do to places!) to have the best of the Pujabi food at the legendary ‘Kesar da Dhaba’. However, before going to the dinner, it was inevitable to pay respect to the legendary lassi at Ahuja. J I again went there and drank the full glass of lassi with utmost satisfaction.

I anyways have found a very effective method of building appetites for exquisite stuff. I always walk for long distances. So for ‘Kesar da Dhaba’, I decided to walk all the way from Beri Gate to my hotel and whoa, again from my hotel (near ISBT) to Chowk Passian. It took almost an hour to reach ‘Kesar da Dhaba’ and meanwhile as expected, my stomach had started secreting enough gastric juice. It was a Friday night and though the weekend culture is yet to make roads to these cities but still ‘Kesar da Dhaba’ was overflowing and supply demand theory had gone for a toss. The people who had come in large groups were waiting with lot of hope in their eyes and lot of hunger in their bellies.

A solo traveler always has an advantage. He/she never has to wait. I made a seamless entry in that tradition (let us not call it a restaurant!) A group of four had just settled on a table and I sneaked in as the 5^th on the table. Being a research analyst by profession brings this research dimension to every perspective of life. How could I let the food stay away? I knew what I wanted to have at ‘Kesar’. My order was like this – lachcha paratha, daal (may God be with you miss this and may a digestive be with you if you finish this!), palak paneer and baingan bharta. First came that heavy stainless steel plate with all the ordered stuff except paratha. The waiter soon got my lachcha paratha tossing all the way from the kitchen on his hands. I fell in love with that paratha. Feels like God’s own creation.

The awesome spread at 'Kesar da Dhaba'..the poor tissue paper serves no purpose! :)

The daal at Kesar has turned into a phenomenon. The heavenly taste coming from the slow cooking for arduous hours with the best of the ingredients takes your culinary experience to new level. The bowl serving daal is generally bigger than others. It takes mighty effort to finish that daal and I couldn’t finish it. The baingan bharta though captures your taste with the insane amount of ghee floating in the bowl and it is not obnoxious. Palak paneer is a very different preparation than the rest of India. For me, lachcha paratha takes pole position followed by daal and baingan bhartaa. I finished three lachcha parathas and the waiter told me that it was a commendable effort. J Well, needless to say I came back to my hotel walking all the way from the ‘Kesar da Dhaba’ and how I am feeling the pang in my stomach again so that I can go and devour all the specialties there again!

Kesar da Dhaba, Chauk Passian (Passion), Amritsar

Taste – 10/10  Ambiance – 6/10  Service -10/10 VFM – 8/10

The next morning I went to try the typical Amritsari breakfast at Kanha Sweets on Lawrence Road. This shop is exactly opposite the Bijli Pahalwan Mandir. This place serves the interesting Puri Launji Thaali for breakfast. One giant masala poori is served with choley and aloo ki launji. I have had enough choley on my trip and I indeed loved the sweet and tangy Launji subzi. A glass of thick and creamy lassi to accompany completes the breakfast. Ambiance wise this eatery scores due to air conditioning.

Kannha Sweets, Opposite Bijli Pahalwan Mandir, Lawrence Road, Amritsar

Taste – 7/10  Ambiance – 8/10  Service – 8/10  VFM – 8/10

Thus, I completed the first phase of my dream trip and it is just a beginning. People have different ways of experiencing God. Some visit temples, some go to mosque, some attend masses on Sundays and some prostrate at Gurudwaras. If God exists for me then it is in every morsel I partake. Then every cook/chef who prepares great food is a messenger of God and the place which serves it is a temple. I probably get to taste great food whenever I wish to. This could be because of the respect I have for food. I have already admitted that I am insanely honest when it comes to talking/reading/writing about food. Trust you enjoyed my experiences with food. Wish to come up with new post soon! J Till then…Bon Appétit!

P.S. Being a veggie, I couldn’t produce any details about the non-veg food but places like ‘Beera Chicken’ and ‘Makhan Fish’ are the places my carnivorous friends would definitely relish. J   

Amritsar - The Food Capital of Punjab

Started in the morning at 9.30 am from Jalandhar to Amritsar with a slightly disturbed digestive system. The highway to Amritsar is a typical Punjabi set up with lush green fertile land with fields extending till horizon. Small hamlets popping up every 10 odd kilometer with the impeccable white glistening Gurudwaras and the houses of flamboyant Sikhs with the water tank essentially shaped as a football or a falcon. Falcon is an important bird associated with Sikhism. Remember the lines? “Chidiya naal je Baaz ladawaan taan Gobind Singh naam dharavaan” You are not an Indian if the Punjabi culture doesn’t impress you!

Mustard Fileds - The Essential Yash Chopra Movie Ingredients

Thanks to the Bollywood and Doordarshan, I have been hearing about these names since childhood – Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Phagwara and how I was there! The verdant green fields, the fertile land, fresh air and the lively attitude of people immortalized by these lines ‘Khao, piyo te aish karo mitro’ makes your trip worth. Punjab as such doesn’t appear on Indian map as a tourist destination. But almost everybody in India knows that life flows in full fervor here. Find a Punjabi friend who has a house in the countryside of the rustic Punjab and you will know why Yash Chopra was so obsessed with painting his films yellow with the fields of sarason (mustard)

I had been to Amritsar three years ago but it was a very breezy encounter. I had approached the city from the endearingly beautiful Dalhousie in HP. Didn’t get time to pay respect to Harmandar Sahib and horror of horrors…didn’t get good food to eat. I left that day with a sunken heart and had decided to return with full vigour. And after 3 years, there I was with 3 days at disposal and a big list of eateries to sink my teeth and my heart too.

