Pre-Partition Punjabi Food In Chandigarh: Experts Share Best Spots And Origin Stories

Punjab, meaning "land of five rivers," has always been a melting pot of influences. The region’s cuisine has taken the best of elements from Persian, Afghan, Central Asian, and Mughal kitchens, blending them with local produce and traditions. With the painful partition in 1947, millions crossed the new border, carrying with them not only memories but also recipes, centuries-old cooking techniques, and culinary traditions. 

To get a taste of the authentic pre-partition Punjabi cuisine in Chandigarh, Slurrp interviewed restaurateurs who come with a family who migrated with time-honoured recipes and seasoned chefs from restaurants that vouch to preserve the cuisine from undivided Punjab. Here are some of the best restaurants in Chandigarh that serve dishes inspired by the pre-partition era.

Ikk Panjab, Chandigarh

As the name suggests, Ikk Panjab, the recent addition to Chandigarh’s culinary scene by Bright Hospitality, boasts the cuisine of the pre-partition era. Focusing on bringing back the forgotten flavours and stories of undivided Punjab, Rajan Sethi, the founder of Ikk Panjab, aims to bring back the rich culinary heritage lost to time and migration.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have access to family traditions that go back several generations. Much of our recipes' inspiration comes from our family kitchens, where meals were cooked with an eye for detail and flavour. In addition to these traditions, we also do extensive research, speaking to elders, food historians, archivists, who still remember and record the original recipes, looking through old cookbooks, and even connecting with local culinary experts,” Rajan Sethi says while introducing the concept. “It’s a meticulous process, and we also work closely with chefs who understand the nuances of traditional cooking methods. For us, it’s not just about replicating dishes but truly capturing their essence and spirit.”

On The Menu

Gosht Beliram

At Ikk Panjab, one of the most legendary dishes served is Gosht Beliram, a slow-cooked mutton curry that traces its roots back to the royal kitchens of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The dish was named after his personal chef, Beliram, who was known for creating food that was full of flavour without being overly rich. Talking about the preparation process, Rajan adds, “There is no cream and no shortcuts here, just the deep taste of good meat brought to life through time, patience, and tradition.”

Matthi Chole

“This one's straight out of our Dadi Harnam Kaur’s kitchen. She used to serve this during community langars and family brunches. The flaky matthi, a kind of deep-fried spiced biscuit, was her signature, something she kneaded with her hands while humming old Punjabi folk tunes.” Sethi paints a picture of the dish. As for the chole, he says, they were slow-cooked in a brass pot with crushed anardana, black cardamom, and a homemade garam masala blend. Staying true to the passed-down recipe, with secret chutney recipes, you can get a throwback of a typical Sunday morning with Ikk Panjab’s Matthi Chole.

Roasted Lahori Chicken Chargha

Roasted Lahori Chicken Chargha is picked up from the streets of Lahore, where it was often prepared during weddings and festivals. The traditional versions are said to be made with a vinegar and yoghurt marinade. At Ikk Panjab, the chicken is fire-roasted in the tandoor. Plus, what makes the serving at Ikk Panjab special is the spice mix they source from an old masala shop in Lahore.

Patiala Shahi Tandoori Bater

Bater (quail) was a favourite in the princely state of Patiala, especially during hunting parties. The Maharajas believed quail meat boosted stamina, and they loved serving it grilled with just a hint of spice. “We’ve taken that old-school idea and given it a tandoori touch. Marinated overnight in saffron, cardamom, and cream, it’s then cooked over open flames, and you’ll feel like you’re dining in the palace courtyards of Patiala,” adds Rajan Sethi.

Kunna Gosht

From the heart of Chiniot, near Lahore, this dish is rustic, heavy, and is known for its satisfying taste. The name "Kunna" comes from the clay pot it's traditionally cooked in, with a round bottom that allows even heat distribution. As per the older stories, Kunna Gosht was traditionally served to weary travellers to strengthen them after a long journey.

