Kesar Da Dhaba is a vegetarian Punjabi dhaba [1] in Amritsar, Punjab, India, that originated as a small restaurant selling dal and roti set up by Lala Kesar Mal, a Punjabi Hindu in Sheikhupura a city near Lahore in 1916. [2] It moved to Amritsar after the partition of India in 1947. Lala Lajpat Rai, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Padmini Kolhapuri, Yash Chopra and Rajesh Khanna are said to have eaten here. [3] It is a small dhaba, in a narrow lane in Chowk Passian near Town Hall.
Its signature dish is dal makhani (dal with butter). [4] They are also known for phirni served in earthen bowls. [5]
Anthony Bourdain visited the restaurant as part of his Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown series. [6]
Some of the scenes of Saif Ali Khan’s 2017 movie Chef were shot here. [7]
Indian cuisine consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to the Indian subcontinent. Given the diversity in soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits.
Punjabi cuisine is a culinary style originating in the Punjab, a region in the northern part of South Asia, which is now divided in an Indian part to the east and a Pakistani part to the west. This cuisine has a rich tradition of many distinct and local ways of cooking.
Butter chicken, traditionally known as murgh makhani, is an Indian dish originating in Delhi. It is a type of curry made from chicken with a spiced tomato and butter (makhan) sauce. Its sauce is known for its rich texture. It is similar to chicken tikka masala, which uses a tomato paste.
Tandoori chicken is a dish made from chicken marinated in yogurt and spices and roasted in a tandoor, a cylindrical clay oven. The dish is now popular worldwide. The modern form of the dish was popularized by the Moti Mahal restaurant in New Delhi, India in the late 1940s.
The Punjabi Suba movement was a long-drawn political agitation, launched by Punjabi speaking people demanding the creation of autonomous Punjabi Suba, or Punjabi-speaking state, in the post-independence Indian state of East Punjab. The movement is defined as the forerunner of Khalistan movement.
A dhaba is a roadside restaurant in the Indian subcontinent. They are on highways, generally serve local cuisine, and also serve as truck stops. They are most commonly found next to petrol stations, and most are open 24 hours a day.
Dal makhani is an Indian dish originating in Delhi. A relatively modern variation of traditional lentil dishes, it is made with urad dal and other pulses, and includes butter and cream.
The Ghantewala Halwai in Chandni Chowk in Delhi, established in 1790 CE was one of the oldest halwais in India.
Punjab is a state in northwestern India. Forming part of the larger Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, the state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the north and northeast, Haryana to the south and southeast, and Rajasthan to the southwest; by the Indian union territories of Chandigarh to the east and Jammu and Kashmir to the north. It shares an international border with Punjab, a province of Pakistan to the west. The state covers an area of 50,362 square kilometres, which is 1.53% of India's total geographical area, making it the 19th-largest Indian state by area out of 28 Indian states. With over 27 million inhabitants, Punjab is the 16th-largest Indian state by population, comprising 23 districts. Punjabi, written in the Gurmukhi script, is the most widely spoken and the official language of the state. The main ethnic group are the Punjabis, with Sikhs (57.7%) and Hindus (38.5%) forming the dominant religious groups. The state capital, Chandigarh, is a union territory and also the capital of the neighbouring state of Haryana. Three tributaries of the Indus River — the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi — flow through Punjab.
Marwari Bhojnalaya is a popular name among Marwari-style purely vegetarian restaurants in many cities in India. They are all independently owned. The term "marwari" implies that it is intended for Marwari merchants, who are strictly vegetarian and prefer relatively simple and inexpensive food. They are however popular among all vegetarians. The term "bhojanalaya" practically always implies simple and inexpensive vegetarian cuisine. Restaurants named "Jain Bhojanalaya" or "Vaishanva Dhaba" are also vegetarian. Note that restaurants are often called "hotel" in India. Some of them used to offer traditional seating on wooden patiyas on the floor, but the custom is no longer popular and tables and chairs are now more common.
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Moti Mahal is a restaurant chain founded in Delhi, India. Founded after the partition of India in 1947, the Moti Mahal in Delhi was founded by Kundan Lal Gujral, Kundan Lal Jaggi and Thakur Das Magu as one of the first restaurants to introduce Punjabi cuisine and North Indian cuisine to the rest of the world such as tandoori chicken, paneer makhani, dal makhani, and butter chicken.
Highway on My Plate (HOMP) was a weekly travel and food show that aired on NDTV Good Times between 2007 and 2013, and is now available on Amazon Prime Video or repeated on channels. It was anchored by food enthusiasts and childhood friends Rocky Singh and Mayur Sharma, who have together traveled more than 1,20,000 kilometres across the length and breadth of India over the course of seven years in search of memorable eating experiences. The show was based onNDTV Good Times' Head of Food Programming Monica Narula's idea to showcase India's unique highway food and was directed by Abhinandan Sekhri and produced by Prashant Sareen, both of whom later co-founded the news critique website Newslaundry. In November, 2013, Rocky Singh announced on Facebook that HOMP Hills was the last season and there will be no new episodes.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is a centre-right Sikh-centric state political party in Punjab, India. The party is the second-oldest in India, after Congress, being founded in 1920. Although there are many parties with the description Akali Dal, the party that is recognized as "Shiromani Akali Dal" by the Election Commission of India is the one led by Sukhbir Singh Badal. The party has a moderate Punjabi agenda. On 26 September 2020, it left the National Democratic Alliance over the farm bills.
Paneer makhani is an Indian dish of paneer, originating in New Delhi, in which the gravy is prepared usually with butter (makhan), tomatoes and cashews. Spices such as red chili powder and garam masala are also used to prepare this gravy.
Kundan Lal Jaggi, was an Indian chef and restaurateur based in New Delhi. Kundan Lal Jaggi is the inventor of butter chicken, and dal makhani, paneer makhani and the founder of the Moti Mahal restaurant along with his partners Kundan Lal Gujral and Thakur Das Magu in 1947 in Daryaganj, Delhi.
Kundan Lal Gujral was an Indian chef and restaurateur based in New Delhi. He invented several Indian dishes which have since become popular worldwide, including Butter chicken, Paneer makhani, Tandoori chicken and Dal makhani. He was the founder of the restaurant chain Moti Mahal Delux.
8. Kesar Da Dhaba Amritsar, Serving 100 years old dal recipe