Punjabi food festival at Fairfield ends tomorrow

To introduce South Indians to the authentic Punjabi cuisine, Fairfield by Marriot is hosting ‘Pind Da Swaad’.

Metrolife visited the hotel for the lunch buffet on a Monday afternoon and dug into some Punjabi goodness.

The highlight of this festival is that it is a chef’s mother from Punjab who has taken over Fairfield’s kitchen, armed with ingredients sourced directly from Punjab.

The 68-year-old cook, Shaktidevi, landed in the city on January 12. She says, “I have been cooking for more than three decades. I like it here in Bengaluru as the people are welcoming and appreciate good food”.

One of the most impressive things about Punjabi food is its variety. It is a bounty for meat lovers with classic dishes like ‘butter chicken’ and ‘tandoori chicken’, but the vegetarians aren’t left out either.

We witnessed a vast variety of delectable and exotic vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes that were prepared in traditional culinary styles, particularly the tandoori style. In starters, we tried their paneer bites. Soft and tender chunks of paneer, coated with a mix of masalas, grilled hot on skewers made for a great start for the sumptuous meal.

The parathas were served with hand-churned white butter, yam pickles and curd, which is the right way to eat them. The tandoori roti and naan also left us craving for more.

For the vegans, they have ‘Sarson ka saag’, made from mustard leaves, spinach and bhatua; the curry is a mixture of leafy vegetables which is flavoured with various spices. It was served with ‘ Makke di Roti’ (corn bread). Paired with basmati rice, the tandoor items and other mouth-watering delicacies were rich in spice and butter. Do try the Methi pulav with paneer butter masala, the taste is beyond words.

They also had a lot of chat options. Their ‘Masala burger’ was a highlight. The pumpkin, onion and tomato stuffing was no less than any American burger.

The dessert menu had a lot to offer. We decided to go with ‘Gud, the dry fruit da dalia’. This pudding was just perfect with the right amount of sugar. Seasoned with almonds and raisins, it made to our list of favourites. The ‘Atta Da Halwa’ is also something you shouldn’t miss trying; it is famous for its enormous amount of delicious ghee butter in it.

We ended our meal with their strawberry lassi. Served in a plastic brown matka topped with fresh cream, it was good enough to make us crave for more.

The festival started on January 14 and is on till tomorrow. Fairfield Marriot is located in Marathahalli, Sarjapur Road, Bellandur.