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Made in Punjab

Made in Punjab

By Anubhav Sapra

Cyber Hub is one place in Gurgaon which is constantly abuzz with corporate life. During lunch hours, corporate employees can be seen anywhere and everywhere in the cafes, restaurants, sharing meal with their colleagues. It shall only be apt that Cyber Hub should rename itself Food Hub as there are a wide array of options to choose from the list of restaurants to dine at. A sign board guides the way to different restaurants with discounts on offer. I was there the other day for lunch. Being a true Punjabi, I opted for ‘Made in Punjab’ situated on the ground floor of Cyber Hub, Gurgaon.

‘Made in Punjab’, a unit of Massive Restaurants, is owned by Mr. Zorawar Kalra, son of legendary Chef Jiggs Kalra. ‘Made in Punjab’ is one of the six restaurants that opened their outlets in 2013 when Cyber Hub started. Chef Pradeep Negi, Chef Moin Qureshi, Chef Mahavir, and Chef Mayank Bajaj have put their heart and soul in curating the dishes on the menu.

beetroot tikkiI tried all the dishes from the buffet menu which is priced at Rs 795/- (inclusive of taxes). I also tried a few from the a la carte menu as I wanted to taste some of their signature dishes. The buffet menu changes every day. There are different menus for different days. I went to Made in Punjab on a Wednesday. Customers are served starters on the table. First, there were gol guppas and papdi chaat on the table. The gol guppas were crispy, but seemed to have got soggy on their way from kitchen to the table. I was served mutton seekh kebab, mutton minced patty, murgh malai tikka, roasted chicken and fish tikka. All the starters were a bit dry for me except the seekh kebabs. They also brought the beetroot kebab and dahi kebab (not the part of buffet menu) to the table. These were very soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, which seems to me the perfect combination. Again, two other interesting dishes that need a special mention here are bhatti murgh and mutton chaap. The mutton chaap was simply excellent and a must try! An interesting part of the buffet menu is the variety of pickles that they serve – amla, shalgam, carrot, kathal and onion.

mutton 'made in punjab'In the main course, I tried the home style cooked chicken curry, rarah mutton and chicken biryani. Again, apart from the chicken biryani, the other dishes lacked texture and authentic taste. The Punjabi flavors were missing. However, I must admit that the taste is completely different, if one tries the same dish from the a la carte menu. In fact, it happens in all the restaurants. From the a la carte menu, I tried a few dishes which tasted excellent. One such dish was “Mutton Made in Punjab” which was cooked to simple perfection. It was so soft that the meat was almost falling off the bone. I enjoyed this dish to the core. The other dish was murgh makhani, boneless chicken made in the traditional Delhi style gravy. I liked its consistency. The chef revealed that they make this dish without the seeds of tomato which gives it a smooth texture. I relished it with garlic naan.

sarson da saagBut what came to be a surprise was the makke di roti and sarson da saag. Sarson da saag was served in a small clay pot, garnished with butter and small tomato slices. It had a nice, subtle texture. The aroma of the clay made it a dish worth trying. It went well with the buttered makke di roti. I enjoyed every bite of it.

The signature dessert of Made in Punjab is thin and finely made, crispy jalebis served with thick rabri. Phirni was equally a delight to the taste buds to round off the meal.

Made in Punjab also have discounted offers for people working in the corporate sector. Hungry souls there might find their refuge here. Also, people who hold American Express cards can dine with their membership rewards points not just at Made in Punjab, but at several other restaurants in Gurgaon such as Farzi, Zambar, Canton Spice, Sutra, and Imperfecto, to name a few. I think I should better hold its card, just for food.

 bhatti murgh dum ki chicken briyani pindi channa

Photos: Massive Restaurants

Anubhav Sapra
Anubhav Sapra is an avid foodie! He is a Founder but proudly calls himself a Foodie-in-chief at Delhi Food Walks. He is also a street-food and Indian regional cuisine connoisseur and loves to write about street-food.
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