Culinary Nuances

• The Punjab region is often referred to as the bread basket of India, and the cuisine has many wheat-based products. The outsider’s view of Indian cooking often assumes a tendency to incorporate rice in most dishes, with breads served on the side. But rice is more common in southern India only. In the Punjab, bread features as the main carbohydrate to accompany a curry or sauce. The custom is rather lost in translation in overseas Indian restaurants, many of which are themselves Punjabi in origin, where rice and breads are mixed indiscriminately according to demand.

Typical Ingredients

• Compared to Indian cooking in general, the Punjab region distinguishes itself by the richness of its dishes. Wheat and dairy products predominate, ranging from flatbreads such as chapati, paratha and roti, cooked on the tawa hotplate, to naan cooked in the tandoor oven. Main dishes lean heavily on rich, creamy sauces and gravies incorporating milk, cream or yogurt, with the addition of paneer cheese in many cases. Typically, meats and vegetables are cooked in clarified butter, called ghee, rendering dishes full of flavor but rich in saturated fat. Rice is usually served for special occasions, but always flavored rather than plain.

Signature Dishes

• Certain dishes instantly evoke the Punjab and are ubiquitous along the roadside stalls. Butter chicken, murgh makhani, has arguably been the most successful in finding overseas fame and is typical of the region in marrying chili, ghee, yogurt and citrus flavors. Less known abroad but fiercely cherished in the Punjab are sarson ka saag, a vegetarian dish of slow-cooked spinach and mustard leaves with lentils; and makki di roti, a corn flour flatbread topped with butter. Many dishes will also be accompanied by rajma, a red kidney bean dish, rich in spices.

Proud Exports

• In some cases, a Punjabi specialty is tied to a specific location but has found a broader fan base, such as Amritsari fried fish, which hails from the city of the same name. Lassi, a chilled yogurt drink popular in the scorching summer, comes originally from the Punjab, where a dollop of clotted cream is often added as a distinctive flourish. Among India’s panoramic sweet range, gajrela carries the Punjabi standard, giving its origins away by blending shredded carrot and spices with heavy cream and ghee.