Dera

vanshika dogra 21 months ago

Recently visited Dera ,Taj for ‘Lost recipes of Punjab’ fest.
The menu emphasis on recipes of dadi’s and nani’s. Chef Gurleen curated every dish with perfection . I really loved having matar ka halwa , Yes! Your read that right , it’s matar (Green peas ) halwa even I was shocked when I heard that but trust me you should definitely try this and you’ll fall in love ❤️
Visit Dera , Taj Sector 17 chandigarh for the scrumptious lunch/dinner .

Udhey Sidhu 21 months ago

'Lost Recipes of Punjab' (Food Festival) at Dera @tajchandigarh ; From 22 - 31 July (Lunch & Dinner)

Chef Gurleen @what_gurleen_did_next has brought one of the most exciting Food Fests to the City.

Food habits have changed and recipes have been lost over time. I usually have 'Bajra Roti' in winters but it's getting increasingly difficult to source good quality Bajra as the crops have been shifting geographically, because either eating habits are changing or they're not commercially viable. Someone once told me that Wheat wasn't the primary grain for Roti in Punjab, we used mostly Makki (Corn), Bajra (Pearl Millet), Missi (Black Chickpea).

Hence, lots of recipes were/are being lost which were at one point a part of Undivided Punjab that stretched from Delhi till Kabul in Afghanistan.

Chef Gurleen has made an effort to bring some of those dishes through this Food Festival.

Though everything is fantastic, I'd particularly recommend Lahori Charga, whole chicken that's first Steamed, marinated and then fried, it's not oily at all and super Flavourful. Moreover it's a recipe that I've not heard of.

There's also Amm (Mango) Da Paneer Tikka which is Paneer stuffed with a bit of mango and smothered in Mustard. It works!!

There's Keema Karela, a fantastic dish which is making somewhat of a comeback as I've seen it appear on some Menus now; and even Chana Palak.

It's also fantastic to see Churi as a dessert. Back in the day whenever I use to go back to the farm from the boarding school, Churi was always made by my grandmother. While everyone runs away from ghee nowadays, we insisted on pouring more n more of it in this mash of Roti, Ghee & Sugar Or Shakkar (Jaggery Powder).

In short, it's a fantastic experience and seeing some dishes/breads from my childhood appear in this Fest is really amazing. Yes they're being lost, but then as long as Chefs like Gurleen will keep making such efforts, we would always be able to retrieve them and they won't be lost forever.

Don't miss this bite into our History!

Sumeet Dimri 20 months ago

Dera @Taj Chandigarh is an absolute delight, it stands out way ahead of, even the other on premise Restaurants, in terms of its friendly Staff with personalized touch (I did not get her Name, but she was from Sikkim, such a warm hostess with great customer focus, truly an asset to Taj Group), when asked about off menu drink Kaali she arranged for same, super efficient service snd also got us to meet Chef Navjyot to customise the menu as per our requirement.
Dera's food is legendary and when combined with efforts of Young & Passionate chef like Navjyot, the experience moves to next level.
He customized our Non Veg platter and was perfect melt in mouth with right amount of spices along with his Recommendation for Lahori Olive Chilli Naan was quite a blast of taste.
Taj has gems of people to make their galaxy shine, however Mr Navjyot and our hostess that day, surely makes it shine brighter.
Kudus to them and good work Dera in keeping standards high in such a competitive Food scene.