![]() |
Gulab Jamun |
In what can only be described as a meta moment straight out of the movies, reminiscent of the kind of scenes that are inserted in the script to add a touch of humour, the otherwise unassuming owner of The Dream Kitchen {TDK} and budding music artiste, Jeet Walia, instructed one his floor staff members to play 'mera wala gaana' {his song} even as we were discussing the restaurant's excellent Punjabi playlist. No, he wasn't referring to his favourite track, but one that he'd sung himself. Such an occurrence was a definite first for me and yes, it did leave me a tad amused.
![]() |
Chatpati Chaap |
Now I don't mean to enforce clichés here but a good Punjabi restaurant is one that makes me put aside the cutlery, roll-up my sleeves and dig straight in with my hands and The Dream Kitchen made me do that at very onset of the meal. Soya chaap is an extremely popular vegetarian snack / appetizer and even though it's commonly available here in Pune I hadn't tasted it yet. TDK does a few variations of chaap from which we were served Chatpati Chaap which is first deep fried and then marinated and BBQ'd in a tandoor resulting in a myriad of textures and flavours.
![]() | ||
Lagaan Ki Boti |
The Lasooni Murgh Tikka comes coated with a thick-ish marinade that only adds more spunk and succulence. Extra brownie points for that perfect charring and a slightly smoky-burnt taste which makes the crucial difference between good and great tikkas. The Murgh Afghani Roll came with a spicy chicken filling wrapped in rumali roti and garnished with cream to mellow down the spices while the Lagaan Ki Boti had boneless chunks of mutton tossed in a dark brown gravy that keeps the meat moist even as the temperature drops.
Our main course comprised of Chicken Rara, Mutton Bhuna and Dal Makhani and all the 3 dishes scored impressively. The non vegetarian dishes had a similar looking, but distinctive, curries and generous quantity of well cooked meat served on the bone. The Rara, of course, had a chicken mince based gravy but it was the Bhuna, bolstered by the unctuousness of mutton, that won hands down. Not one to be left behind, the Dal Makhani was one of the best I've had in the city and goes well either with the perfectly flaky Lachcha Paratha or stuffed Amritsari Kulcha or just good ol' steamed rice.
![]() |
Kesari Phirni |
![]() |
Shahi Tukda |
Desserts included Kesari Phirni, Gulab Jamun and Shahi Tukda and there was nothing much to complain there either, except for the desiccated coconut sprinkled on the Gulab Jamun. I particularly enjoyed the creamy, saffron infused phirni which, just like the other two desserts, wasn't cloyingly sweet.
Not that I eat rich, spicy food often while dining out, but The Dream Kitchen will be high on my list the next time I need my Punjabi fix of tikkas, dal makhani and crispy butter naan. It should be on yours too.
{The bloggers table was hosted by The Dream Kitchen.}
No comments:
Post a Comment