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Roti, khichdi aur farsaan

If it is just plain good food you are looking for, Guajarati Samaj is the place to go

PHOTOS: PANKAJA SRINIVASAN

YOUR PLATE'S FULL With traditional goodies

"Ek aur," (one more) Harish bhai urges you as you groan, `okay'. A perfectly symmetrical, soft, melt-in-the-mouth roti floats onto your plate.

This is roti heaven, you decide as you stuff yet another in against your better judgement.

The place is quite simply called the Gujarati restaurant (located at the Gujarati Samaj Bhavan Building on Mettupalayam road).

Overwhelming hospitality

And here you are invariably tempted, urged and sometimes bulldozed into eating some more.

As restaurants go, this no Ritz. But the lack of elaborate décor is more than made up by the hospitality of those serving you food.

And the food is homely, wholesome and quite reasonable.

Opt for the Gujarati thali. While Punjabi, South Indian etc are also available; the gujju cuisine is the one that warms the cockles of your heart.

The thalis are priced at Rs 35, Rs 45, Rs 60 and Rs 75.

The difference is in the number of vegetable dishes being served or the number of sweets being served.

Gujju specials

If you are keen to have the famous Gujju bajra roti, all you need to do is give them some notice and you will have them.

A shiny steel thali first puts in its appearance. On it are several katoris (cups).

You wait in an agony of expectation as you wonder what they are going to fill into them.

A young boy appears holding aloft a four-in-one serving bowl. A dal, subzi (vegetables), curd and chutneys are ladled out.

Try the fry

A bowl of roughly cut onions (reminiscent of a dhaba) puts in its appearance.

And lo and behold a samosa with its accompanying chutney is also served.

(Gujaratis have a wonderful practice of serving something they call farsaan, loosely translated to mean snacks that could be anything from pakodas, to ghatias to samosas).

As you breathe in the flavours, the first of the magical rotis land on your plate. There is no looking back after that.

They are served to you faster than you can eat them.

You can say no, but usually you are twelve rotis deep before you actually do!

And of course you can't possibly hurt Harish bhai's feelings. And oh!

One forgets — there is a cupful of thick, creamy, gloriously yellow and fragrant aamras.

You are meant to eat it with the roti.

But if that does not go down well with you, have it for dessert.

Here comes the saadam

For those of you who are thinking, `all very well, but where is the saadam', it is coming, it is coming.

Piping hot rice is served and you are at liberty to ask for as many refills of vegetable and dal as your heart desires.

There is also khichdi and kadi.

It is great to eat food all of which you can pronounce, most of which is recognisable and pure vegetarian.

Jain food too

And, if you are a Jain, no problem, there is Jain food.

For those who want it so, they will even serve you food on a vazhai ilai.

The restaurant is also open for business if you are looking for hot North Indian breakfast.

The timings — between 7.30 a.m. and 9.30 a.m.

Lunch is served between 12.30 p.m. and 3.30 p.m. and dinner is from 7.30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

There is parking space aplenty on the premises. For details call 98942-62593/98942-78319.

PANKAJA SRINIVASAN

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