Mobissimo Blog IN - Cuisine

Saturday Morning Breakfast in Bangalore

chirayu@gmail.com (India Traveller) — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 09:56:00 -0700

A collage of Saturday morning breakfast in Bangalore: Idlis, garlic chutney, and masala dosa on a banana leaf. Click image to view a larger picture.

Big idlis, cocount garlic (lasan) chutney, sagoo, and masala dosa.

The spicy cocount and garlic chutney, seen in red, complements the bland sagoo, gravy of mashed potatoes, seen in yellow. The sambar is missing

The huge size of idlis makes them good enough for lunch.

Click image to see and download a full size picture. File size: 100kb. Image resolution: 1024 by 768.

Traditional South Indian Meals on a Banana Leaf

chirayu@gmail.com (India Traveller) — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 18:49:00 -0700

Traditional South Indian meals (lunch) on a banana leaf.

This picture was taken at a wedding reception ceremony that I attended in Bangalore last week.

Click image to see a larger picture. File download size: 58KB. Image resolution: 640 by 480.

A celebration in South India means eating food the traditional way on a tender Banana leaf.

Advantages of eating on a fresh and clean banana leaf:
- Hot food served on a banana leaf takes nutritional and medicinal values of the banana tree.
- Provides a fresh plate for each meal.
- Is bio-degradable.
- Ghee and oil does not stick to the Banana leaf.
- Traditional way of eating in South India.

Read more on eating a South Indian vegetarian meal on a Banana leaf.

A traditional meal on a banana leaf is a must at any South Indian celebration.

The next time you're in Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi, or other places in South India don't miss a celebration that provides you a chance to taste traditional South Indian food on a fresh banana leaf.

If there aren't any occasions for you to savour South Indian delicacies on a banana leaf, then you can always visit popular eating joints for a taste of sumptuous South Indian food on a banana leaf.

Gujarati Thali in Mumbai (Bombay)

chirayu@gmail.com (India Traveller) — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 23:47:00 -0800

There's a meal for each pocket in Mumbai. From the ever-present Vada Pav and tea at a roadside eating joint to dinner at The Oberoi at Nariman Point. Mumbai offers a variety of cuisines and eating options.

Have you tasted an unlimited Gujarati Thali in Mumbai?
A wholesome (eat as much as you can until you've had enough and once you've over-eaten about five times above your normal capacity you say please stop I can't eat a morsel more) authentic Gujarati meal.

Here are a few places that you may visit to taste Gujarati food during your next visit to Mumbai.

Gujarati Thali in Mumbai.

- Rajdhani, opposite Mangaldas Market, (Crawford Market).

Rajdhani RestaurantThe Thali Place
Opp. Mangaldas Market, Masjid Gulli, Crawford Market,
CST (VT), Mumbai - 400002.
Phone: 022-2342-6919/ 2344-9014/ 2344-9016
Serves Gujarati, Rajasthani, and Marwadi food
Timings: 11.00am to 3.15pm and 7.00pm to 11.30pm

- Samrat at Churchgate.

Samrat Veg Restaurant
Prem Court 119, J. Tata RoAd, Churchgate,
Mumbai - 400020.
Phone: 022-2282-0022/2282-0942
Serves Gujarati thali and Punjabi dishes
Timings: 12:00 noon to 10:30pm

- Golden Star Thali near Charni Road station.

Golden Star Thali
330, Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road,
Opp Charni Road Station,
Mumbai.
Phone: 022-2363-1983/ 2367-1952
Serves pure vegetarian Gujarati and Marwadi cuisine.
Timings: 11.00am to 3.00pm and 7.00pm to 10.30pm

- Panchavati Gaurav near Bombay Hospital.

Panchvati Gaurav
7, Barak Road, Near Bombay Hospital,
Mumbai - 400020.
Phone: 022-2208-4877
Serves Gujarati thali
Timings: 11:00am to 3:00pm and 7:00pm to 10:30pm

- Thackers at Birla Krida Kendra, Chowpatty.

Thackers
Birla Krida Kendra, Chowpatty,
Mumbai
Phone: 022-2364-9300/2364-9301
Timings: 11:30am - 2:30pm and 5:30pm - 10:30pm

- Thackers at Marine Lines.

Thackers Veg. Restaurant
116/118, Marine Street, Marine Lines,
Mumbai -400002.
Phone: 022-2205-3623/ 2205-3641/ 2205-3587
Serves Gujarati and Punjabi cuisine.
Timings: 12:30pm - 3:00pm and 7:30pm - 11:00pm

- Chetana at Kala Ghoda. Serves Rajasthani thali.

Chetana
34 K. Dubash Marg,
Kala Ghoda, Mumbai.
Phone: 022 - 2495-5075/ 2495-5055/ 2285-6316/ 2202-3592
Serves vegetarian cuisine.

- Aaram opposite St. Michael's Church in Mahim.

Aaram Restaurant
Opp St. Michael's Church,
Mori Road,
Inside Mahim Bus Depot ,
Mahim, Mumbai - 400016.
Phone: 022-2444-1358.

- