Sourabh
VIP
Amritsar's 'Kesar Da Dhaba', almost a century-old food outlet, is keeping alive the essence of traditional 'Punjabi Tarka'.
The aroma of the 12-hours of simmering 'mah ki dal' to serve with 'lachha parantha' or 'butter naan' is a speciality that has made this traditional Punjabi kitchen a landmark.
Here, around 25 cooks prepare 23 Punjabi delicacies thrice a day. What makes this so unique is that the owners themselves prepare these delicacies to keep the flavour.
It was in 1916 that, Lal Kesar Mal established this outlet. At that time, 'parantha' and 'mah ki dal' were the only preparations available.
For generations, Lal's family has reserved this decades-old flavour of Punjab.
"Our tradition of cooking started from village Shekhupura, now in Pakistan. Our elders hit upon a business recipe and installed tandoor there. During that time, some senior Congress leaders including Lala Lajpat Rai used to visit the dhaba," said Vijay Kumar, the owner.
Indira Gandhi and Giani Zail Singh were among the distinguished guests who visited the dhaba.
Besides retaining the original flavour, they have also not disturbed the age-old arrangements to give the dhaba a traditional touch. To this day, there are marble tables and wooden stools.
Today, on an average 700 people walk away with their favourite Punjabi dishes not bothering about the calories or the price. The meal consists of two paranthas, fried mah ki dal, cholle and rayta -- all for Rs 43.
Avinash Sharma, a customer, said: "The atmosphere at the restaurant is very different. Eating here is akin to eating at home. This is the traditional taste of Punjab. You will never find this taste in any continental food".
"Despite it being crowded, we enjoyed it immensely. The food was so delicious, something which one doesn't get in Delhi," Ashish Seth, a customer from Delhi, said.
Only a few such dhabas remain in Punjab where one can eat genuine Punjabi food having the typical Punjabi flavour
The aroma of the 12-hours of simmering 'mah ki dal' to serve with 'lachha parantha' or 'butter naan' is a speciality that has made this traditional Punjabi kitchen a landmark.
Here, around 25 cooks prepare 23 Punjabi delicacies thrice a day. What makes this so unique is that the owners themselves prepare these delicacies to keep the flavour.
It was in 1916 that, Lal Kesar Mal established this outlet. At that time, 'parantha' and 'mah ki dal' were the only preparations available.
For generations, Lal's family has reserved this decades-old flavour of Punjab.
"Our tradition of cooking started from village Shekhupura, now in Pakistan. Our elders hit upon a business recipe and installed tandoor there. During that time, some senior Congress leaders including Lala Lajpat Rai used to visit the dhaba," said Vijay Kumar, the owner.
Indira Gandhi and Giani Zail Singh were among the distinguished guests who visited the dhaba.
Besides retaining the original flavour, they have also not disturbed the age-old arrangements to give the dhaba a traditional touch. To this day, there are marble tables and wooden stools.
Today, on an average 700 people walk away with their favourite Punjabi dishes not bothering about the calories or the price. The meal consists of two paranthas, fried mah ki dal, cholle and rayta -- all for Rs 43.
Avinash Sharma, a customer, said: "The atmosphere at the restaurant is very different. Eating here is akin to eating at home. This is the traditional taste of Punjab. You will never find this taste in any continental food".
"Despite it being crowded, we enjoyed it immensely. The food was so delicious, something which one doesn't get in Delhi," Ashish Seth, a customer from Delhi, said.
Only a few such dhabas remain in Punjab where one can eat genuine Punjabi food having the typical Punjabi flavour
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