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PHOTO: R. Shivaji Rao

RICH FARE Punjab on a platter

“When we moved here from Ludhiana eight years ago, we didn’t like the North Indian food that we got here. So we decided to come up with our own restaurant serving authentic Punjabi cuisine,” explains Varma.

Shan-E-Punjab is tucked away in Hotel Park View Inn (near Doveton flyover) in Vepery. Due to its location in an area predominantly populated by Jains and Marwaris, the restaurant serves only vegetarian food.

After scanning the menu, I ordered Tiranga paneer and Hara bhara kabab as starters; for the main course I decided to go with Makki ki roti, Missi roti (also known as Punjabi pizza) Folding paratha and Punjabi paratha and to go with it I asked for Sarson ka saag, Dal makhni, Handi paneer and Malai kofta.

The rates, I noticed, were reasonable and a lavish meal for two would cost well within Rs. 500. “Our chef and our workers are from Punjab,” I was informed by Chanchal. The couple said two of them got good job offers and left: one of them joined a city hotel while the other went off to Japan.

Talking to the Varmas’ whetted my appetite, and in just a few minutes the food arrived. I shunned spoon and fork and opted to use my fingers instead to enjoy the food in true Indian style. To my pleasant surprise, I found the food fresh and not at all oily, unlike in most Punjabi restaurants.

The parathas were as soft as they can get; the Punjabi paratha especially was light yet crispy. The gravies were wonderful, especially the Handi paneer with a strong hint of dhaniya, which added to its taste. I had given up hope of finding the perfect Dal makhni in Chennai, but when it came I had to change my mind. I finished up with a glass of Kulfi falooda, which tasted as good as it looked.

Shaan-e-Punjab is a no-frills, down-to-earth kind of place; but what it lacks by way of décor, it more than makes up with the quality of its cuisine, which is as bona fide Punjabi as it can get. It can certainly give some of the fancy Punjabi restaurants in the city a run for their money.

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