Serving dishes from the Punjab region of Northern India, Attawa will open in Dalston tomorrow (Wednesday 10th June).
Initially launching for takeaway and collection – with the past few weeks spent completely redesigning the menu from scratch, testing packaging, and finding out which dishes are best suited to the takeaway format – the restaurant takes its name from founders Ravinder and Amar Madhray’s family village in Punjab, where they lived before re-locating to London during the 1970s.
The husband-and-wife duo behind Attawa have lived in Dalston for more than 30 years and own the restaurant building. With a previous tenant having moved out late last year, they decided now was the time to pursue their dream of opening a restaurant which celebrated their heritage and offered something different for the area. The restaurant was originally planned to open in March, just before lockdown threw their plans aside.
In the lead up to the restaurant launch, Ravinder and Amar collaborated with Arbinder Duggal on the menu – a semi-finalist on MasterChef: The Professionals in 2019, who also grew up in Punjab. At Attawa, the menu will offer a modern take on Punjabi home cooking, with a mix of comforting family recipes and modern interpretations celebrating one of India’s most famous food cultures.
Highlights from the menu will include the likes of Amritsa Khatta Ladoo (fried lentil dumplings), served with relish and carrots, topped with pani; tandoor lamb sheek with mint chutney; aloo gobi, Gajjar Subzi; Punjabi chicken kari; pindhi chole (chickpeas slow-cooked in chana masala); and gulab jamun to finish. Sides will include Bibi’s chutneys (made to the family’s original recipe), boondi raita, and dhal makani, which will be available alongside freshly made breads like the chilli naan and tandoor roti.
Attawa hope to open the doors to their new restaurant for eat-in customers in mid-July, pending government advice and regulations. Until then, Attawa will be open for collection and delivery from Wednesday – Sunday, 5pm – 10pm. Further information can be found here.
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