The riches of the Punjab lies primarily in their happy-go-lucky attitude. If you are Punjabi, Happy and Lucky are probably your uncles.

Vivanta by Taj at Yeshwantpur brings you a new menu this season that takes you on a gastronomical voyage of Punjab, the Land of Five Rivers. Paranda - the hotel’s Punjabi restaurant - embodies the five rivers of the region with a focus on soil, forest, water, fire and charcoal. The new menu lives up all the elements, just as the average Punjabi lives up life (assuming there is such a thing as an average Punjabi.)

The local cuisine of Punjab is heavily influenced by the agriculture and farming lifestyle prevalent from the times of the ancient Harappan Civilisation. Locally grown staple foods form the major part of the local cuisine. Distinctively Punjabi cuisine is known for its rich, buttery flavours along with the extensive vegetarian and meat dishes. Main dishes include Sarson da saag and makki di roti.

There are many styles of cooking in Punjab. In the villages many people still employ the traditional infrastructure for cooking purposes. This includes wood-fired and masonry ovens. In the past many people employed wood-burning stoves. But this method is dying out. One derivation from this type of cooking is the tandoori style of cooking commonly known as tandoor. Tandoori cooking is traditionally associated with Punjab. This style of cooking became popular in mainstream Indian cuisine after the large Punjabi resettlement in Delhi following the 1947 partition.

Executive Chef Agnimitra Sharma created this menu, carefully crafting  dishes for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Speaking to Explocity, Chef Sharma said, "My team of chefs have worked hard to make this menu in a traditional home style cooking. Ingredients like Kashmiri morels and chickpea ensure that no vegetarians miss out. The Australian lamb chops and lobsters while not authentic are still made in the home cooking style. The wow factor of the menu is the Kulfi.

The intention with this menu is to give guests authentic, homely, aromatic and tasty food. But it is also not too heavy. This way you don't have to worry about spoiling your diet.

Our chutneys are green from the freshness of coriander and mint, the papaya relish and garlic pickle are all made in-house.

I want to give you an example of the freshness. If you order a Kadai Bhindi, the chef will start to cut the bhindi (ladies finger) after receiving the order. So come and enjoy authentic Punjabi cuisine without spoiling your diet. My team of chefs will make you return 100%."

The menu’s focus is to give you traditional home style cooking, at least from the streets of Amritsar if not your mother’s kitchen. Chef Agni’s menu has dishes like Chounkewali Bhutta Palak, Kadhai Bhindi, and Heeng Dhaniya ke Chatpate Aloo. The recommendation on the non-vegetarian side of the menu is the Kebab platter. The Tandoori Kebab is made with imported lamb chops, the Lahsooni Jheenga has their biggest tiger prawns and there is also a lobster kebab.  Kulfi marks a propitious end to the meal.

The new menu also comes with a fixed menu option giving guests a chance to sample all the richness it has to offer. The prices of the menus are:

Veg Gourmet Menu- Rs 1400 plus taxes
Non-Veg Gourmet Menu- Rs 1500 plus taxes

To take advantage of this reasonably priced menu, you can make you reservations at +91 80 6690 011.

The Vivanta by Taj, Yeshwantpur is now easily connect by the metro rail as well. Take the Green Line to the Goraguntepalya stop, right after Yeshwantpur.