IT’S the start of the Solar new year in Punjab and Scots Indians will be celebrating with special food this weekend. 

Glasgow North Indian restaurant The Dhabba in Merchant City, are celebrating the famous Punjabi festival of Vaisakhi with a traditional dish. 

They are offering customers a chance to try it on the menu this Saturday and Sunday only.

Glasgow Times:

Chole bhature is a classical dish from the Indian state of Punjab and a combination of chole — spicy curried chickpeas and bhature — a puffy fried white-flour bread. 

You can have it any time of the day and there are no specific rules. It is traditionally eaten with some mixed pickle, red onions and yogurt.

Owner Navdeep Basi who will be celebrating the harvest festival with his staff at the Candleriggs restaurant said: “Vaisakhi refers to the harvest festival celebrated by the farming community of Punjab as a day of giving thanks and paying tribute to God for their abundant harvest and praying for future prosperity.

Glasgow Times:

“Secondly, it commemorates the day that Sikhism was born as a collective faith in 1699 when the tenth guru of the Sikhs – Guru Gobind Singh – invited his disciples to join him to form the community of committed Sikhs.”

“We’ve added Chole bhature on our menu from 1pm to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday (14-15 April). 

“It will give people a real taste of the Punjab on this special occasion. It’s a very filling dish and could even serve two people at lunchtime which is ideal for a festival that is all about friendship and sharing.”