“A true Punjabi Food is a typical homemade one, Maa Ka Pyaar, mother’s love. Onion, Tomato, Garlic and Ginger are the main ingredients, that is what Punjabi food is all about,” said celebrity Award winning Punjabi Chef Mr Sweety Singh. He was talking to IndiansinKuwait.com in an exclusive chat at Oriental Restaurant, Kuwait city.
The famous Award winning Punjabi Chef Mr Sweety Singh is in Kuwait as part of the ‘Punjabi Food Festival’ at Oriental Restaurant. This is the first visit to Kuwait by the celebrity Chef after successfully conducting ‘Punjabi Food Festival’ at various hotels in India and abroad such as Paris, Italy, Muscat, Hongkong ,Dubai Etc.
"Now a day, Punjabi food has lost its original taste as people are adding lot of cream, cashew and color for the added attraction. The original taste has just vanished,” he said.
"My passion is to spread the taste of original Punjabi Food all over the world and go to teach the youngsters about the Original Punjabi Cuisine" Sweety Singh said.
Chef Sweety Singh runs a popular Dhabba ‘Punjabi Khanna’ aka ‘Kake Di Hatti’ at Asaf Alli road, Delite Cinema, near the Delhi Stock Exchange. Since childhood, Sweety Singh got acquainted with the Punjabi food at his father’s Dhabba. Years later Sweety continued the business started by his father. He also developed a catering business in Delhi, all this without any formal training in cooking.
Sweety Singh, who’s original name is Harjinder Singh, owes his fame to Manjit Gill, Chief Corporate Chef, ITC Hotels, and his trade name 'Sweety' to Mr Gautam Anand, one of the leading lights of ITC Hotels, but his distinctive cooking style is the Gift of God a talent to extract Swaad (Taste) without smothering preparations with tomato puree, full-fat cream, dry fruits and butter. He measures his own spices and believes that Punjabi food is best served in a simple manner.
Sweety Singh started his career in 1998 at ITC Chennai with his first break with a Punjabi Food Festival. Since then, there's been no looking back. He has been cooking Punjabi Food since the age of 19 years.
Sweety Singh gives credits to his cooking skills entirely to his father. "During his last day, my father could tell the cooks how much Masala to add just by smelling the dishes being prepared." says Sweety.
Dal Makhani is his signature dish. He has never added cream nor color in the Dal ( Lentils). Dal is cooked to thickness overnight in tandoor before adding little butter into it. “But now days the dal is quickly cooked and cream is added to make it thick”, he says.
“If you are eating the original Punjabi Food you will never feel heavy”, he says. "Khana Dil Se banaoo, Cook with Love ", Sweety Singh said.
The Punjabi Food Festival at Oriental Restaurant Sharq branch will be held till 28th of this month and from 2nd December to 12th December, the same Sweety Singh will conduct Punjabi Food Fest at Oriental Restaurant Salmiya Branch. A special menu has been prepared for the food fest, which covers a wide array of traditional vegetarian and non-vegetarian Punjabi dishes. Sweety Singh presents royal recipes from the kitchen which includes Jeera De Naal Kukkad (Chicken with cumin), Ajwaini Fish Tikka, Bharwa Aloo, Lahori Paneer Tikka, Dahi Wala Kukkad, Nalli Saag Meat, Kari Pakora, Daal Makhni, Sarson Da Sag , Makki di roti etc.