'Who else but the Punjabis?' - by K J S Chatrath

Who else can think of organising a thali meal with 30 dishes and weighing 25 kg- Only Us Punjabis!

There is a new restaurant which believes in the Punjabi liking for stuffing guests with 'Hore Ji' (Take some more Sir Ji/Madam Ji) till they start shouting  'Bus Ji'- No More!

No, I have not yet visited this restaurant and what I am saying is only hearsay. It is a restaurant called Mellow Garden and is located in Rajouri Garden in  Delhi.

One must clarify that it is not a round thali. It is a hexagonal one that reportedly  weighs 25 kgs comprises starters, main course, assorted rotis, lassi, buttermilk and desserts.  This all-in-one package is available in four versions; Satrangi Punjabi Veg, Satrangi Punjabi Non-veg, Chinjabi Veg and Chinjabi Non-veg. From kurkure dahi kebabs, tandoori chilli chicken, Amritsari aloo and Punjabi kadhai kumbh to pind wala shahi paneer, gobhi matar adraki and kesari pheerni.

The thali serves upto 4 people and  provides unlimited helpings. (Please do check this up before ordering)

Oye Balle Balle Ji!

Address:

Mellow Garden,   J2/7, 2nd & 3rd Floor, BK Dutta Market, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi
 11:30AM - 11PM.  Cost: INR 1,600 (Veg) & INR 2,000 (Non-Veg) Please do check up the price before ordering. 

(Write up with inputs from the website of the restaurant and

https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/this-gigantic-thali-in-rajouri-garden-weighs-approx-25-kgs-and-has-more-than-30-dishes-2053888)

‘Eat, pray, love: This Ramzan, sample the many flavours of iftar’- by Puneetinder Kaur Sidhu;

I was travelling and therefore missed the excellent article ‘Eat, pray, love: This Ramzan, sample the many flavours of iftar’- by Puneetinder Kaur Sidhu which appeared in the Tribune. It beautifully links the title to the Iftar food and the holy Ramzan. Please do read it if you too missed it. (https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/spectrum/eat-pray-love/774913.html)

The tittle did remind me of the film 'Eat, pray, love' and of Julia Roberts, the protagonist of the film.  

So let me do my bit and put up her photo with her billion dollar smile ...

'Andhra food, Andhra Bhawan and now Bagundi' - by K J S Chatrath

Photo source: Article from The Hindu quoted below

Andhra food- andhra bhawan and now a new place in CP https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/hot-stepper/article27081574.ece

I intend trying it out on my next trip to Delhi. 

'Odisha Hotel, Saket, New Delhi' - by K J S Chatrath

A few months back, one of my Delhi based friends Abhishek Tripathy, who hails from Odisha wrote about his visit to a newly opened Odisha Hotel (restaurant) in the capital. I  soon got in touch with him to obtain details and within a few weeks I was having lunch in Odisha Hotel in Saket in New Delhi- authentic Odia food.

Mutton curry with potato was tasty indeed.

 

Green chillies are served and relished with every meal. For some reason, chillies are called 'lenka' in Odiya.

Some how I do not like closed stuffed in places and this restaurant is no exception.

Though Lord Ganesha is not the God of food but he is surely remembered at all auspiciouys occasions and business establishments pray to him for good sales and profits.

I was told by the staff that Chilka Bagda Chingri (local name for tiger prawns) prawns, for which Odisha is rightly famous, are received everyday through flight from Bhubaneswar. Since I do not take prawns, so I would not go further into how true this assertion is.

Photo source: internet

Masalas or spices are freshly ground on sil-bata for every meal. There is no use of ready made masalas in Odiya cooking.

Mahaprasad- Photo source: Wikipedia 
 

Food in Odisha has been influenced by temple cuisines, especially of the “Maha Prasada or Abadha” of Lord Jaganntha’s temple at Puri.  Lord’s Kitchen is one of the largest kitchen in the world, which can feed 25000 devotees daily. There are two types of Prasada/ Bhoga which are offered to the Lord. Abhada or Sankhudi bhoga consists of Ghee Rice, Dal, Dalma, Besara, Mahura, Saga, pita, Kanika Khechudi etc while the dry or Nisankhudi bhoga consists of all types of sweets, deserts & pithas.

For reaching the restaurant one should, on coming out of the Saket Metro, move a few metres to the left and locate this huge board. The restaurant is just three minutes walk from there.

Bon Apetit!

(Disclaimer: I was a fully paying customer in this restaurant and no discount or concession was availed of. )

(Text with inputs from the internet.)

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May I invite you to take a look at my earlier blogs going gaga over Odiya food: 

'Odia Food- one of the best in the world' by K.J.S.Chatrath;
https://indianrestaurantsworldwide.blogspot.com/2015/07/odia-food-one-of-best-in-world-by-kj.html 

 'Odisha's Chenna Poda Pitha- the best sweet in the world' by K.J.S.Chatrath

https://indianrestaurantsworldwide.blogspot.com/2015/08/odishas-chenna-poda-pitha-best-sweet-in.html

 One of the the dishes from Odia cuisine that I love most is 'Tomat Khata'- by K.J.S.Chatrath ; https://indianrestaurantsworldwide.blogspot.com/2015/09/one-of-the-dishes-from-odia-cuisine.html

'Pakoras at Konark, Odisha' - by K.J.S.Chatrath ; https://indianrestaurantsworldwide.blogspot.com/2017/07/pakoras-at-konark-odisha-by-kjschatrath.html 

'Pakhala Bhata- an Odiya dish to feel drowsy during hot summers'- K.J.S.Chatrath ;

https://indianrestaurantsworldwide.blogspot.com/2018/04/pakhala-bhata-odiya-dish-to-feel-drowsy.html 

 'Odia traditional food is one of the best in the world, believe you me' - K.J.S.Chatrath; http://indianrestaurantsworldwide.blogspot.com/2015/12/odia-traditional-food-is-one-of-best-in.html?m=0