Vegetarian food
in India involves a vast variety of dishes. While the North Indian cuisine is the most popular and
widely available, it is but the tip of the iceberg. Other regions of India also
have an array of foods to offer and Rajasthani cuisine is gradually making its
way into the culinary melting pot in Goa. Offering that and much more is The
Rasoda, located on the By-pass Kadamba road in Old Goa, which provides a
perfect ambience in line with its cuisine.
From food related ghee-licious quotes to the colourful Kathputli
(traditional puppets with origins in Rajasthan) peppering the place, the
restaurant with its modern settings have kept its roots in mind. The
tantalising display of the sweetmart section that takes up a portion of the
restaurant adds to building your appetite.
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Owned by the Khaitan family, The Rasoda opened in October last
year with only the sweets and snacks counter; by December, they opened up the
restaurant with a full-fledged menu – from bite-sized snacks, thalis,
individual preparations to an elaborate bread platter. The restaurant was
buzzing with activity during lunch time, when we chose to visit the place, with
many Goans trying the flavours of the pure vegetarian restaurant as it is the
month of Shravan.
“‘Rasoda’ means ‘rasoi’ (kitchen) in Marwadi and Gujarati. This
is our first restaurant in Goa and we plan to open a store in St Inez, Panjim
only for sweets and snacks. The thalis are the must try dishes at the
restaurant, especially the Rajasthani thali and the Punjabi thali. The Maharaja
Thali is a combination of both with a few more dishes. We have chefs from
different regions such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Mumbai. We bring them
together and train them for the authenticity. We adopted a few dishes from
their cuisines and we have given them a few of ours. We source our key
ingredients and spices from Jaipur,” says Yash Khaitan, co-founder of The
Rasoda.
We started off our
dining experience with ‘Chaach’ or buttermilk seasoned with a variety of
spices. As we waited for our food, we tried the Khasta Kachori Chaat – a deep
fried, puffed kachori filled with a spicy moong dal stuffing and served with a
generous amount of chutneys, yogurt and sev.
The restaurant has a
number of authentic Rajasthani dishes listed on the menu. As their menu
suggests, a party of four can simply go in for their Maharaja Thali to sample
something of everything; it was certainly more than we expected – in terms of
variety and flavour. The single thali has nearly 28 dishes besides the bread
platter and the desserts. Besides rice and Masala rice, the thali has Kadi, Dal
Makhani, Mangodi, Ker Sangaari, Gatte ki Sabzi, Papad Pyaaaz, Rajasthani Aloo
ki Sabzi, Dahi Balla, Boondi Raita, Stuffed Baati, Plain Baati, Mirchi Pakoda,
Seekh Kebabs, Aloo Tikka, Paneer ki Sabzi, Chola, Mixed Vegetables, Aloo
Tamatar and Kofta. Accompaniments include chutney for the tandoori items like
Seekh Kebab and Aloo Tikka and Lahsun ki chutney, which has to be had with the
baati.
Baati are small,
round, deep-fried balls of dough that are served with dal. The thali offers
both plain and stuffed baati. Another stand out dish in the thali is the
Sangaari. Ker Sangri is a traditional Rajasthani dish made using dried Ker
berries and Sangri beans widely found in Rajasthan especially the Marwad
region.
The bread basket
includes Bajre ki roti, Makki ki roti, two varieties of naans – butter naan and
Lachha paratha.
As there is always
room for dessert, the platter doesn’t disappoint. To wash down the spiciness of
the elaborate thali, the array of desserts includes a serving of Rasgulla,
Gulab Jamun, Shrikhand, Mawa and Churma, which is actually traditionally served
with Dal Baati.
So what makes this
Maharaja Thali so special? Is there one single ingredient that takes centre
stage among all the vegetables on the plate? “Love has to be in the thali. We
serve it with a lot of love,” says Yash, with a parting smile to end the heavy
afternoon meal.
Vegetarian
food will never be the same once you’ve savoured what The Rasoda has to offer.
