As with any lavish celebration, Sikhs enjoy the finest food and desserts during weddings. Sikhs are not uniformly vegetarian, so the menus often contain meat dishes. Sikh diet only insists that the foods are all natural and as healthy as possible – so as to avoid processed foods and chemicals. As a result, the food served at a Sikh wedding will be freshly made and delicious.
From Suneera & Faizal’s Wedding
Punjabis in particular, Sikh or not, are known for their love of alcohol at weddings. Unlike Maharashtrian weddings or Brahmin weddings in general, alcohol is not banned at the reception. However, both Hinduism and Sikhism frown on the consumption of alcohol within a temple or holy place – so it is unlikely that liquor will be served anywhere but the reception hall of a wedding.
Sikh food is mainly prepared with ghee and butter, with rich gravy to accompany the various vegetables. Here is a sample menu that you might see at a Sikh wedding:
Appetizers:
Aloo Tikki
Samosas
Pakoras
Main Course:
Naan
Paratha
Sabzi with vegetables (beans, carrots, potato and spinach)
Daal
Paneer dishes (dry or with gravy, like paneer tikka masala)
Chicken tikka masala or tandoori chicken
Rice served with yogurt or spiced raita (yogurt with spices, cucumber, and coriander)
Dessert:
Gulab Jamun
Kheer
Various mithai (such as rasgulla, halwa, or ladoos)
Drinks:
Lassi (sweet, salt, or mango)
Specialty Dishes:
Paratha
Paratha is a flaky, layered bread that many Sikh families enjoy with ghee for breakfast. It can be stuffed with other vegetables to make variations on the dish, such as aloo paratha (with potatoes) and methi paratha (with fenugreek leaves).
Paneer
Recipe via Veg Recipes of India
Paneer is a thick slab of fresh cheese made from curdling milk with an acid and not aging it. Sikhs enjoy paneer made with spices such as turmeric, garam masala, and cumin. It can be enjoyed dry, as in paneer tikka, or with gravy, such as butter paneer.
Sarson ka saag
Recipe via Veg Recipes of India
This green dish is made with mustard (sarson) and various leafy vegetables. Mustard leaves are key to the tangy taste of this dish, along with spinach, fenugreek, and radish leaves. The leaves are blended into a paste and mixed with spices such as chili powder and garnishes such as onions. The curry is simmered for a long time and enjoyed with corn rotis, called makki di roti.
Karhai Chicken
This spicy chicken dish involves the leg and breast meat of the chicken being cooked in traditional spices after a quick fry in a wok. The gravy in the dish is often best enjoyed sopped up with naan or paratha.
Sikh food is meant to be enjoyed heartily, with tasty drinks including cocktails, lassis, and buttermilk. The reception is a time for family to get together and celebrate the spiritual journey of marriage – and food is the best way for everyone to have a great time.
Check out the rest of the series here:
Introduction
Food and Desserts – You are here!