Whether you’re a vegetarian or not, you’ll absolutely love this little vegetarian outlet in the heart of Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT). They also have another branch at Oud Maitha. This is the only restaurant in Dubai that serves authentic Marwadi/Marwari cuisine, i.e. food from the Indian state of Rajasthan. Located in Cluster R, they have both indoor and outdoor seating arrangements and in the cooler months of the year, is the best place to be seated even in the afternoons. I tried some of their dishes that are soon to be put up on their menu and some that are already available. How did it fare…. Read and find out!!!
To start of my dining experience, I had their ‘chai’ first of all, because I can drink tea any time of the day 😊. Then I had the Raab Shorba, a warm and truly appetizing soup, perfect for this cold weather.
Next up, we were served Ghevar ki Chaat. This is a new dish and will be added onto their menu quite soon. Ghevar is actually a traditional Indian sweet found predominantly in Rajasthan, and who would have thought of using this to make a savoury dish. I’ll be posting a video of how it’s made on my Instagram page…so keep an eye out!!! The Ghevar ki Chaat is amazingly still crispy even though it’s topped with curd, green chutney and date chutney among other toppings like onions, tomatoes, pomegranate, sev and chaat masala that is specifically made for ghevar chaat at Sagar Ratna.
The next dish that I tried was Pyaaz (Onion) Kachori. This is a typical Rajasthani dish already on their menu and it was unlike any other kachori I’ve tried till date. It was warm and crispy on the outside and bursting with flavours on the inside. Not overly spicy, as most people assume Indian snacks to be and the accompanying chutneys worked wonders.
What came next…??? Wait for this… Ulta Pulta Mushroom, meaning upside-down mushroom. Haha….it did bring a smile on everyone’s face. The presentation was lovely and it has a unique taste due to the stuffed onions and pappad. This will also be a new addition to their menu.
There was one more appetizer waiting for us and that was Soya Chaap. Looks can be deceiving as it definitely looked like grilled chicken. But bite into it and you’re back into reality. It prepared using cooked soya that is mashed, mixed with spices and the grilled. I didn’t enjoy this dish as I’m not at all fond of soya, atleast not on its own.
I was almost half-full but I had to try their main courses as there were some interesting dishes on the menu. One such dish was Gulab Jamun ki Sabzi…..that’s right, a savoury dish made using gulab jamun, sans the sweet syrup. I loved this one. The concept is so unique and it tastes delicious too. The gravy has a slightly spicy touch to it and goes well with the jamun. Another interesting dish was Papad ki Sabzi, which although isn’t a new creation, was my first time trying it. But I didn’t enjoy it much.
Also served were Dal Makhni, delicious as it’s supposed to be, and Dungar Paneer Tikka Masala. This was an absolute sizzler, both literally and not so literally. Watch this video to find out why. Melt-in-the-mouth paneer and sizzling gravy made this a lip-smackingly delish dish.
These curries were served with Jadi Booti Naan, roti and Jodhpuri Kabuli, a vegetarian pulau type of dish. These were tasty, and you must try them.
The buttermilk they have, too, is different from buttermilk from other regions of India. Try it to taste the difference.
Last but never the least, and always the part that I’m waiting for, the desserts, were served – Bajra Gud Churma and Moong Dal Halwa. My favourite is usually moong dal halwa, as one can never go wrong in its preparation. But here, bajra gud churma stole the show. Prepared using pearl millet and jaggery and served warm, it’s a perfect dish for this weather.
One thing they definitely need to work on, is the service speed coz taste-wise, they are amazing. this restaurant is quite famous among non-Indian vegans too!!!
Lizbethology 