I spent the whole afternoon resting and essentially giving rest to my guts who had revolted earlier night. They had faced the onslaught continuously for 3 days and needed a break. The revolt was so bad that I had become slightly doubtful about my plan in Amritsar. But still I had faith in myself and was expecting a quick recovery.

In the evening, I finally decided to go ahead with the planned itinerary. I was still not feeling any pang in my stomach even though I had skipped my breakfast and lunch on that day. I said to myself – a milk should not worsen the condition and besides, what are you doing if you are in Amritsar and haven’t had the lassi at Ahuja Milk Centre!!! It was a no brainer. I hired an auto and asked him to drive all the way to the Hindu Mahasabha College near Beri Gate. Ahuja Lassi is famous since the auto guy dropped me exactly in front of this shop.

Lassi is thick creamy drink made from yogurt and sugar especially popular in the northern region of India. Lassi in Punjab is legend and that too in Amritsar..then it has to be Ahuja Lassi! I love lassi and have tasted it at few places. I have to say that by far this is the best lassi I ever got to drink. Since 1955 if somebody hasn’t gone wrong with his main product then it is least likely that he’ll go wrong today. The graceful and lanky Mr. Ahuja oversees all the preparations and is sure about maintaining the quality. The lassi is served since morning 7 am to 12 noon (because it is finished J) and the second phase starts at 5 pm. You gotta be there on time!

The original form of lassi remains the best in my view. It has simple ingredients of yogurt and sugar. Now it is being modified by adding fruit pulps and dubbing as mango lassi, strawberry lassi etc etc. I have also tried the famous ‘makhaniya’ lassi  at Janata Sweet Home in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. But honestly, Ahuja scores ahead of all the lassis. Every glass of lassi here comes with a dollop of cream. What a start to my food exploration in Amritsar! I managed to strike a conversation with Mr. Ahuja telling him that I had been travelling through Punjab for tasting food and heard a lot about his lassi especially from Rocky Singh and Mayur Sharma. He was mighty pleased to hear that and lo and behold…I got an extra dollop of cream on my lassi. My stomach never regretted from this point onwards!

P.S. Some people especially from Mumbai or Pune region may come up with suggestion for the best lassi they have had in their own areas. Thanks in advance for your valuable inputs!

Ahuja Lassi, Near Hindu Mahasabha College, Beri Gate, Amritsar

Taste – 10/10  Ambiance – 5/10 Service – 8/10 Value for Money – 10/10 (INR 25 for this fab lassi!)

My next destination was the Harmandir Sahib or popularly known as the Golden Temple. Since I had stomach full of lassi for the evening, I decided to pay my respect to this wonderful temple late in the night. To build up the appetite, I decided to walk to the Golden Temple through the almost deserted roads at 10.30 pm in the night. As I started nearing the temple, the commotion started increasing. Even at that point of time there was sizeable number of devotees visiting the temple but I guess most of them were done with paying their respect.

The Harmandir Sahib

As I entered the complex, I was enthralled by the beautiful view of the temple at night. The Harmandir Sahib was glistening in the golden hue and it was reflecting in the calm waters of the surrounding lake. The place was peaceful with minimal amount of visitors. After paying respect to Harmadir Sahib, I sat on the banks of the lake trying to grasp the tranquility of the surreal atmosphere.

After spending some time sitting quietly, I made my way to the famous Langar of the Harmandir Sahib. Langar is the term used in the Sikh religion or in Punjab in general for common kitchen/canteen where food is served in a Gurudwara to all the visitors (without distinction of background) for free. This particular langar feeds almost 70 k to 1 lac people in a day. There is no discrimination - no poor, no rich, no Sikh, no non-Sikh, no Indian, no foreigner. All are equal and they sit together to be served by the volunteers of the Harmandir Sahib, right from the distribution of utensils, serving the food and washing of the utensils. That is the ‘kar sevaa’ offered by the devotees here.

Langar at The Harmandir Sahib

I went and sat in the row with my utensils. Soon the sabzi and daal were served and then came the roti. I first extended my right hand to accept the roti. I was promptly told that I should be accepting the roti with both my hands as what I am getting is the holy offering. Honestly, it was such a simple meal yet so delicious. I enjoyed every morsel. However, I didn’t like the attitude of many people enjoying free food. They take everything for granted and leave so much of food in the plate. That’s disgraceful. If you respect God then have respect for food in your plate also. Many a times God must be meeting you when you are hungry and you eat the first morsel. Don’t dishonor that meeting!

The sabzi was a simple potato preparation with minimum spices and daal was the legendary kaali daal with ample amount of garlic giving it a sharp taste. The rice kheer (rice pudding) was delicious. I also found the mechanical water dispenser very interesting as it didn’t have any human intervention maintaining hygiene. In fact, the whole premise of the Harmandir Sahib is impeccably clean and you indeed feel like visiting a holy place.

Rocky Singh put his verdict for the food at Golden Temple in a very apt manner – “God bless you, who are we to pass verdict on this one”

My food journey in Amritsar had started on a fabulous note! J