Try GOLD - Free
From the homes of Punjab to the restaurant menu
Mint Hyderabad
|August 02, 2025
It's sad but true that what passes for Punjabi cuisine in many of the restaurants in the National Capital Region (NCR) is a bit of a cliché.
It's sad but true that what passes for Punjabi cuisine in many of the restaurants in the National Capital Region (NCR) is a bit of a cliché. You know what to expect even before opening the menu card—some sort of tandoori kebab, dal makhani, garlic naan, a sweet shahi chicken gravy enriched with a paste of nuts. The list is somewhat incongruous with the image that the landscape of Punjab conjures up: lush fields, a wide variety of seasonal produce, community kitchens and slow-cooked meals. There is a disconnect between what is peddled under the monolith of "Punjabi food" and what is actually cooked in homes across the state.
One wonders what led to dishes such as dal makhani, tandoori chicken and butter chicken becoming synonymous with Punjabi cuisine in Delhi. Historian-academic Pushpesh Pant offers the sociological and psychological reasons behind this. "Partition impoverished people. It made them refugees who didn't have access to individual kitchens. Later, when they became a little more affluent and put roots down in Delhi, they started to enrich and embellish their food," he explains. Some became proprietors of dhabas and what they created was not a mirror image of the dishes from their hometowns but a repertoire to inform people that they were not always impoverished. And those dishes caught on. But neither were these homestyle recipes nor did they offer any nuance on the various regions of Punjab.
This story is from the August 02, 2025 edition of Mint Hyderabad.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Mint Hyderabad

Mint Hyderabad
'Oversupply is temporary, a growing India will absorb it'
India’s rapid urbanization, infra push will drive steady growth in steel use: JSW Steel CEO
3 mins
October 20, 2025

Mint Hyderabad
Rare friends: A Brazil-US deal may foil China's mineral game
Beijing's rare-earth squeeze may have created an unlikely alliance
3 mins
October 20, 2025

Mint Hyderabad
Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to immediate ceasefire after peace talks
Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire during talks in Doha, both sides said on Sunday, after a week of fierce border clashes, the worst violence between the South Asian neighbours since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021.
2 mins
October 20, 2025
Mint Hyderabad
The Tata Group squabble suggests a leadership vacuum
The Tata Group is no stranger to trouble.
4 mins
October 20, 2025

Mint Hyderabad
UP pulls the plug on hybrid sops, backs electrics
The battle between electric and hybrid vehicles in India has taken a fresh turn, with Uttar Pradesh—the largest state offering incentives for hybrid cars—deciding to withdraw all financial benefits for hybrids and back only pure electric vehicles (EVs).
1 min
October 20, 2025
Mint Hyderabad
Spring cleaning: Time to declutter your financial cobwebs this Diwali
Tidy up your portfolio, loans and insurance, ensuring coverage is comprehensive for a stronger financial base
5 mins
October 20, 2025

Mint Hyderabad
Uber drivers can earn during downtime by training its algorithm
Uber could package this labelled data—or the insights derived from it—into a commercial service for external clients such as enterprises, AV developers, logistics firms, or city agencies seeking ground-truth, frequently refreshed geospatial datasets.
2 mins
October 20, 2025
Mint Hyderabad
MENTAL HEALTH DEVICES: SCIENCE OR SNAKE OIL?
Startups are taking mental health care beyond pills and therapy, through wearable devices
9 mins
October 20, 2025

Mint Hyderabad
RBL Bank aims to power growth with Emirates capital
RBL Bank Ltd expects to secure regulatory approvals in the next five to six months for a $3 billion investment from Emirates NBD, a deal that would ultimately transition the Indian private bank into a listed subsidiary of the foreign bank. As part of the acquisition, RBL Bank will be merged with Emirates NBD's wholly-owned subsidiary currently operating in India.
1 min
October 20, 2025
Mint Hyderabad
Investment: Steer clear of paralysis by analysis
Equity or debt? Real estate or gold? Bitcoin or art? It might take more bravery than usual to invest across arisk-return spectrum that’ in flux, but household funds must not go idle
2 mins
October 20, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size