Pinni

Sharing one of his favourites, Rajan Sethi describes, “While often seen as just a winter sweet, pinni’s importance in Punjabi households is huge. Pinni was like food and medicine rolled into one. It was made with ingredients meant to give strength during the cold, and no two families made it the same way. Even today, it brings back memories of winters spent with cousins and big tiffins filled with homemade sweets.

Address: Ikk Panjab, S.C.O. 51, Madhya Marg, Sector 26, Chandigarh, 160019

Timings: 12 PM to 3:30 PM; 6:30 PM to 11:30 PM

Price For Two: ₹2500

Kaanan At The Oberoi Sukhvilas Spa Resort, New Chandigarh 

Kaanan, the Sanskrit word, translates to “forest”, and it truly stands by its name by giving the diners a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Serving cuisine influenced by Punjab’s diverse heritage, the menu of Kaanan is set by chefs who have travelled through the streets of Punjab’s bustling cities and quiet villages. With the use of slow-cooking techniques, traditional clay ovens, and locally sourced ingredients, the diners at Kaanan are sure to get an authentic taste of Punjabi cuisine.

Diving deeper into the recreation of dishes from undivided Punjab, Chef Arindam Basu, the sous chef, says, “Our culinary team set out on a months-long research expedition across Punjab, travelling through cities like Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar, as well as lesser-explored rural towns such as Kotkapura, Mogga, and Pallanpur. We sat with elderly home cooks in mud homes, observed preparations done over clay chulhas, and listened to oral histories shared over warm cups of chai.”

“Spices were hand-pounded in sil-battas, dals were slow-cooked overnight on dying embers, and meat was marinated using seasonal produce and medicinal herbs. Fermentation, fire-roasting, and sun-drying were everyday techniques. Recipes were never written—they were instinctive, measured with the hand and understood by taste,” he noted the household practices.

On The Menu

Moggewala Kukkad

Originating in rural Punjab, Moggewala Kukkad is a rich chicken curry made with minced meat and a blend of traditional spices.

Putniwala Paneer

As for vegetarians, they serve Putniwala Paneer, which is a marinated cottage cheese dish in yoghurt, and is made with a pre-partition recipe.

Khushk Mahi Kebab

Khushk Mahi Kebab dates back to the days before refrigeration and commercial aquaculture, when fish was caught fresh from rivers like the Sutlej and Beas. It is served at Kaanan just as the rural areas of Punjab used to make it.

Shalgam Gosht

Originating in the royal kitchens of Patiala, Shalgam Gosht combines tender cuts of goat meat with local turnips, cooked slowly on dum (sealed pot cooking) with a bespoke spice mix developed in-house at the property. The turnips lend a natural sweetness that balances the robust richness of the meat, while the spice blend, infused with cinnamon, fennel, dried rose, and bay leaf, adds layers of warmth and complexity. This dish, once prepared during harvest festivals, has now become rare even in Punjabi households.

Address: The Oberoi Sukhvilas Resort & Spa Pallanpur P.O. Sialba Majri, Chandigarh, New Chandigarh, Punjab 140110

Timings: 7 PM to 10 PM

Price For Two: ₹4500

Dera, Taj Chandigarh

Dera, one of the most celebrated restaurants in Chandigarh, features a menu with traditional delicacies from the Punjab region, as well as specialities from Amritsar, Lahore, and Peshawar. Showcasing some of the most treasured recipes from the pre-partition era, its menu reflects traditional techniques like slow cooking over hot stones, baking over charcoal, and robust marinades that once graced both havelis and rugged hunting camps.

“To maintain the authenticity of the recipes, we religiously follow family traditions, ancestral recipes, vintage cookbooks, and oral histories passed down through generations,” says Executive Chef Manoj Kumar. “Also, our chefs frequently travel to rural Punjabi villages, studying old festival menus, speaking to elders, and observing traditional cooking techniques to ensure the integrity of each dish we prepare at Dera.”

