Gujarati food is one of my favourite Indian meals but finding a restaurant in Delhi that serves authentic Gujarati food has always been a problem. So when the newly opened Bani Rasoi at the Garvi Gujarat Bhawan invited me over for a meal, I wasn’t going to refuse. Unlike other state bhawans, the Garvi Gujarat Bhawan has become a shininh of Indian hospitality, both literally and figuratively. Inside, there is intricate work on marble depicting the best of Gujarati art: the Patola Saree patterns on the floor and the Jharokhas on the walls.
The restaurant in itself, is quite simple yet elegantly done with the kitchen and service area on one side while chairs and tables are set on the other side. The menu features a few regional drinks along with a long list of Gujarati appetisers and follow it up with the Lunch Thaali (INR 350) and the Dinner thaali (INR 550). We start off with a Beetroot Sherbet that’s quite interesting to drink in along with a Ginger Sherbet that helps clean out the sinuses this winter.
The unlimited Thaalis are serve out a multitude of Gujarati dishes including the Kadhi, which has quite a bit of sweet aftertaste to it along with a Dum Aloo and Sev Tamatar (one of the easily made daily items in the Gujarati household). Served along with a series of pickles and chutneys, there is some Bajra and regular roties to combine with it before ending your meal with a delectable bowl of Shrikhand. Both of these Thaalis are unlimited making for some scrumptious eating to your heart’s content.
There are quite a few quintessential Gujarati entrees to try out including the Gujarati namkeen served along with Jalebi along with the classic Gujarati Dhokla. Quite unlike the Khaman that we usually misrepresent as Dhokla in the northern parts of the country, the actual one is quite smaller in size and made out of pulses rather than Besan. There’s also some Methi Pakoras and Aloo Bondas that I decide to try out.
