I begin with the very Rajasthani dal-baati-churma — a puffed dough dumpling swimming in a base of lentil curry. I bite into the baati and have a spoonful of churma , a powdered sweetened cereal. It's delicious. The churma is coarsely ground wheat crushed and cooked with ghee and sugar, a popular delicacy usually served with baatis and dal .
Traditional favourites
I am at Spice Restaurant that offers a fusion of Gujarati and Rajasthani thalis. It is a part of Little Italy. Next, I sample gatte ki sabji , an all-time favourite Marwari recipe — besan flour steamed dumplings simmered in a buttermilk-laden tangy gravy. It makes for a perfect combination with the bajra roti . “We have sourced all the ingredients, from the gatte and channa dal to the garam masala, from Rajasthan,” says Chanaram Maharaj, the chef at Spice. Gatte made from dried besan flour is used in the preparation of gravies.
“We want to offer the predominantly sweet Gujarati cuisine and the spicy Rajasthani one on a single platter,” says Pradeep K Shetty, executive chef, Little Italy. They also serve the platter without onion and garlic, on request. And yes, the menu keeps changing every day.
You have the sweet Gujarati kadhi, a yoghurt-based gravy that contains chickpea flour and vegetable fritters, and a spicy Rajasthani counterpart, mirch vada, kachoris , many varieties of dhokla (sandwich, tiranga, khatta-meetha ), dal sabzis and a delectable line up of sweets from pineapple halwa and mango shrikand to aamras to choose from. “The Gujarati and Marwari communities love padwal (snake gourd) and we have included it in the menu. We spice up the khichidi with bay leaves and cloves for a special flavour,” adds Pradeep
My dinner platter arrives. I have tomato soup and enjoy the crunchy aloo vada (with a soft aloo stuffing), and khatta dhokla .
There is bhindi sabzi without onion and it makes for a good bite with the rotis . I sample the Gujarati kadhi and the delicious aloo raswala sabji that has juicy and soft potato in a tangy gravy. For a sweet finish, there is puran ki poli , pineapple halwa and the yummy dhoodh pak .
Spice serves the Gujarati and Rajasthani thali for lunch (11.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m.) and dinner (6.30 p.m. to 11 p.m.). There is no a la carte menu on offer. Butter milk, soup and sweets are served in limited quantities; the rest are unlimited. For lunch, steamed rice is also served. The thali costs Rs. 184 on weekends and Rs. 164 on weekdays (taxes extra). There is ample parking space.
Call: 4529229, 4516159/ 93444-62229 for reservations.
