Relaxing ambiance, slow and soft music and excellent north Indian preparations are the highlights of this place. It is located on the 1st floor of the Lalit Hotel, Chandigarh. They take time to prepare and serve but it's worth waiting. Tandoori items have just the right flavour blended with spices. Kababs are soft and full of flavours especially the veg ones! Black dal is almost near the dal bukhara served at ITC. Combined with mugali naan stuffed with dry fruits, it make an unforgettable taste. Food is heavy and best for an early dinner. The staff is exceptionally supportive, and the chef goes the extra mile to accommodate allergies and preferences.
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Millets have been largely considered as a wholesome part of Indian food culture for thousands of years. Up lately, the trend of serving fusion millet-based dishes have picked up amongst a lot of places.
Just recently, I visited Baluchi at the Lalit Chandigarh for their ongoing Millets Food Festival and I was up for a treat. Although I have been to Baluchi a couple of times earlier also, this occasion was very special.
I was welcomed by their courteous staff and the lovely dinner kick started with some mouthwatering stuff. To begin with, I gave a shot to their Mix Millet Watermelon Feta Salad. The beauty of this salad was that not only it was healthy, this one had a beautiful texture and freshness to it. What a fabulous way to begin.
For appetizers, I was served Bajre aate ki Fish Amritsari alongside Subz Bajre ki Shami kebab. To start with the Fish, it was super special. Nicely coated chunks of marinated Fish were deep fried to perfection. Accompanied with a nice, tart Radish dip, it was an excellent starter. The Subz Bajre ki Shami Kebab, on the other hand were equally tempting. The texture of the Kebab was simply outstanding.
For mains, I tried out their Methi Palak Papad ki sabzi along with Millet based Mutton Biryani and Jowar ki Khichdi. Needless to say, each and every dish was unique in itself. The winner for me had to be their Jowar ki khichdi. What really amazed me was the fact that it didn’t seem to taste like Jowar at first bite.
To end things on a sweet node, I was offered their Gur Ragi ki kheer and Jowar kea ate ka Halwa. The Halwa was again excellent in terms of sweetness and consistency. Pretty well-balanced dessert. The ragi ki kheer gave a very pleasant taste of Jaggery in every bite.
Overall, my experience at Baluchi was a memorable one. The Millet festival is going to continue until 20th August and I would certainly recommend this to all of you. Happy eating.
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Millets Food Fest @thelalitchandigarh
The United Nations has recognised 2023 as the year of the millets accepting the proposal of the Indian Government.
Millets are rich in Minerals, Antioxidants, Fibre, Vitamins & are an extremely healthy alternative to other grains. While being healthy, millets are also really easy to grow not requiring much care & their impact on natural resources is also minimal.
Coming from a farming family, there are certain millets that I swear by. For eg. Bajra (Pearl Millet) is my preferred grain in winter over Wheat since it's supposed to keep one warm, is a good source of energy, supports heart health & tissue repair. Similarly, each of the millets helps in physical well-being providing nutrition & helping eradicate or control certain diseases such as Diabetes, Heart Diseases, Issues with the nervous system & overall muscle health.
What's commendable is the way these ancient millets have been incorporated into the modern dishes at The Lalit Chandigarh Millets Food Fest.
I remember telling Chef Nandita Karan that this is a fusion on many levels. There wasn't a single dish I could fault; in fact, it was extremely difficult to pick a favourite. However, some dishes deserve attention & appreciation because they're outright genius creations!
Bajra (Pearl Millet) & Veg Lasagna - think of the Bajra mimicking ground meat texture & adding slight Earthiness to the taste.
Kangni (Foxtail Millet) Mutton Dum Biryani - works beautifully with the Mutton, I'd pick this over regular Biryani any day.
Kodu Millet Paneer Pasanda - Added a beautiful nutty earthy taste to the Rich creamy dish.
Ragi (Finger Millet) Gur Kheer - This one was heavenly, the typical slightly bitter taste just worked in this dessert, giving a slight contrast to the richness & sweetness of the Kheer.
I could write a thesis on millets & the dishes at this food fest, but I'd rather recommend trying them until 20th August at all Lalit Hotels Across India. Perhaps get some ideas too to incorporate them into our daily diet as well.
Don't Miss This Food Festival!!
Let Food Be Thy Medicine
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