Amritsar, The Golden City | Heaven of Indian Foods and Delicacies | Complete Travel Blog

Amritsar is heaven when it comes to food….and almost all the famous places are almost hole in wall places….few places which you can try and visit are :

For breakfast

“All India Fames Kulcha” (yes that’s the spelling)
Maqbool Road
or
“Kanha Sweets”
Lawrence Road
Both places are famous for Kulcha’s

For lunch/Dinner

“Kesar Da Dhaba”
Chownk Passian
or
“Kundan Dhaba”
opposite Hall Gate near Chitra Cinema
or
“Bhrawan Da Dhaba”
Town Hall

All the above are Veg restaurants

The ones serving non-vegetarian food are

“Friends Dhaba” on Queen’s Road,

“Amber” on Lawrence Road and

“Sheetal Glass House” on Queen’s Road.

“Gurudas Ram Jelebiwala” (sells just 2-3 types of Indian sweets and has people from 5 am to 10 pm and the shop is some 90 years old) is in Katra Ahluwalia

Write it all down or take a printout and maybe get hold of some local who can read and write it for you in Punjabi or can give you an idea of the places.

Punjabis have the reputation of being the greatest producers of good food and being the still greater consumers of it. Punjab has bequeathed the institution of Dhaba-originally a wayside-eating joint to the world. The Dhaba moves wherever a Punjabi goes. There are Vaishno dhabas where only vegetarian food is cooked in pure ghee or clarified white butter. Dal Makhni, a shining blackish lentil named Urd or Maha of the Dhaba has become world famous and is served in Punjab on all ceremonial occasions.

Pranthas, stuffed with seasonal vegetables, fried on a pan, baked in the tandoor, a barrel-shaped oven fashioned out of alluvial soil, curds, sometimes mixed with khoya-a kind of fudge made by boiling the milk on slow fire-with chunks of white butter floating on top; spinach of mustard mixed with other leaves and special tongue-tingling spices which is cooked in an earthen vessel on slow fire and chappatis made out of the flour of maize, panir-cottage cheese-stuffed with different sumptuous fillings have also become commodities of export.

The saffron-mixed buttermilk (lassi) of Amritsar, milk boiled with almonds, pistachio and dry-dates in winter and the same mix boiled into a thick liquid and then solidified in a banana-shaped mould in the form of a Kulfi are unmatched in taste. Panjiri, whole-wheat flour fried in sugar and ghee, heavily laced with dry-fruits and herbal gums in eaten in the winter to ward off the cold.

The Bazaars of the towns of Punjab are always loaded with sweetmeats, seasonal fruits and other foodstuffs. It will need a handbook to describe all the savouries of Punjab. Old towns like Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, and Patiala also manufacture exotic sherbets. Punjabi fried and tandoori-baked fish, tandoori baked and butter chicken, kababs baked on charcoal, Patiala’s Shahjahani Palao and a variety of chicken and mutton curries and vegetable and meat biryanis have relished the world over.

The British were astonished to see when they conquered Punjab that on the periphery of every village, there was a special Dera or Takia where hospitality was offered to every wayfarer. Even today you cannot come out of a Punjabi home without having enjoyed its hospitality. There are denominational institutions all over Punjab, especially the Sikh historical gurudwaras where free board and lodging are offered throughout the day and night.

Punjabi cuisine can be non-vegetarian or completely vegetarian. It is widely popular however there is some ignorance in Western Cultures that Punjabi cuisine is completely curry based. The level of spices can vary from minimal to very prevalent. One of the main features of Punjabi cuisine is its diverse range of dishes. Home-cooked and restaurant Punjabi cuisine can vary significantly, with restaurant style using large amounts of clarified butter, known locally as desi ghee, with liberal amounts of butter and cream with home cooked concentrating mainly upon wheat masalas (spice) flavourings. Though wheat varieties form their staple food, Punjabis do cook rice on special occasions. During winter a delicacy, Kheer is cooked using rice. Rice is cooked for a long time in sugar cane juice.

Within the state itself, there are different preferences. People in the area of Amritsar prefer stuffed parathas and milk products. In fact, the area is well known for the quality of its milk products. There are certain dishes, which are exclusive to Punjab, such as Mah Di Dal and Saron Da Saag (Sarson Ka Saag). The food is tailor-made for the Punjabi lifestyle in which most of the rural folk burn up a lot of calories while working in the fields. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic and ginger. Tandoori food is a Punjabi speciality, especially for non-veg dishes.

Ram Tirath Fair:
Ram Tirath Fair is regarded as an important religious event of Amritsar. The fair is held at a place called Ram Tirath which is situated at a distance of 11 km from Amritsar. A pilgrimage of Punjab, the site at which the Ram Tirath Fair is organized, a tank is situated there. The myth surrounding the fair says that this tank was dug by the ardent follower of Lord Rama, Hanuman. As per the historic past of Ram Tirath, the place was once used by Devi Sita who was the wife of Lord Rama. During her exile, Sita spent her days in a hut in Ram Tirath and gave birth to Lav and Kush in this place only. Also, one of the greatest epics of Hindu Shashtra – Ramayana – is said to have been written by Rishi Valmiki in Ram Tirath.

