No billboards, no salespeople, no geo-targeted ads, no food aggregator support, no fancy decor. Yet, this Kasba restaurant stays packed with customers all week.
Punjabee Rasoi, nestled in a quiet bylane opposite Acropolis Mall, has been a crowd favourite for almost 16 years. The waft of aromatic spices and chargrilled kebabs reel in customers from miles around every day, and a passionate team keeps the fire burning.
Love for Punjabi food
P.V. Raju started Punjabee Rasoi as a humble takeaway in 2008
A Keralite by birth, P.V. Raju started Punjabee Rasoi as a humble takeaway in 2008, long before the adjoining mall started attracting crowds to the Rashbehari intersection. “I grew up in Kolkata in a Punjabi neighbourhood. My closest friends were, and still are, Punjabis. When I was a child and used to play with them, I would wait with bated breath for when their mothers would holler them inside for lunch and I would be lucky enough to share the meal with them. Maybe that’s where my love for Punjabi food developed,” Raju fondly recalled. Such was his love for Punjabi culture that he went on to marry a Punjabi kudi as well. And since then, he has not looked back!
Holding his wife Preeti Raju’s hand, along with her extended Punjabi family, P.V. Raju brought ancestral recipes from Punjab to the kitchens of this unique Kasba venture. “It is true that we were unable to manage a plot on the main road. We did not even have a hoarding. But the people of Kolkata are different — they value delicious, quality food more than decor, location or ambience. I knew that if I kept serving quality food consistently, people of the city would come to us,” said the beaming owner as slow tunes of Waheguru bhajans, warm smiles of staff members and the decadent sizzle of wooden tandoors bathed in yellow light welcomed the My Kolkata team into the restaurant.
However, in the words of Raju, he owes his fame to The Telegraph. “A couple of years after we opened the doors, there was an article in the paper that covered eating houses of the Rashbehari-Ruby stretch. I can’t recall who was the journalist behind the article, but amongst all the restaurants, Punjabee Rasoi was honoured with the largest coverage. Since that day, our kitchens have never run dry,” said the owner, who retained more than 60 per cent of normal order value via takeaway even during the pandemic.
The pop picks
You must sample their Murg Lasuni Kebab (left) and Kabuli Naan, Palak Corn and Dal Makhani (right)
Whether its their popular Adrak Ke Panje, which features meaty goat ribs marinated in thick layers of yoghurt, crushed spices, nuts and ginger-garlic paste that falls off the bone when served piping hot from the tandoor or their Lehsuni Murgh, where drumsticks of chicken are enveloped in blankets of velvety cream and cheese with peppery spices and cashews char-grilled to perfection, Punjabee Rasoi never misses the mark. Their Palak Corn, with pearls of sweet corn on a bed of creamy spinach with undertones of white pepper, is another crowd favourite, while the Keema Matar Masala, spicy Saag Mutton and buttery-soft Naan with generous seasonings of garlic continue to grace tables galore.
Their popular 'Adrak Ke Panje' features meaty goat ribs marinated in thick layers of yoghurt, crushed spices, nuts and ginger-garlic paste that falls off the bone when served piping hot from the tandoor
However, the star of their show is their signature Kali Dal, simmered in the tandoor for over 18 hours and doused with butter till it oozes earthen umami notes in every bite — claimed by patrons to be just as good as ITC Bukhara!
Punjabee Rasoi also serves seasonal and celebratory specials, including Sarson Da Saag, Baingan Bharta and Gajar Ka Halwa, painstakingly prepared in Raju’s home by his wife and mother-in-law in limited batches during winters. Brain Matar Masala, is another special that one may avail around Chinese New Year. “We are very popular among the Tangra Indo-Chinese community. They book buses and come in groups of 40 to 45. This Brain Matar Masala is a celebratory special, which I personally curated to honour their love.”
Interiors of the restaurant
‘The best kebabs in town’
Galleries filled with awards usher customers in. Raju believes word-of-mouth to be the best advertising strategy. However, it is the people who will remain the most special for him for as long as he runs this venture.
Speaking fondly of an old lady in her sixties who loved their fish kebabs, Raju recalled how he once received a rather agitated phone call from her. “Raju, there’s no fish in your restaurant today!” she had claimed. Soon after, the woman fell ill and had to be shifted to Chennai for further treatment, where she was diagnosed with terminal illness and asked to maintain a home-cooked diet. However, she managed to extract permission from the doctor to allow her one last plate of Punjabee Rasoi’s Ajwaini Fish Tikka. A couple of days after her return to the city, her son came and ordered a plate of her favourite dish. “When I asked him where his mother was, he told me she was no more. She had passed on her way back to Kolkata and he had come to pick up the last plate for her last rites. I was left dumbfounded. No matter how many awards I win or titles I receive, there shall never be an accolade greater than the love the people of this city have showered me with,” said Raju, who continues to visit Amritsar every year on the hunt for new recipes and techniques to elevate his food.
Psychiatrist Neelanjana Paul shared old memories with pals from her school, at their favourite restaurant in town
Another loyal customer of the restaurant, Neelanjana Paul, a psychiatrist and Kasba resident, who once visited Punjabee Rasoi with her friends from school, recalled, “I accidentally discovered Punjabee Rasoi while walking around the neighbourhood, back when they had just started their takeaway services. I had heard about them from a friend and had decided to try their kebabs. Needless to say, I was blown away. Till date, Punjabee Rasoi serves the best kebabs in the city, alongside a slice of heartwarming hospitality.”
Kebabs getting skewered in the kitchen
Aritra Paul, an MBBS student at IPGME&R and SSKM hospital, too had a similar experience. Talking about the incident, he said, “I remember there was this one time my friends and I had run late from an event. It was about 11:30 at night and all restaurants were shutting down and refusing entry. That’s when my friend suggested we try our luck with Punjabee Rasoi. Upon reaching and explaining the situation, even though it was way past their hours, they graciously welcomed us in and served us their signature mutton dish. It was amazing, I’m so glad other restaurants refused us entry that day!”
Quality over quantity
A staunch believer of quality over quantity, Raju has turned down many offers from Zomato and Swiggy to come aboard. “I know that business will boom if I join aggregator platforms, but so will the pressure. Handling multiple orders at the same time might pressurise the kitchen team, which might compromise quality. You have to be genuine with food — you cannot monetise the pursuit,” said Raju, narrating instances of how sometimes they refuse to serve pre-ordered Tandoori Prawns if they fail to source live tiger prawns and how all their spices are ground in-house or in his home to maintain authenticity.
P.V. Raju with his brother-in-law, who also mans the restaurant with him
Helming the restaurant with an iron fist, Raju still personally shops for fresh ingredients daily, tastes every dish before it leaves for tables, and personally trains every staff member. “It feels great to be able to serve food that leaves a smile on people’s faces. When they compliment the dishes and the service, it feels that our months of effort have paid off. We are also mindful not to take excess orders, as customers should not overtly spend on food they won’t be able to finish. Food is sacred to us and this restaurant is our family,” said Md Riyazuddin, the head waiter of Punjabee Rasoi.
Address: 196, Chakraborty Para Road, near Overhead Water Tank, Rajdanga, Kasba, Kolkata - 700107
