Faith and Good Food

This year marks the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Plan a weekend trip to the Golden Temple and soak in the city’s holy and wholesome flavours.

They say, there’s a certain magic in the fertile soil and soft water of Amritsar that imparts a rich flavour to its food. When in the holy city, stay away from air-conditioned, fine-dining restaurants and be ready to feast on delicious treats at street stalls, legendary dhabas and tiny hole-in-the-wall joints tucked away in ancient gullies. These no-frill eateries dish out high-quality, fresh, edible food that’s prepared in clean, hygienic conditions. Most importantly, leave your calorie-counting apps behind for a few days as you’re likely to indulge in generous helpings of rich north Indian delicacies.
LANGAR luncheon

Consider starting your tasting tour at the Sri Harmandir Sahib, better known as the Golden Temple. At the southeast end of the gurdwara complex is the Guru-Ka-Langar, an enormous dining room where an estimated 75,000 pilgrims come to eat every day. One of the biggest community kitchens in the world, the room is open round the clock, and epitomises the popular Sikh saying that no one in Amritsar ever goes to bed hungry. Before you head to the langar hall, do take a tour of the kitchen to see how they run the show. You’re sure to be fascinated by the automated roti-maker that churns out 25,000 rotis an hour. However, it is only used on days when larger crowds are expected. On other days, volunteers make the rotis by hand. The comforting meal comprises soft, thin rotis, rajma, one wholesome sabzi, dal and cooked rice served on squeaky clean steel thalis. What you certainly can’t miss is the heavenly karah prasad.

Street fare

Later, a walk towards the Town Hall and the Partition Museum will show you the iconic Kesar Da Dhaba and Bharawan Da Dhaba that specialise in flaky lachcha paranthas and buttery Amritsari kulchas (stuffed with vegetable or paneer mixture) that are served with creamy maa ki daal (black gram dal) and channa masala. End your meal with sinfully-thick phirni that comes in a small clay pot. Tea lovers must surely make a stop at the iconic six-decades old Giani Tea Stall for a cup of piping hot tea with kachoris and delicious butter toast. Sit on one of the vintage stools and learn the interesting story of Giani Gurmit Singh whose father started a tea stall in Lahore with the same name before Partition.
Dig into tandoori chicken at a roadside stall at Hakima Gate in Amritsar and you might not be able to enjoy tandoori chicken elsewhere in the world. Rajinder Singh Billa is known for his soft, succulent chicken that’s prepared sans artificial colours or spices. Amritsari fish fry at Jagir Singh Fish Wale, Raaja Saansi, is to die for. Served with imli chutney and freshly-cut radish, the taste of moist, deep-fried, golden-crusted catfish is likely to linger in your mouth for days to come. When picking up some edible souvenirs for friends and family back home, do not leave out the pickles, particularly the shikar da achaar and dehu ka achaar.

Sweet Treats

Eating your way through the wide range of mithai and desserts in Amritsar can surely give you a sugar rush. Hence, settle for a chosen few. Nothing can beat the ever-popular jalebis and mini gulab jamuns at Ramesh Sharma Sweet Shop. A delicious way to deal with the winter chill is relishing coarse gajar ka halwa at Novelty Sweets. Alternatively, you can indulge in fresh, fluffy sweetened cream at Sukhram Fruit Cream and Juice Bar. The surprisingly light, hand-beaten cream is mixed with bananas and other seasonal fruits as well as nuts, and is quite gentle on your stomach. A great way to end your culinary adventures in Amritsar is to gorge on a plate of aam papad chaat at Ram Lubhaya & Sons. Seven varieties of aam papad cut into small pieces, sprinkled with a special masala with 12 spices and a dash of lime, the chaat is an explosion of flavours in your mouth!

an equaliser

Sitting on a straw dhurrie with thousands of other people in a pangat (line) is a treasured experience in community eating. With no seating categories and no barriers of religion, caste, and social status, you could be sitting next to a celebrity, CEO, or a beggar.

Highlights of 550 years

An international conference on Guru Nanak’s philosophy of peace, harmony and human happiness in Chandigarh n Multi-media and sound show, digital museum and handicrafts exhibition at Sultanpur Lodhi, Kapurthala n The Guru Nanak Dev Ji Utsav at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur which includes a light and sound show, a literature festival, an art festival, a theatre festival and Guru Nanak Film Festival.