PapaJee's - Pimpri

This place is a treat who wants to eat authentic punjabi food and must visit. Apart from food the hospitality is 5 star .Plenty of veg and non veg options available

One of the few places which actually serve Kaali Dal without curry leaves in Pune. Believe me this place is what Happy Dining Experiences are made of. A jolly owner, Wonderful food and a dhaba like ambience is the perfect setting. Too much makhan in food but who cares as long as it tastes awesome.

Sep 2014: My first visit to Papajees. I had the privilege of meeting Sunny at the PEO Meet at Malaka Spice and we instantly hit it off. The very next day, as fate would have it, I was in the vicinity and decided to visit the place. The food then was fantastic but I’m not going to dwell on that experience because what I’m about to share with you was nothing short of superlative. So here’s what we ordered:Starters Veg: Paneer Tigade TikkaNon Veg: Murg Bharwaan Tangdi KebabMains:Veg: Subzi Patiyaala, Bhatti da Dal MakhaniNon Veg: Ghosht Labaalab Rotis:Butter NaanLachha ParanthaDesserts: Gulaab JamunPaneer Tigade Tikka: In all my trips across the length and breadth of this country, I have not had such soft and well-cooked paneer. And this is not an exaggeration because in most places, vegetarian offerings revolve mainly around Paneer. Inevitably it is what we select. The Paneer Tigade Tikka was Paneer Tikka made in three very distinctive flavours. The base of each of the marinades was hung curd and malai with a heady mix of spices and condiments. The first (Paneer Chatpata Tikka) was a chutney consisting of three types of green chillies, pudina and coriander. The problem with such a marinade is that it can completely kill the taste of the paneer. But not so in this case. The malai and the hung curd team up with the paneer to retain its character while the chutney amplifies the taste and takes it to another level. This was my pick amongst the trio.The second (Paneer Ambarsari)was composed of tomato, ginger and garlic. This gave it a very distinctive taste when compared to the Chatpata Tikka). Again, the tomato, ginger and Garlic combination did not overpower the Paneer. The third (Paneer Banjara Tikka) was made with a very simple marinade of turmeric and roughly chopped ginger-garlic. It had a very rustic taste and was perfectly moist. With 4 pieces of each, this is one helluva heavy start but worth every bit of it. When you to a place like this, you really need to wear expandable pants and for us this was just the start.The Murg Bharwaan Tangdi Kebab was a leg of Chicken stuffed with kheema and heavily roasted in the Tandoor. My non-veggie partners-in-crime stopped conversing throughout the time that they were savouring every bit. BTW, they are hardcore Punjabis and impossible to keep them quiet unless the food is outstanding. When a Kheema dish that is already cooked is stuffed into a leg of chicken and put into a smoking hot tandoor for further cooking, it can tend to be overdone. Not in this case, though. The kheema was absolutely perfect as was the chicken. This dish is a trademark at Papajee’s and has been invented by them.Now on to the mains:Sunny suggested we try the Veg subzi Patiyaala. Dual-layered initially in terms of its flavor, the dish comprises of wok-tossed vegetables encased in papad and topped up with a subzi kheema gravy. I first tried separating the papad and wok-tossed veggies from the kheema gravy. Whilst the kheema gravy on its own was very good, the flavours that surprised me were the ones present in the Papad and the veggies. But all that doesn’t really matter once you’ve mixed the two the distinctive flavours merged to give you one solid dish. Bhatti da Daal Makhani: Daal Makhani is a dish very close to my heart and more often than not, it ends up being the benchmark for me when it comes to assessing a place. The Daal Makhani here was served with a hot piece of charcoal nestled in the middle. The smoky flavor was spot on. One of the better Dal Makhani’s I have had and quite different from the standard offerings that we are more accustomed to.Ghosht Labaalab: The single most epic dish (which even I tried despite being a vegetarian) has got to be this. Mutton slow-cooked for over 4 hours with khada masalas and oil results in the most finger-licking experience I have had. No matter how much I write about it, the dish demands that you drop whatever you are doing (including reading this experience) and motor all the way there just to try this dish. Combining the mains with the butter naan and lachha parantha meant culinary nirvana. The butter naan was made by mixing milk during the kneading giving it a very flaky texture and melt-in-the-mouth softness. The Lachha Parantha made with wheat rather than maida was a superb combination of crispiness and flaky texture at the edges while the center was soft.By the time we reached the Gulab Jamoons , we could barely get up but then we shook and jiggled our bellies a little bit to create some room and voila, room was created for steaming hot and freshly made Gulab Jamoons which vanished before I could say wow. Ended up with a burnt tongue but smiling like a Cheshire cat.So that was our experience at Papajees. A special mention must be made about the patience and love that Sunny and his father shower over all their guests. Yes, that’s right! I call them guests and not customers. Because not once do any of them shy away from their efforts to make sure you are not just happy, but delighted. Thank you Sunny and Family, for one of the most superlative food experiences I have had in recent times.

For those looking for a fast and convenient dining option, Papajees is a great choice for families. It's a must-visit for those dining with a group.

The Punjabi restaurant serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. The food quality is excellent and the flavors are delightful. Parking is also available.