During the five days of the Ram Tirath Fair which takes place after two weeks of Diwali, the women of Amritsar make lamps of flour, fill them with mustard oil or ghee and float these in the water of the tank while signing holy songs. This custom is known by the name of Tullu floating in Amritsar. Book your cheap flight to Amritsar to experience the traditions.

Basant Panchami:
Basant Panchami is the popular festival of Amritsar. All the inhabitants of Amritsar celebrate this festival with great fun, and devotion. On the occasion of Basant Panchami, a big fair is organized in the Chheharta Sahib Gurudwara of Amritsar. On this sacred festival, the services of Langar are arranged for the devotees. This is the festival celebrated by all Sikh families. People of all religions, castes and creeds come to Amritsar to celebrate the Basant Panchami festival. There is a ritual of kite play on this day. People enjoy kite flying at this festival the sky gets filled with lots of small and large colourful kites.

Baisakhi:
The festival of Baisakhi or Vaisakhi is celebrated in Amritsar with great magnificence and extravaganza. It is celebrated on or around the 13th of April month each and every year. The festival celebrates the spring season with great enthusiasm. The inhabitants of Amritsar celebrate this festival with colours and Bhangra dances and Punjabi songs are performed. Baisakhi has great religious importance. It is considered as a very auspicious festival in Amritsar because it is the sacred day when Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa Panth. On the festival, pious The Granth Sahib is read in all the Gurdwaras and attractive processions pass through out the city.

Lohri Festival:
Lohri is one of the major festivals of Punjab and many other North Indian States. It is a very popular festival for Sikhs and Hindus. It is celebrated after harvesting the Rabi crops and held on or around the 14th of January every year. It becomes most required for newly married couples to celebrate their first Lohri festival. Lohri is celebrated in various parts of India but varies in name and local traditions. Til, gazak, rewari, sweets, gur, jaggery, moongphali, phuliya (the local delicacies) are consumed as the sacred Prasad of Lohri. Revolving around the bonfire is the essential ritual of Lohri. Traditional dance and songs are performed at the time of celebrating this festival.

Guru Nanak Jayanti:
Guru Nanak Jayanti is also known as the Gurupurab festival. Guru Nanak Dev was the first Sikh spiritual leader and is also known as the founder of the Sikh religion. This is the festival dedicated to celebrating his birthday anniversary with fervour. It is celebrated in the month of October or November (depending on the Indian calendar). The festival is celebrated by all Sikhs with high devotion. On the festival of Guru Nanak Jayanti all the Gurudwaras of Amritsar are beautifully decorated with lights and bulbs. The sacred Akhand Path that is a forty-eight hours incessant reading of the Granth Sahib blessed book is conducted at all the Gurudwaras. Special lunch known as Langar is freely served to all the people at this festival.

Hola Mohalla:
Hola Mohalla is the popular festival of Amritsar. This festival is dedicated to Guru Gobind Singh who was the tenth religious leader of Sikhs. Anandpur Sahib is the sacred site which possesses the major religious values in Sikhism where the festival of Hola Mohalla is organized with utmost devotion and fun. On the festival of Hola Mohalla various religious processions pass from the roads of Amritsar city. It is a very auspicious event for all Sikhs. During this festival, various Sikh people perform their martial art skills in unreal combats. This is celebrated for three days. A big fair is also conducted with a festival that is popular for mock battle fights, soldierly competitions, antique exhibitions of weapons, swords and many more.

Diwali:
Diwali is the prime festival of lights and is held between the months of October and November. It is celebrated in Amritsar with high magnificence and extravaganza. The Festival of Diwali in Amritsar offers a unique experience as it is celebrated in the Golden Temple with great enthusiasm and devotion. In Amritsar various cultural and religious events takes place. Famous poets and religious singers participate in the spiritual congregations. On the festival day, devotees take a sacred dip in the consecrated water in the early morning. During the festive days, the Golden temple, surroundings areas and houses are illuminated with a chain of colourful lights, bulbs, oil lamps, candles and earthen lamps.

A trip to Amritsar will give you an opportunity to explore the authentic beauties of the past as well as the present. Book your cheap flights to Amritsar with Oceans Travel and experience the colourful traditions and values of India. With regular flights from Birmingham to Amritsar, London Heathrow to Amritsar and all other major UK airports you will find a fantastic deal. Popular flights such as Air India, Qatar Airways, Turkmenistan Airlines and Uzbekistan Airways fly to Amritsar. Don’t miss out and book your cheap ticket to Amritsar with Oceans Travel

Read our many, many more Oceans Travel blogs. And find out great travel tips and more!