Home-style Punjabi food

Craving for some home-like food this weekend? Head to ‘Punjabi Times’ on Bannerghatta Road. The ambience is that of a traditional Punjabi house with intricately designed elements like a well, a statue of a woman churning butter and mannequins of traditionally dressed men and women, to make us feel at home.

If that doesn’t impress you, there are also colourful wall paintings to give you the Punjabi vibes.

For refreshment, we asked for ‘Jullundhari Jaljeera’, ‘Lahori Shikanji’ and ‘Aam ka Panna’. Jaljeera and Aam Panna were our favourites. The flavours were well-balanced. We felt that the shikanji should not be that sweet though.

While we sipped on our drinks, we munched on a plate of masala papad. It was crunchy and filled with chopped onions, tomatoes and chillies with a hint of lemon and chaat masala — a perfect bar bite option.

The baby corn ‘tilwala’ is another starter you can try.

The crispy fried baby corn strips is a good pastime snack. Try dipping it in pudina chutney for a tangy twist.

The soft and crunchy texture of the ‘Aalu Makkai Sev Tikki’ was a hit. Though it was well-spiced, the flavours of the mashed potato and corn mix would have been better with a pinch more of salt.

We loved the ‘Bhindi Kurkure’. Thankfully, the mixture after deep-fried did not overpower the taste of the vegetable. We couldn’t resist but go for another quick bite.

The ‘Pudina Chutney Paneer’ was an interesting dish. Though salty, the paneer was soft and well cooked.

Marinated in mint, coriander and green chilli, it was grilled to perfection.

The ‘Tawa Paneer’ remains our favourite cottage cheese dish of the evening. Stuffed with sauteed cabbage, carrot, ginger and garlic chop and grilled on the tawa, this dish is a must-try.

The pudina chutney enhanced the taste.

For all the non-vegetarians, try the ‘Chooza Shahi Kabab’. The juicy and crispy combination of the chicken was a winner.

Looking for something boneless? Try the ‘Kalimirch Murg Tikka’, marinated with flavourful spices and a generous amount of freshly grounded peppercorn left us wanting for more. It leans towards the spicier side, but a pepper doesn’t hurt!

The ‘Mutton takatak’ had the right amount of spice and was also well-cooked. It was juicy and tender. Though a starter, you can try it with ‘pulkas’ too.

With the generous quantity served, try not to fill yourself up with just the starters. We have the main course next.

We asked for jeera rice and butter naan and to compliment it, there was ‘Dal Makhani’ — creamy and so buttery! Perfect combination with the rice. The consistency of the ‘Murg Bathinda’ was just perfect and went well with naan.

The ‘Paneer Punjabi’ required a bit more salt.

After a hearty meal, almost full till our throat, we still kept some space for dessert. We couldn’t miss the ‘Gaajar Ka Halwa’. Made with red carrots, it was rich and creamy — truly a treat to the taste buds. You can also try the ‘Moong Dal Halwa’ and ‘Gulab Jamun’,

‘Punjabi Times’ is located at 15/1, Opposite Shopper’s Stop, Bannerghatta Road. For details, call 41103222.