Tracing the legacy of an iconic Dadar eatery

Whatrsquos in a name The loving memory of a restaurant it seems Thatrsquos what Jaibir Singh Kohli mdash the great grandson of Prahlad Singh Kohli the founder of the Dadar landmark Pritam Restaurant and Bar mdash found out at a party where he ran into a gent named after his familyrun eatery Turns out when Pritamrsquos mother was pregnant she didnrsquot want any hospital foodJaibir Singh Kohli PicsShadab KhanldquoBefore her delivery she showed up at her favourite joint Pritam for her last meal and then went into labour in the restaurantrdquo Jaibir regales us Itrsquos one of the many stories that abound behind redandblack faccedilade of the restaurant where love loyalty and laughter have brewed over bottomless bowls of butter chicken polished off with pillowy kulchas and guzzled down with whiskey Today Pritam mdash meaning favourite in Punjabi mdash turns 80Rawalpindi to DadarBaingan ka bhartaA bangleseller is setting up shop outside the restaurant when we drop by on a sunny Monday afternoon The golawala is on his way we hear trying his best to keep the ice from melting and a palmist greets us inside ready to spill whatrsquos written in our stars But amid the hurried preparations for their anniversary which coincides with Baisakhi we settle down to hear about Singh Kohli or lsquobade daddy jirsquo who changed the familyrsquos fortunes In 1942 Singh Kohli then a businessman dealing in dry fruits in Rawalpindi journeyed to Mumbai with his wife Har Kaur In Dadar they met a friend who ran a restaurantFrom left Chefs Sunil Bachulkar and Ramakanta Malik now carry the mantle of Pritamrsquos muchloved recipes such as butter chicken and dal makhaniAn excellent cook Har Kaur was quick to point out the food was nothing like their homely fare Sensing an opportunity Singh Kohli partnered with his friend to run Pritam Punjab Hindu Hotel The two pillars between which our table is laid out Jaibir shares was where the original shop stood catering to 15 to 18 diners Over 80 years theyrsquove acquired six such shops with a capacity to host 180 dinersChampioning Punjabi fareBack in the day the terms lsquoHindu Hotelrsquo and lsquoPunjabrsquo were enough to draw a crowd This coupled with the fact that Dadar was home to a large number of film industry workers mdash with studios in neighbouring Wadala mdash brought in the likes of Raj Shammi and Shashi Kapoor Dilip Kumar Dharmendra and Sunil Dutt ldquoMany were struggling actors then who couldnrsquot afford to pay My grandfather Kulwant Singh Kohli understood their plight and it blossomed into great friendshipsrdquo Jaibir recallsLongtime barman Chandrakant Rakant whips up RekhaSeveral film stars craved homestyle North Indian food and Pritam served up Punjabi kadhi rajma tandoori chicken baingan bharta and the works under the strict instructions of lsquobade daddy jirsquo Chefs Sunil Bachulkar and Ramakanta Malik whorsquove been in the kitchen since 2003 and 1995 respectively today carry the mantle of Pritamrsquos iconic dal makhani and butter chickenOne of the cocktails on their new retro beverage menu a tribute to the film starldquoWe use the best ingredients and slowcook the dal for 14 hours to achieve the viscosity Sunil Dutt even came to meet us after eating hererdquo they share while Jaibir reveals that unlike other eateries their dal makhani has no butter For the anniversary the restaurant is bringing back 10 dishes from their 1942 menu including the comforting dal makhani a yellow smoky baingan bharta and a tender fragrant purani Dilli murg shaan au shaukat Also on the menu are lasooni palak murg methi bahaar and chaiji di churi rotiRaj Kapoor inaugurates the newly airconditioned PritamLooking aheadFor a muggy Monday afternoon Pritam is having a busy lunch hour Jaibir shares that if we look closely wersquore sure to spot families huddling together to fix wedding matches and toast to new beginnings Is there something new for Pritam too we ask ldquoThere will only be one Pritam Restaurant but we will open another Pritam Da Dhaba at Juhu soonrdquo Jaibir signs offPritam was a haunt for stars like middle Rajendra Kumar and Dilip Kumar right the family also produced a few filmsAt 1 Swami Ganjivandas Marg Dadar 11 am to 1230 amTill April 16Call 24145555