On The Menu

Atta Chicken

Atta Chicken traces its roots to rural Punjab, where the lack of cookware led villagers and travellers to invent clever techniques like encasing meat in dough. This century-old method preserves both moisture and flavour while being easy to cook in open fires. It is a rustic, deeply flavourful dish where marinated chicken is stuffed with spiced chicken keema and nuts. It is then wrapped in whole wheat dough and slow-baked to seal in its juices.

Raan-e-Dera

Inspired by the cuisine of undivided Punjab, which was traditionally served during Eid and weddings, Raan-e-Dera is a signature dish which features a whole leg of lamb marinated in Punjabi spices. It is dum-cooked slowly in its own juices, and is thus known for its melt-in-mouth texture.

Kabuli Chole Martaban

Kabuli Chole Martaban dates back to an era where cooking and preservation were intertwined. Since it was stored in a ceramic martaban, which means richer flavours as time passes, it was a Punjabi staple in most households. At Dera, Kabuli chana is slow-cooked with aromatic spices, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, pickle masala, and a deep, smoky note.

Sigri Wala Kukkad

Sigri Wala Kukkad was a unifying dish enjoyed across social strata—from royal courts to village homes. The sigri, a traditional charcoal grill, imparted a rustic yet cherished smoky essence that’s hard to replicate. To recreate it, Dera makes it with chicken marinated in a house-blend of hand-pounded spices and grilled to perfection.

Address: Taj Chandigarh, Block No. 9, Sector 17A, Chandigarh, 160017

Timings: 7 PM to 11:30 PM

Price For Two: ₹3500

The GT Road

Inspired by the Grand Trunk Road, one of Asia’s oldest trade routes, which stretches from Chittagong to Kabul, the GT Road focuses on celebrating the rich culinary traditions of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. So, if you’re looking for a place in Chandigarh that serves the cuisine from the pre-partition era, The GT Road, by Bright Hospitality, offers you time-honoured dishes that have been passed down through generations.

“At GT Road, we're especially proud of bringing back dishes that had quietly faded from the spotlight but never from memory. Take our Hing Matar ki Tikki, for instance. It’s one of those humble yet deeply nostalgic recipes that surprises many of our guests. Made with hing, a spice once commonly used in Punjabi and UP households in place of onion and garlic, it brings an aroma that immediately transports you to your grandmother’s kitchen,” Rajan Sethi, the Managing Director of Bright Hospitality Private Limited notes.

On The Menu

Tandoori Kukkad Chaat (Lahore)

Born in the bustling food alleys of Gawalmandi, this clay oven-cooked chicken salad isn’t your basic chaat. Traditionally, street vendors would roast marinated chicken over coals, then toss it with onions, green chillies, lemon juice, and crushed papdi. The GT Road version adds tandoor-kissed, smoky and succulent chicken chunks mixed with chaat masala, mint chutney, and pomegranate.

Afghani Salad (Kabul)

 This salad originated in the colder terrains of Kabul, where fresh veggies were pickled or lightly seasoned to accompany hearty meat dishes. It has white radish, carrots, cucumber, and cabbage, all tossed in lemon and a dash of Afghan sea salt.

Tamatar Rasila (Peshawar)

This rustic dish is a nod to tribal kitchens in Peshawar, where tomatoes were transformed into something magical with minimal ingredients. “Ours is a chilled salad of tomatoes tossed in black salt, simple, bold, and deeply satisfying,” Rajan Sethi elaborates.

Tandoori Mircha Salad (Kabul)

Born in Afghan homes that loved the combo of heat and protein, this grilled green chilli and fish salad is spicy and totally unexpected.

Sheer Khurma (Kabul)

This iconic festive dessert from Kabul is all about warmth and love. Traditionally made for Eid, it blends vermicelli, milk, dates, and nuts into a rich, sweet celebration in a bowl. The version at GT Road stays true to tradition, slow-cooked, delicately flavoured with cardamom and saffron.

Address: SCO 12, Madhya Marg, Sector 26, Chandigarh

Timings: 12 PM to 3:30 PM; 7 PM to 11:30 PM

Price For Two: ₹2100