An unlimited Rajasthani-Gujarati thali is just what a vegetarian needs on a lazy weekend. You can linger over the meal for as long as you like, savouring all those umpteen helpings of your favourite sweets, sabzis and rotis and then go home and collapse on the bed/couch/floor for the most satisfying nap you've ever had. There's something about falling asleep after a gigantic meal, isn't there? I'm a huge fan of thalis because I love variety in my food and I can honestly say that Maharaja Bhog offers one of the best Rajasthani thalis in the city.
What you get in one unlimited thali, priced at around Rs 450:
- Four types of vegetables
- Three types of roti
- Two types of dal
- Two types of kadhi
- Two types of rice
- Two kinds of farsan
- A special snack
- Three types of sweets
- A meetha paan
- Various accompaniments like papad, raita, pickles and chutneys
Pretty worth it, wouldn't you say? The Powai outlet is not very large but the ambience is classic fine dining and the customers seem to be regulars from the area. We were welcomed with a divine elixir of saffron and sandalwood, typical to Rajasthan. The empty thali plates that arrived on our table increased our anticipation even more. And then in a matter of minutes, every cup on the plate was filled to the brim with Indian delicacies. Here is a quick recap:
Vegetables
- Paneer pasanda: The perfect paneer preparation with tomato-based gravy and fresh paneer chunks
- Aloo chutneywala: A potato preparation in a chutney-based gravy; loved the sweetness of the potatoes
- Methi leela kanda ghegho: An extremely tasty methi and dal preparation that was so different from the vegetables I normally eat
- Desi channa Jaselmeri: A delicious channa masala that went well with the rotis
Roti
- Phulka: The regular light rotis to mop up all the subzis
- Beet roti: Little puffed maroon puris with a fantastic beetroot flavour
- Baingan thepla: Gujarati thepla rotis with a hint of brinjal
Rice
- Palak biryani: A beautiful green biryani that was packed with flavour
- Khichdi: The right way to eat it, as the manager instructed me, is to pour a little ghee on top, add some green chutney and have a bite of papad with every morsel
Special
snack
- Stuff dahiwada: I wolfed down two of these dahi wadas served with sweet yoghurt
Farsan
- Parwal chand tara: This was something like a sabudana wada; pretty dense but enjoyable with the chutneys
- Veg handva dholka: A spiced dhokla with an orange tinge
Sweets
(my favourite)
- Mohan thal halwa: Excellent ghee-soaked besan halwa
- Fruit float: Creamy rabdi and rasmalai with pieces of dried fruits
- Malpuva: Fried mawa fritters soaked in syrup and seasoned with nuts
- Sweet Gujarati dal and kadhi: I loved the Gujarati dal
- Non-sweet Rajasthani dal and kadhi: I opted for the creamy Rajasthani kadhi
Every single item on my plate was
lip-smacking, flavourful and not excessively oily or spicy. I
particularly loved the rasmalai and fruit float, of which I had three helpings
(the third helping was not my doing - the server insisted!), the excellent beet
puris with their maroon colouring, the sweet and juicy dahi wada, the bright
green palak biryani and among the vegetables, the methi leela kanda ghegho and
paneer pasanda although all four were exceptional. We washed down all this food
with a glass of seasoned chaas (buttermilk).
The best part is you don’t have to feel shy
about asking for additional helpings at all. The servers are delighted to
oblige and there is even a turbaned waiter in traditional Rajasthani garb to assist
you in washing your hands before and after the meal. While we did expect the
thali to be supremely scrumptious, we didn’t anticipate the parcelled meetha
paan at the end of the meal. A dessert after three desserts – now that’s what I
call a great luncheon!
Address: First Floor, Haiko Mall, Central Avenue, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai
Phone:022 66930022 / 022 66930044
Timings: 12 Noon to 3:30 PM, 7 PM to 11 PM
Address: First Floor, Haiko Mall, Central Avenue, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai
Phone:022 66930022 / 022 66930044
Timings: 12 Noon to 3:30 PM, 7 PM to 11 PM
No comments:
Post a Comment