What: Full On Punjabi
Where: Sigree Global Grill, Silver Arcade, Silver Spring, EM Bypass
On till: September 25, 12.30pm to 3.30pm and 7pm to 11pm
Pocket pinch per person: Lunch, Monday to Saturday: Rs 685-plus (veg) and Rs 735-plus (non-veg)
Lunch, Sunday: Rs 795-plus (veg) and Rs 875-plus (non-veg)
Dinner, Monday and Tuesday: Rs 775-plus (veg) and Rs 845-plus (non-veg)
Dinner, Wednesday to Sunday: Rs 825-plus (veg) and Rs 925-plus (non-veg)

I was in Class VIII then. It was just before the Pujas and my half-yearly exams had ended. Our bags (read two big suitcases) were packed and off we went on a trip to the land of Rohtang Pass — Himachal Pradesh. On the way, we made a pit stop in Chandigarh, and while returning, in Amritsar. When I look back at that trip now, I only remember the beginning and the end, as far as food is concerned. Because the dhabas and the restaurants that we went to offered food so robust in flavours and taste that I cribbed about not having the same kind of fare everyday back home. 
Cut to September, 2016. “You can’t miss the robustness!” is all that I kept thinking, as I walked out of the first-floor restaurant at Silver Arcade after a weekday lunch. I was there to try Sigree Global Grill’s latest food festival menu — Full On Punjabi. 

As I sat down for lunch, with Sandeep Kumar Pandey, the executive chef for the Indian division of Speciality Restaurants that runs Sigree Global Grill, I couldn’t help asking what’s that one thing that sets Punjabi cuisine apart from all other traditional Indian cooking styles. And that’s when he pointed out: “You can’t miss the robustness!”
From the soft naans dipped in ghee (the chef said that in Punjab, they prefer buffalo milk ghee to the cow milk variety) to Amritsari Machhli and Malai Murgh — the food was enough to perk you up, if the bhangra music playing in the background hadn’t already. 

“The spice mix used in Punjabi cooking comprising black pepper, ajwain, methi, yellow chilli and onions is not a smooth paste but a coarse mixture that lends freshness to the flavours,” explained the chef, as I reached out for some more Mutton Wala Chawal and Amla Murabba from the buffet spread.

Grills on the table: The superstars of the starters menu are the smoky, hot kebabs brought to the grills on your table, unlimited! From Tandoori Gobi Aur Anaras (skewered cauliflowers and pineapple) and Khade Masale Da Paneer Tikka (barbecued paneer marinated with a coarse spice mix) to Lasooni Jhinga (prawns soaked in garlic sauce) and Tandoori Kukkad Tangri (grilled chicken leg pieces) — it sure is a robust feast for kebab lovers. t2 alert: The kebabs are so delicious, you might forget that there’s an entire main course and desserts waiting to be feasted on.

Mutton Keema Te Kaleji: That’s one main course dish you must not miss if you are a sucker for mutton liver and minced meat. Why? “The secret lies in the way the keema and the chopped liver are cooked with the masala. It retains the flavours of both the meat as well as the liver while giving it an overall spicy aroma that sort of binds them together as one dish,” said Sandeep Kumar Pandey, executive chef (Indian division), of Speciality Restaurants.

Butter Chicken: Punjab and Butter Chicken are inseparable. “No matter how elaborate your menu is, if it doesn’t have Butter Chicken then it’s probably not for a food-loving non-vegetarian Punjabi. This tomato-based chicken gravy is a staple accompaniment to popular tandoori naan or kulcha,” said chef Sandeep. We loved the aroma of crushed methi (fenugreek) and a hint of dhania.

Dal Amritsari: Punjabi khana without a rich, creamy dal is like biryani without aloo! On the Sigree menu, you can choose between Dal Amritsari and Maa De Dal — the former being a green moong dal cooked with ajwain, onions and tomato, while the latter is a mix of different types of dal cooked with an equally varied mix of spices. “End of the month, when you have leftover dal in the pantry, then Maa De Dal is what the mother cooks for the family,” said the chef.

Jalebi with Rabri: When you are served the jalebi-rabri combo is when you realise why we had warned you at the onset not to stuff yourself too much. How can one just have one? The syrupy sweetness of the jalebi coupled with the creamy awesomeness of the rabri is any day a #ShowStealer!

Text: Sibendu Das
Pictures: B. Halder