Chefs Eliyaz and Harmeet on Preserving Punjab’s Soul Through Food
Indian Durbar redesigned for today‘S DİNERS – What kind of balance did you establish between preserving the originality of Punjab cuisine and presenting it in a way that feels fresh and contemporary?
For me, the Punjab Meal is not just the kitchen, emotion, memory and temperature. I felt a deep responsibility to maintain this originality. Recipes, slow cooking, spices remain exactly as a Punjab household will prepare them. The entire game has been using fresh materials and Amritsar legendary stores for more than 100 years. Modernity comes in gentle touches such as grace, plate, subtleties of tissues and improvement of accompanies. For example, a branch still tastes like a home, but it comes with craft breads, a curry carries the same spirit, but is presented with lightness and balance.
Each meal in Indian Durbar is a bridge between the comfort of a grandmother’s kitchen and the sophistication of luxury dishes. For me, this carries real joy and traditions with honesty and allows them to shine to today’s guests.
Chef Harmaet is inspired by most family recipes – How do you turn such deep personal memories into resonance foods with guests who may be tasting for the first time?
For me, every meal in the Indian Durbar carries a moment. Creating a menu was an emotional journey, I had my childhood, I remembered my mother’s first meals for me, or my father brought fresh green leaves, what we call Saag in the Punjab dialect. Like Jeet Singh Cholai Saag or Baby Wali Bhindi, every recipe reflects not only the flavors, but also the love, care and effort to do them at home. While a tight Punjabi grew up in his common family, we lived by saying, ıra Live for food ”. I remember the beautiful moments that my family will visit and I cook for them, just the idea of presenting these dishes makes me so emotional that I will cry. Sharing these foods with guests now allows me to bring the same temperature and nostalgia on each plate. Every service in Indian Durbar becomes a dream, I offer food and memories that shape me, and for the first time, it goes to resonance with people who tast them. This connection between the experience of my past and the experience of hospitality is what makes every day so satisfying.
Each region of Punjab has its own nuances – Was there a conscious decision in the menu to represent certain sub -regional delicacies or cooking traditions?
Definitely. Punjab is not a flavor, a goblen of traditions. When we curated the menu, I wanted to capture these nuances, the solid soil of Amritsari dishes, the rustic comfort of Malwa, the satisfactory flavors of Doaba, and the rich spirit of Majha. Some dishes are brave and celebration, others are simple and nostalgic, but together they tell a complete story of Punjab. For me, when a guest does not eat at the Indian Durbar, they do not only taste food, but it is also important that Punjab experiences many hearts and tastes on a table.
Storytelling looks center of Indian Durbar‘S Relay. Can you share a plate of technical, presentation and memory?
The storytelling in Indian Durbar is deeply personal for me. Indeed, a meal that brings together technical, presentation and memory is our Ghee Churi, which we call “Biji’s last bite” with love. Punjab refers to the grandmother in the households and this is a praise of food and love. Ghee Churi is carefully molded into the shape of a dome matched with a delicate jaggery gel and stands on a sugary base with butter. Each element is designed to awaken the memories of the family cuisine and the relaxing sweetness of the house. When a guest gets the first bite, they do not only taste a story, a moment, a moment of our own legacy, the desserts offered with grace and love. It is very emotional for me to share a part of my own family with this meal.
If you need to choose a Punjabi comfort that takes you home instantly, what would it be and why?
If I had to choose a Punjabi comfort that took me home instantly, it would be Chole Bhature. For me, my family will cook together and fill the house with the warmth and aroma on Sunday mornings are deeply attached to their memories. Over the years, it has become more than just food, it is an emotional connection to the roots of the kitchen that I serve in the home, tradition and now in the Indian Durbar. Sharing with guests allows me to pass the same comfort and nostalgia, plate plate.
What if you do not cook in a professional kitchen‘Simple food you like to do for yourself or your family?
When I am not in a professional kitchen, my favorite meal is a simple tempered branch with hot rice that finishes with a generous ghee line. Modest, relaxing and reminds me of the house, the tastes are simple, but nutritious and every bit of temperature and care has a sense of care. A moment to slow down, share and enjoy the real essence of Punjabi comfort food with my family.
When you look forward, you hope that the Indian Durbar will be symbolized for Bengaluru?‘S DİNERS – Is a place of nostalgia, a celebration of Punjab culture or a new comparison in the storytelling with food?
When we look forward, the Indian Durbar becomes a place where Bengaluru’s Diners can really feel the heart of Punjab. Sharing our building with one of the most sacred Gurudwaras in the city adds a sense of respect, reminding that it is more than food, culture, tradition and emotion on a plate.
For Punjab and North Indians living here, I believe it will be a game exchange, a place that brings the real tastes and memories of the house. What makes it unique is the depth of care that we put directly on each source of detail from Punjab, making our own dairy products in the company and allocating months to R & D to ensure originality. No other restaurants in the city go within this scope. This is not just about food, but about setting a new criterion with storytelling, content resource use and kitchen experience. I want each guest to feel that Punjab’s spirit, and the Indian Durbar’s Nostalgia, which is really extraordinary for Bengaluru’s F&B scene, creates an area where culture and workmanship meet.
