Indian Air Force Marks 93rd Anniversary with Menu Highlighting Operation Sindoor Success

The Indian Air Force (IAF) marked its 93rd anniversary with a unique celebration at the Adampur Airbase in Punjab. This event featured a dinner menu that cleverly referenced Pakistan's setbacks during Operation Sindoor, a four-day military engagement between the two countries from May 7–10, 2025.
Chefs at the airbase crafted a "culinary strike," serving dishes humorously named after Pakistani airbases and towns targeted by the IAF's precision weapons during the confrontation.
Guests were treated to a menu that included Rawalpindi Chicken Tikka Masala, Rafiqui Rhara Mutton, Bholari Paneer Methi Malai, and Jacobabad Mewa Pulao, each representing a site where the IAF had inflicted significant damage on Pakistani military assets. Other offerings included Sargodha Dal Makhani, Sukkur Sham Savera Kofta, and Bahawalpur Naan. Desserts, such as Balakot Tiramisu, Muzaffarabad Kulfi Faluda, and Muridke Meetha Pan, provided a sweet yet pointed conclusion to the meal.
The menu gained attention online after Union Minister Kiren Rijiju posted a photograph of it, highlighting the occasion on social media.
"Interesting menu prepared by the 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."
Operation Sindoor was India's robust military response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which resulted in 26 fatalities. Beginning on May 7, the IAF launched strategic strikes against terror camps and military facilities deep within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Throughout the operation, India successfully dismantled nine terror camps and attacked 13 Pakistani airbases, resulting in the death of over 100 militants. In a symbolic move on May 13, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Adampur base, the site Pakistan had falsely claimed to have destroyed, to counter Islamabad's narrative of significant Indian losses.
Photographs from the visit depicted the Prime Minister standing adjacent to an S-400 launcher and a MiG-29 fighter on an undamaged runway, refuting Pakistan's assertions of targeting Indian airbases.
Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, in his address on IAF Day, commended the operation as a testament to India’s expanding air capabilities.
"India’s bold and precise attacks during Operation Sindoor restored the rightful place of offensive air action in the national consciousness."
He further disclosed that Pakistan lost 12–13 aircraft, including US-made F-16s and Chinese JF-17s, both in aerial combat and on the ground, marking the highest Pakistani aircraft losses since the 1971 war.
The event's menu, featuring items like “Bahawalpur Naan” and “Balakot Tiramisu,” was not just humorous but also served as a powerful message of confidence, precision, and national pride. As one IAF officer at Adampur remarked, "We served our guests with flavour and facts — both hard to digest for Pakistan."