Away With The Steiners

Must-Try foods of Amritsar and food tour with Feel My City Tours.

Sarah Steiner

I don’t know about you but whenever we are travelling to somewhere new, I always find myself Googling the must-try foods for that destination.  I know that when you think of Amritsar the first thing that comes to mind is the Golden Temple.  But justly so, the food of Amritsar is right, right up there and deserving of glimmering golden glory too.   

From the renowned langar of the Golden Temple to the mouth-watering street food, there is Dal Makhani, Kulcha and famous Amritsari Lassi and more.  We love the small Dhaba local eateries.   Though these delicious finds were the type of truly local places we would never have found ourselves! 

Here are some of the most famous Punjabi classics to try, our now absolute favourite foods of Amritsar and a very enthusiastic recommendation for a food tour with Feel My City Tours.  

Food of Amritsar

Punjabi food is a flavourful cuisine that originated in the Punjab region of Northern India. 

It’s most famously characterized by use of traditional cooking methods, such as wood-fired ovens and tandoors, and often features potatoes, vegetables, and meat.

It was our third trip to Punjab and this time we wanted to try some of the famous and well-known local foods of Amritsar.  

What about Delhi Belly? 

Street food in India has a mixed reputation.  On one hand everyone acknowledges the incredible depth and range of flavours of Indian cuisine.  Then on the other hand there is always that looming anxiety of the much-dreaded Delhi Belly. 

Safe to say we absolutely enjoyed and 100% devoured the delicious food of Amritsar on this food tour.  

Anil of Feel My City Tours was a great guide and gracious host taking us to the local spots that serve genuinely fantastic food in Amritsar. 

It is always more relaxing going with someone who knows where to eat! 

About Feel My City Tours in Amritsar 

If you are wanting the full experience of Punjab and to really understand the significance of Sikhism, the food of Amritsar and cover all the best things to do in the city during your stay, a tour makes a big difference. 

We really enjoyed the Food of Amritsar tour with Anil Sharma, a registered tour guide with @FeelMyCityTours.  

We’ve now been four times to Amritsar and have covered a lot of the different things to see, do and taste.  But each time we do a tour with Anil.  There are many of the local Dhabas (local eateries) and food places we would never find on our own!  

His prices for a food tour or day tour of the city and Golden Temple are very reasonable and his passion and knowledge for his city of birth is worth every cent.  

Anil can arrange a rickshaw or driver to pick you up from the train station and meet you on arrival in Amritsar.  Just give him a call or message on WhatsApp. 

Anil and Oscar trying Kesar Badam at the famous Ahuja Milk Bar on a day tour food of Amritsar.
Anil and Oscar trying Kesar Badam at the famous Ahuja Milk Bar on our food tour in Amritsar. 

Food tour overview

About the Feel My City Food of Amritsar tour

For any food lover or someone who wants a local experience in Amritsar, the food tour with Anil is fantastic.  There are some Amritsari foods we had heard of before but many of them we would have visited and left without knowing about or trying on our own. 

We loved the experience of going around the city on foot and seeing the smaller laneways and different parts of the city.  

Anil was great at pointing out things on every turn; a sacred tree, a decades-old Chole stall, the bangle market, a Hindu temple below the ground, an Ashram and meditation centre.  As well as all the incredible foods of Amritsar we saw and tried! 

We were satisfyingly full and very contented by the end of our tour.  Each of us enjoyed the different foods.  And looking back in writing this up it made me realise just how many foods of Amritsar we had tried!  

A busy food stall beneath the historic and sacred Banyan trees of Guru Bazar.

Foods to try in Amritsar

Here is the list of delicious Amritsari food we tried on the Food of Amritsar Tour with Feel My City Tours. 

Stop #1 – Lacha Paratha and Dal Makhani 

This stop on our tour of food in Amritsar was an absolute gem of a find.  There is no way we could have stumbled upon this understated Dhaba in the small back alleys of Amritsar. 

Well, that is except save for the queues that were proudly spilling out of Kali Da Dhaba.  

Queues are always a good sign trying street food in India and on our mission to try the best food of Amritsar this was already a great sign.  

Dal Makhani is essentially the vegetarian version of Punjab’s famously claimed butter chicken.  This type of dal is velvety, creamy and buttery and is one of the primary dishes in Punjabi cuisine.  It is usually served with butter naan or Lacha Paratha. 

We tried three types of vegetarian curry dishes at Kali Da Dhaba and I’ve got to say that I think the Dal Makhani is the nicest dal I’ve ever eaten.

A lineup of Laccha paratha at Kali Da Dhaba.
Paratha being cooked in a traditional clay tandoor oven.
Fresh onions, Dal and paneer curries to go with the hot fresh Laccha Paratha.

Stop #2 – Amritsari Lassi

Lassi is a traditional creamy, frothy yogurt-based drink that originated in the Punjab region.  It can be sweet or salted.  Locals in Punjab are very proud to take that claim of the original Lassi as it is the most popular dairy drink in South Asia.  

Before we even made plans to do a tour of the food of Amritsar we heard about Ahuja Milk Bandar from the staff at our hotel.  This is a famous milk bar and dairy in Amritsar serving Lassi with a blend of tradition, flavour and pure Punjabi love. 

Lassi is said to have originated around 1000 BC and was believed to have Ayurvedic healing properties. It’s often enjoyed after a meal to help with digestion.

