Hyderabad has a special love for Punjabi cuisine. It is definitely the most popular regional cuisine in the city apart from the local ones, and the food lovers here have quite an in-depth knowledge of this food. There are more than two dozens of Punjabi restaurants worth a mention in the city, Punjab Grill and Dhaba by Claridges among them are current favourites of mine. Punjabi food festivals are also in demand in the city, the latest among them being the “Taste of Punjab” a promotion of Punjabi food at The Trident Hyderabad. The festival is being held at Kanak, the Indian restaurant at The Trident. The a-la-carte menu has been specially curated for the festival by the in-house chefs.
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| Jhelum Ka Jhinga |
For me, one of the interesting aspects of this festival was the quality and diversity of the starters.
Adraki Chaapein was a little different from the usual Punjabi kababs. The smoky lamb chops had a strong flavour of ginger and an aftertaste of black pepper and tasted good even if they were slightly overdone.
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| Adraki Chaapein |
Jhelum Ka Jhinga made its mark too. Medium sized good quality prawns marinated in elaichi and green chillies had diners clamouring for a second helping. Of course, I had my favourite
Patiala Peg a whisky cocktail with cardamom and cinnamon from Kanak, to give it company.
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| Atta ka Kukkad |
Atta ka Kukkad (atta chicken), is a dish where the masala chicken is wrapped in a cloth and encased in wheat dough. The whole thing is then cooked in a tandoor. In this festival, the chicken was cut into pieces before marination, which was different from the usual whole chicken used for it. As a result, the marinade permeated more into the dish and it was better than the atta chicken I recently had in various restaurants in the city. Frankly, though I like the gig of cutting open the atta and bringing out the chicken, I am not a fan of this dish.
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| Tikki Chhole |
The other starters served were
Tikki Chhole and
Amritsari Fish. Both were decent.
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| Amritsari Fish |
The main course items had a few surprises too.
Patiala Raan, a rum braised preparation of lamb leg was the highlight for me. The meat had only little masala and the flavours were quite subtle in the dish.
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| Patiala Raan |
Nukkad da Kukkad was the quintessential dhaba style chicken prepared to perfection.
Khade Masale ke Bateir, a preparation of quail in whole spices, worked for me – the onion based gravy was very Punjabi.
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| Khade Masale ke Bateir |
Another lamb preparation was
Machheri Gosht, a spicy mutton preparation in chillies and pepper corn. The
Churchur Naan did full justice as a companion to it.
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| Machheri Gosht |
The vegetarian main courses were
Malai Wale Tinde, Lacchedar Palak Paneer and
Aloo Matar Methi. Tinda is a popular vegetable in Punjab which is loved and hated at the same time. Here it was presented in a cream based recipe. Aloo Matar Methi is traditional recipe cooked in homes, and usually, it never goes wrong.
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| Lacchedar Palak Paneer |
The desserts were
Kulfi and
Panjiri. Panjiri is a traditional Punjabi dessert with ghee fried whole wheat garnished with nuts. I do not like that dish, so did not try it here. But there are many fans of panjiri who may enjoy it. Instead, I settled for the Kulfi which was very good.
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| Kulfi and Panjiri |
The festival is a-la-carte and will be on until 31st August only for dinner. The dishes are diverse from various parts of the land of five rivers, and the preparations are quite good. The promotion will be a hit with the aficionados of Punjabi food in the city.
Location:
Kanak
The Trident
Hitech City (next to Shilpa Kala Vedika)
Hyderabad
Telephone: 66232323
Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant.
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