Cuisine
Punjabi Tarrka
by JASPREET NIJHER
Chandigarh, Punjab
It's been decades since J.
Inder Singh Kalra - 'Jiggs Kalra' in culinary circles - set about satiating,
tantalizing and appeasing palates, not just appetites. But what hasn't
changed
is the way his Butter Chicken, which is called ‘Chooza Makhani' at Jiggs'
restaurant, and Dal Makhni taste.
‘‘We had established
with a vision to serve authentic cuisine from the erstwhile Punjab
Province
(India and Pakistan). We innovate only on the traditional recipe ... no
fusion fare for us,'' says Jiggs, a globally recognized food critic and
columnist, and now, restaurateur.
Though his restaurant dishes out a
host of innovative recipes like Salmon Tikka and Tandoori Duck, the
Butter
Chicken stays on top. ‘‘It was recently rated at the 4th position by
CNN International as a must-try and to-die-for dish on our menu,'' he
beams.
The effervescent gastronome, who champions authentic Punjabi
cuisine, has opened his signature restaurant in Chandigarh, announcing
more than just his arrival.
‘‘The Punjabi palate is extremely
sophisticated owing to the fact that Punjabis are very well travelled.
The
people here prefer local cuisine and flavours over imports - as is the
case for all culinary cultures,'' says Jiggs, talking of this region
known as
the land of foodies.
Despite his acceptance, food habits are changing
with the times and well travelled people want to experience those same
flavours
back home, which is why western cuisines are also becoming popular,
Jiggs cannot
be convinced about the Punjabi changing his food loyalty.
‘‘Punjabis
love Butter Chicken for its robust quality. Their love for rich, creamy
tomato
gravy is difficult to surpass, which is why this dish - in all its hues
- has become a global favourite,'' says Zorawar Singh, the son of the famous
restaurateur, who now looks after his dad's food business.
When it
comes to catering to the epicurean sensibility, Jiggs painstakingly
calls upon
the original and most laborious recipes, his confession about finding
his way
into hearts.
‘‘Our Butter Chicken recipe is a
sophisticated version. It is produced through an extremely difficult
process
that includes straining the tomato sauce through a conical strainer and
muslin
cloth multiple times till the desired texture and consistency is
achieved. This
process takes several hours. This is reason why our dish is considered
as the
new standard in North Indian cuisine,'' he adds.
While Jiggs
celebrates the piquancy of being a Punjabi and exhibits it in his food,
which he
claims is never static, his opening here is a toast to this region that
gave him
all. ‘‘It was imperative that our restaurant, serving authentic
Punjabi cuisine, be present in the region that gave birth to the
cuisine,'' he
adds.
[Courtesy: The Times of India]
July 10, 2010
Conversation about this article
1: Irvinder Singh Babra (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), July 10, 2010, 4:04 PM.
Congratulations to you, Jiggs Kalra, on your new restaurant. This is a lovely, relaxing outcome of your articles on Punjabi foods and lifestyle in the Illustrated Weekly of India in the '70s. Open one more in Brampton or Hollywood, where Pierce Brosnan has one. I will be eating there shortly! And I must say what Khushwant Singh was doing for young talents like yourself, T. Sher Singh of sikhchic.com is doing in the diaspora. sikhchic tarrka? It can happen!