Top 23 Punjabi Foods

Coming from the North Indian city of Amritsari, Amritsari kulcha is a flatbread stuffed with potatoes, onions, cottage cheese, and spices. The flatbread is commonly garnished with coriander seeds, cilantro, and red chili powder. Thin, crispy, and smeared with ghee butter, it is a staple food in Amritsar, with almost every shop in the city sizzling with the sound of kulchas baked in large tandoor ovens. Not much is known about the history of this flavorful dish, and even the locals say that kulcha is just something they have always eaten, a variation on numerous flatbreads that the country is known for.Expand

Originating from India's Moghul cuisine, shahi paneer is a cheese curry that is prepared with paneer cheese, onions, cashews, and a rich, spicy tomato-cream sauce. The dish is typically accompanied by Indian breads such as naan, roti, or puri. Often referred to as the Royal paneer, traditionally, it is prepared during special occasions and festivities as a vegetarian main course. Rich, hearty, and nutritious, shahi paneer is commonly garnished with coriander leaves.Expand

Phirni is a dessert made with ground rice that's cooked in milk and flavored with almonds, saffron, and cardamom. A favorite in North India, it is most often prepared for special occasions or festivals such as Diwali and Karwa Chauth. Traditionally served in small clay bowls known as shikoras, phirni is always eaten well-chilled and garnished with nuts, rose petals, and often with silver paper or chandi warq to make it even more luxurious.Expand

Tandoori chicken or tandoori murgh is one of the most popular dishes in Indian cuisine, its name derived from the Persian word tannur, meaning fire. The dish consists of chicken meat that is marinated in yogurt, seasoned with tandoori masala, nutmeg, and cumin, then placed on skewers. It is a unique dish because of the way it is prepared - traditionally, it is cooked at high temperatures in cylindrical clay ovens called tandoor, resulting in succulent meat with a smokey flavor. One popular theory suggests that it was invented by a man named Kundan Lal Gujral in his restaurant Moti Mahal (Palace of Pearls). He wanted to make a new dish, so he tried cooking the chicken in the tandoor, which was mostly used for baking the famous Indian bread called naan. The dish was an instant hit with the hungry customers, and the crispy, yet succulent chicken dish even caught the attention of Indian Prime Minister Jawaharial Nehru, who often ate at the restaurant and made it a regular dish at official banquets. The aforementioned theory belongs to the recent past, but historians claim that tandoor-cooked chicken actually dates back to the Mughal period, when the dish was merely a part of gigantic Indian feasts at the time. Tandoori chicken's fame led to many derivatives such as chicken tikka masala and butter chicken, both of them commonly found in restaurants across the country.Expand

Aloo paratha is one of the most popular breakfast foods in northern India, a flatbread stuffed with a spicy potato mixture. Its name is derived from aloo, denoting a potato, parat, denoting layers, and atta, denoting flour. The flatbread is made from whole-wheat flour, salt, and ghee, forming flaky, soft, and crispy layers that are golden-brown in color. The filling consists of mashed potatoes, ginger, green chilies, coriander, dried pomegranate seeds, chili powder, and salt. The dish is often topped with Indian homemade butter called makhan and it is traditionally served with chutneys, pickles, onions, and yogurt or tea on the side. Due to its popularity, it spread from Punjab to various parts of the Indian subcontinent, but also to Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore and the Caribbean.Expand

Bhatura is a deep-fried, leavened bread with North Indian origins and a light, fluffy texture. Its unique texture is achieved by letting the dough ferment for almost one hour. The dough consists of flour, oil, baking powder, and yogurt. After the bread is fried, it is usually sprinkled with Indian masalas or stuffed with paneer. If it's stuffed with chickpea curry, it becomes another popular dish, known as chole bhatura, found at almost every street corner in North India. Bhatura's versatility is seen in kulcha, which is made with the same dough, but it is baked or cooked on a pan instead of being deep-fried.Expand

Palak paneer is a popular Indian vegetarian dish made with paneer cheese in a rich, thick sauce consisting of puréed spinach mixed with tomatoes, garam masala, garlic, and numerous spices. The key ingredients are even mentioned in the name of the dish, since palak means spinach in hindi, and paneer refers to the cheese. Palak paneer has roots in the Punjabi region, but there are also other variations of the dish throughout India. It is a highly nutritious meal that can be consumed either for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, accompanied by rice or Indian flatbreads such as naan and roti.Expand

Although it originated in Punjab, dal makhani has become one of the most popular Indian lentil dishes, both in the country and outside of its borders. It consists of red kidney beans and whole black lentils, which also go under the name urad. The dish is prepared with hefty amounts of ghee and various seasonings such as ginger-garlic paste and chili, and it is slowly cooked in a rich, tomato-based sauce. The name makhani, meaning butter, stems from the last addition, a drizzle of melted ghee or butter that provides the typical velvety flavor of this classic. The dish is occasionally topped with cream or yogurt and is often accompanied by naan or roti bread. Dal makhani is a restaurant staple and a mainstay on various festive occasion in India.Expand

Baingan bharta is a vegetarian side dish that is very popular in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh due to its rich aroma and flavor. It consists of minced and grilled eggplants that are combined with coriander, onion, chilies, and mustard oil, making it an ideal winter dish that is commonly consumed with Indian flatbreads or rice. It was invented by the Punjabis, but as time went by, it crossed the Punjab borders and became popular throughout India and in other countries. Served piping hot, the dish is usually garnished with grated ginger and coriander leaves. The word baingan refers to the eggplant, while bharta refers to a variety of dishes where the ingredients are mashed before or after the preparation.Expand

Masala papad is a traditional snack and a version of papadum flatbread that’s topped with a mix of tangy and spicy ingredients. The flatbread is roasted or fried and it’s usually made with lentil, chickpea, or rice flour. After it’s been roasted or fried until crunchy, it’s topped with a mixture of onions, tomatoes, coriander, hot chili powder, lemon juice, chaat masala, and salt. It’s important to add the topping after the flatbread has been fried or roasted, otherwise it will get soggy. If desired, additional ingredients can be added to the topping, such as cucumbers, mint leaves, carrots, or raw mango. Masala papad is traditionally served as a snack or an appetizer, but it can also be served as an accompaniment to various Indian meals.Expand

Lal Qilla is a renowned basmati rice brand that represents a fusion of rich Indian tradition and premium quality. Owned by the company Amar Singh Chawal Wala (ASCW), founded in 1901 in Amritsar, Lal Qilla is the result of over a century of dedication to producing the finest basmati rice. The rice is cultivated in the fertile foothills of the Himalayas, where the unique climate and soil contribute to its distinctive aroma, taste, and texture. Lal Qilla basmati rice is known for its exceptionally long, slender grains that elongate and remain fluffy after cooking, making it ideal for dishes like biryani and pilaf. Its characteristic fragrance and mild nutty flavor are the result of a meticulous two-year aging process. The company offers a broad range of products, including both traditional and more contemporary rice varieties. Thanks to high quality standards and international certifications, Lal Qilla has become a global leader in the basmati rice industry, with a presence in over 70 countries worldwide. Its philosophy is based on a blend of tradition, innovation, and commitment to excellence, making Lal Qilla a synonym for authentic Indian basmati rice.Expand