AMAZING AMRITSAR

Amazing Amritsar!
City Of Gourmet Food

The nicest thing to have been said about the eating habits of this holy city, is that nobody goes to sleep hungry in Amritsar. Not with the Golden Temple and its Guru Ram Das Langar there that feeds upto 70,000 every day free of cost and is able to go upto 200,000 if need be.

Yes and Amritsar is also a city of the famous Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Amritsari Fish, Tandoori Chicken, Methi Macchi, Dum Ke Khumb, Murgh Malai Tikka, Gajjar Halwa, Kesar Phirni. There is a great street food culture here. From simple savouries sold on cycles at public maidans to elaborate thalis served at roadside dhabas.

It is a city of Lassi, Kulfi and Chai. Of swaying green paddy fields bursting with Basmati rice. And picturesque fields yellow with mustard. Much importance is given to food. So much so that the simple, earthy Punjabi can burst into a song and dance routine reserved normally for Baisakhi at get-togethers where food and drink flow joyously. And he will get total strangers to this gourmet city to dance with him.

The basic foods in Amritsar are chicken and mutton. There is no beef and no pork on the Punjabi’s menu in Amritsar. There is fish, however, and the fish comes from the rivers that flow into the city and which are outside. These are the Vyas and the Sutlej. There is also the Hari Ke Patan lake in Amritsar and there are plenty of fish farms. Sole is King in Amritsar. And there is also the Singhada. But look at what the enterprising Punjabis did with this limited produce. They created a signature dish for the city with the Sole and called it Fish Amritsari.

The Patialawale Chole being sold to hungry school boys at the Ram Bagh Maidan.

For full article: www.uppercrustindia.com (Archives: October - December 2001)