Amritsar travel guide

Amritsari kulcha

Amritsar's signature leavened bread—stuffed with spiced mashed potato and onion, baked directly on the walls of a tandoor; served with chickpea curry and a slick of butter; the original kulcha shops on Lawrence Road are institutions

Lassi

Punjab's legendary yogurt drink—churned with sugar or salt, topped with a thick layer of cream and sometimes kesar (saffron) or rose petals; Amritsar and Ludhiana versions are poured into clay kulhads; heavy enough to be a meal in the summer heat

Amritsari fish fry

Amritsar's most famous dish globally—fresh rohu or sole fish fillets marinated in ajwain, ginger-garlic, turmeric and besan, then deep-fried to golden crispness; the Crystal restaurant on Lawrence Road has set the standard since the 1980s

Dal makhani

Punjab's masterpiece slow-cooked lentil dish—whole black urad dal and kidney beans simmered overnight in butter, cream and tomato; the dish that put Punjabi food on the world map; Bukhara at ITC Maurya in Delhi is considered definitive

Langar prasad

The free community meals served at every Sikh Gurdwara—dal, vegetables, chapati and halwa prepared and served by volunteers to all visitors regardless of faith; the Golden Temple's langar feeds 100,000 people daily; vegetarian, free and extraordinary