Traditionally it is served in a handleless clay cup called a Kulhar, often with extra clotted cream on top.  (The best part!).  

We have tried Lassi all over India but were excited to try this famously claimed iconic drink in Amritsar.  And the best part?  It absolutely lived up to its hype and we all thought it was pretty darn cool to try a refreshing Lassi that is so authentic is has been a local favourite for nearly a century. 

The famous and decades old Ahuja Milk Bhandar.
Creamy Lassi being served up.

Kesar Badam Milk 

Kesar is an Indian beverage where milk is flavoured with saffron.  While Badam milk is a popular Indian drink where almonds are blended with milk and then flavoured with saffron and cardamom.  

We had seen this unusually yellow tinged milk drink being made in various places around Amritsar.  (You can’t not notice it for the yellow colour of the milk!).  But a bottle at Ahuja Milk Bhandar was a great addition to our food of Amritsar tour and something new to us all.  

Trying the iconically yellow tinged Kesar milk at Ahuja Milk Bhandar.

Phirni

Phirni is a creamy, nutty cold Punjabi dessert.  It is made with rice, milk, and loads of dry fruits and topped with edible silver warq (silver foil). 

Again, this is a seriously popular dessert food of Amritsar, and you’ll find many places to try it.  However, Ahuja Milk Bhandar is renowned as the best place in Amritsar to try it in its authentic form. 

Trying Phirni.

Stop #3 – Amritsar Kulcha

Amritsari kulcha is a popular, flavourful flatbread and perhaps the most iconic food of Amritsar.  

Kulcha is made with a soft, leavened dough and a spiced mashed potato filling.  Locals in Punjab eat Kulcha for breakfast and brunch or can be served as a snack. 

This next stop on our tasting tour was at Bhai Kulwant Singh Kulchian Wale.  There is a first street front servery on the main pedestrian road to the Golden Temple.  But just down the next narrow side lane is the original restaurant decades-old joint that has been serving classic Punjabi cuisine since way back. 

By this stage we were feeling justly full but had made sure to leave space to try this famous food of Amritsar. 

We ordered one plate to all try much to the frowns of other customers tucking in keenly to their trays of this prized Amritsari dish.  But the shared bites of Kulcha were top notch and we very pleased we did save room.  

People usually eat it with spicy Chole (chickpeas) and sliced onions.  It was delicious again and well worth adding to your Amritsar food jaunt.  

Amritsar’s famous Kulcha.
Served with a dollop of butter and chickpeas.

Stop #4 – Fruit Ice Cream 

Albeit there are many places to try real fruit ice cream in India, including ice cream shops and street food vendors.  But ice cream and frozen dairy is one of those things on the list of street foods in India that we are warned about as travellers and fruit is another. 

However, this was a great experience (again) with Anil trying fresh fruit ice cream in Amritsar.  The kids absolutely loved it.  And despite my slight nervousness at wondering initially how frozen the ice cream really was, I needn’t have worried. 

The ice cream was being made and served at such a fast pace it was amazing to watch. There were queues of people on the streets ordering and there was no time for concern of ice cream melting. 

It was delicious and not too sweet.  The serving size was perfectly suited to consume contentedly on a food tour and we left craving more whilst making sure to save space. 

Queues arriving to order at Rana Fruit Cream.
The fast pace of the fruit ice cream is impressively blurry in person and in photo.
Fresh ice cream served with jellied fruit.
Delish!

Stop #5 – Jalebi 

I can’t even count the number of times we pass a pan of golden Jalebis on the streets while in India. But this Jalebi wala – Ram Das Jalebiwala – is one of the most famous foods of Amritsar and the same family has been serving Jalebi here since 1956. 

Jalebi are deep fried flour batter swirls soaked in sugar syrup. It is a little bit like a donut but sweeter and as if concocted by the ultimate dessert addict.  They are super sweet, with a soft chewy centre and come dripping with a bright orange (and sweet) sugar syrup drizzled and dripping on top.  Yet somehow despite the syrup, they come hot and fresh with a seriously crispy outside.  Delicious! 

The first stage of the dough mixture ready for piping into the hot oil.
Piping the Jalebi into the hot oil in swirls.

The verdict? 

Having a personal guide to show you the hidden gems and best local foods of Amritsar is truly awesome.

Overall, a truly fantastic day out in Amritsar and a food tour we can highly recommend. 

Contact details for the Amritsar Food Tour

Anil is a registered tour guide with @FeelMyCityTours.  

Send him a WhatsApp message or contact him on Instagram to arrange a tour in Amritsar. 

Trying the famous Laccha paratha at Kale Da Dhabar on a tour in Amritsar with Anil. 

Getting to Amritsar

Amritsar is well connected by road, rail and air and easy to get to.

There is an international airport in Amritsar with daily flights to Dubai, Sharjah and Kuala Lumpur.  

But if you are already in India, it is easy to get to Amritsar directly from Delhi by fast train.  Or there is even a train from Bikaner that connects Rajasthan with Punjab.

There are daily trains from Delhi to Amritsar. 

Accommodation in Amritsar

These are the hotels we use regularly and can recommend for your trip. 

Traveling further in India?

See our India Travel Guides for the best things to do, where to stay and how to get around. 

More about travel planning for India and beyond

These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime and can recommend to anyone planning and booking travel. 

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