Kesar Da Dhabha

What makes it special

This is not widely known but what we think of as Punjabi black dal was invented by Moti Mahal and only became popular in the late 1950s Classic Punjabi dal has no butter or tomatoes. At this famous restaurant, founded in Lahore over a century ago and relaunched in Amritsar after Partition, they make the real thing, simmering urad dal for eight hours and then doing an onion tadka just before service. There is no butter, just lots of ghee. It’s not fancy but for foodies it is a place of pilgrimage