A mouth-watering 10-day affair, ‘Mitti Di Khushboo’ — The Baisakhi Food Festival at The Café@JW will serve traditional delights from across Punjab to the tricity residents.
As people prepare to celebrate Baisakhi, a festival steeped in the history, heritage and culture of Punjab; the state’s most prized possession, food, is unfolding at JW Marriott, Chandigarh.
“Not just the routine Punjabi dishes, but also some long-lost and forgotten delicacies in the ever-evolving times are being revamped and presented at ‘Mitti Di Khushboo’ festival,” says Naveen Handa, executive chef at the hotel.
Having 17 years of experience in the field, he says, “Moving further from the stereotypical Punjabi desserts that come to mind such as moong dal halwa, gajar ka halwa and jalebi, we have introduced new recipes such as gehu ka halwa, lasun ki kheer, khas khas ka halwa and matar ki kheer.“Some of these cuisines are not part of the traditional Punjabi menu, but we have incorporated them for this festival,” he adds.
Ashish Kumar, the souschef de cuisine, having 10 years of experience, says, “We have kept three rotational menus for different days during the festival. In our nonvegetarian segment, we are bringing in signature dishes such as bharta chicken and atta chicken (which are our USP), and katthal biryani among others.”
{{/usCountry}}Ashish Kumar, the souschef de cuisine, having 10 years of experience, says, “We have kept three rotational menus for different days during the festival. In our nonvegetarian segment, we are bringing in signature dishes such as bharta chicken and atta chicken (which are our USP), and katthal biryani among others.”
{{/usCountry}}“Also, there is Amritsari gur ka karha, which, now-adays, is made only in remote Punjabi villages, and is not a part of the modern Punjabi households or restaurants,” he adds.
Besides the gastronomical wonders, there will be other attractions to warm the hearts of patrons.
The guests will be greeted with traditional phulkaris adorning the walls of the restaurant through a village-themed entrance.
Once inside, the guests will find stalls of bangles, Punjabi juttis, mehendi and phulkaris, emanating the joyous vibes of a traditional Baisakhi mela.