New Delhi: From Rawalpindi chicken tikka masala to Sargodha dal makhani and Bahawalpur naan, the Operation Sindoor-inspired dinner menu of an Indian Air Force (IAF) unit has set off sharp reactions, with some lauding it and others urging the IAF to punch above its weight.
The menu, it is learnt, is from an IAF station that saw intense action in the Western Sector during Operation Sindoor—the 87-hour conflict between India and Pakistan’s armed forces in May. The menu, with dishes named after Pakistan Air Force (PAF) stations and terror camps in Pakistan’s Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) struck by Indian armed forces, was curated as part of a dinner to mark Air Force Day (8 October).
On the menu were Rawalpindi chicken tikka masala, Rafiqui rara mutton, Bholari paneer methi malai, Sukkur shyam savera kofta, Sargodha dal makhani , Jacobabad mewa pulao and Bahawalpur naan.
Of course, the desserts were yet to come; they were Balakot tiramisu, Muzaffarbad kulfi faluda and Muridke meetha paan.
While this was not officially sanctioned by the IAF, sources in the Indian defence establishment explained that the idea to curate an Operation Sindoor-inspired menu was executed at a local level, in a lighter vein.
Reacting to it, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju termed it an “interesting” menu in a post on X.
Interesting menu prepared by Indian Air Force on the special occasion of #AirForceDay
IAF’s dinner menu had dishes named after Pakistan’s airbases which were bombed by the IAF during #OperationSindoor https://t.co/JQxV1YyZsZ pic.twitter.com/M1r4KlVqwy
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) October 9, 2025
The Indian arm of Russian state-run media RT had fun with the menu, sharing a picture of it with the caption: “IAF Puts The Fork Into Islamabad With Operation Sindoor-Inspired Menu.”
“Pakistan just got served—literally,” it added.
Pakistan On A Plate: IAF Puts The Fork Into Islamabad With Operation Sindoor-Inspired Menu
During the 93rd annual ceremony, officials allegedly tucked in to dishes creatively named after terror sites obliterated during the Operation, according to a picture posted online by a… pic.twitter.com/AaZXlgFz1B
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) October 9, 2025
But the menu also drew criticism from various quarters. For instance, an aviator and writer who goes by the name ‘Kaypius’ wrote on X, “This obsession with Op Sindoor & Pakistan will only set a low bar for IAF. Grow up, guys.”
This obsession with Op Sindoor & Pakistan will only set a low bar for IAF. Grow up, guys. Punch above your weight if you must. https://t.co/UI5hgs7nsS
— Kaypius (@realkaypius) October 9, 2025
Another user on X, Birender Dhanoa, said the IAF was ‘denigrating’ its own achievement for clicks on social media.
Denigrating their own achievement for SM.
— Birender Dhanoa (@bsdhanoa) October 9, 2025
Also Read: Op Sindoor is India’s first AI-enabled operation. How ‘heavy use’ of modern tech by Army played out