My most recent food adventure at Rajasthan ki Rasoi, Kasturinagar taught me this: Rajasthani food is just as hot as the State itself.
While the restaurant was started with the idea of providing pure vegetarian indulgence, it is their fiery flavours that make a mark.
Ker and sangri
Indeed, while any Indian meal is known for the abundant use of spice, there are two spices that set Rajasthani cuisine apart. “Two special ingredients — ker (a bean) and sangri (a fruit) — are dried in the sun before using them as flavouring agents,” says owner of the restaurant Durga Choudhary.
“They are lesser known to the south Indian crowd and are brought directly from Rajasthan into our kitchen.”
“We do not use any kind of sweeteners in our dishes, only spices,” she adds.
A bridal fashion designer by profession, Durga wanted to try her hand at something different and started the eatery three years ago. Now she manages the restaurant as well as a boutique.
Standard menu
Not a single recipe has been changed since the restaurant's launch. “We didn't find it necessary to make changes as all [the dishes] seemed to be well received,” says Durga.
The Jaipuri pulao here was an abundance of beans and carrots along with delicious, chewy pieces of mushroom to boot. Two relatively small, light and fluffy phulkas were served with paneer butter masala, bhutta palak methi and dal fry.
Hot gravies
Of the three gravies, the paneer butter masala was the tastiest, owing to the conspicuous masala. We found ourselves reaching for the shiny copper glasses of water to douse the fire in our throats.
The plain dal fry somehow paled in comparison to it while the bhutta palak methi did not disappoint.
The meal until here had been surprisingly filling. But this did not deter us from enjoying the roomali roti too.
The summer heat coupled with the piquant lunch called for a cool sip of jal jeera to end the meal.
Located at 2M-445, 2nd Main, near Café Coffee Day, Kasturinagar.
Call 9448288117 for details or free home deliveries within 2 km.
