The Pure Punjabi Group of Restaurants in the UAE is all about simple, comforting meals from the north Indian state of Punjab that boast of authentic flavours and don’t compromise on taste. Founded by ex-banker Amanjeet Singh, Pure Punjabi and Punjabi Dhaba have positioned themselves on the UAE food map as the ideal places to visit for authentic dhaba dishes (local roadside delicacies of north India). The first Pure Punjabi restaurant opened its doors in Dubai’s International City in 2013, and next month this casual dining restaurant opens its second branch in Jumeirah Lake Towers. Its sister concern, the Punjabi Dhabi, is more of a sit-down semi-formal restaurant that has a presence in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and is ideal for families.
Both restaurants serve mouth-watering dishes, such as the Dhaba Special Biriyani, cooked in signature spices, Fish Amritsari (boneless fish pieces marinated in a thick batter infused with Ajwain or carom seeds and other spices and grilled in tandoor), the comforting Kadhi Pakora (deep fried fritters dunked in a yogurt based curry made with gram flour and spices), Butter Chicken, Mutton Rogan Josh, Dal Makhani, Paneer Amritsari and a range of freshly-made flatbreads, such as the tandoori naans or kulchas. Bursting with flavours, each dish is prepared with love by experienced chefs from Punjab.
Special spices and cooking technique
The idea to set up the Pure Punjabi Group of Restaurants occurred when Amanjeet Singh realised the real taste of Punjab was missing in the UAE. “Nothing I ate, tasted like the authentic food of my hometown. So, I realised there was a gap in the market and I took the plunge to start Pure Punjabi and Punjabi Dhaba. We use special spices from Punjab and a special cooking technique that often involves food being slow cooked over long hours. We make our ingredients from scratch. For example, the paneer or the cottage cheese we use is made in-house,” says Singh.
Meal for 10 Party Box
The Pure Punjabi Group has now launched its “Meal for 10 Party Box” across the UAE where one gets to order three special tandoori starters with 10 pieces of each, three main courses, two varieties of rice and three different types of flatbread with five pieces each, a bowl of raita (a yogurt condiment) and a special sweet dish. Priced at Dh400, this Party Box now has an inaugural offer of Dh300 and is delivered straight to your home in special boxes following all safety and hygiene standards. “With families preferring to have small gatherings at home, this party box for 10 people is a perfect made-to-order solutions serving some of our signature dishes all in one box,” says Singh.
Home catering
The expertise of The Pure Punjabi Group also extends to catering, both in villas and apartments. “We are equally equipped to cater to larger groups and can set up live chaat counters and buffets. We take in food orders for marriage parties, as well as supply corporate meals all across the UAE. Our in-house chefs are experts in not just North Indian cuisine, but also South Indian cuisine, Thai, Chinese and even Japanese sushi. In the current market scenario we are not catering for large family gatherings, but once the situation improves, we hope to have a busy season.”
Healthy and delicious meals
Amanjeet Singh and his brother Dildeep Singh are closely working with international food and hygiene consultants from UK , India and Dubai to develop the Healthicious brand,which will soon be launching in the UAE market. “Healthy food can be delicious as well and we are consulting food experts to design the Healthicious menu. We would be having our signature dishes under this brand, but cooked with no heavy butter or oil. We even want to replace the traditional basmati rise used in Indian meals with black rice or quinoa,” says Singh.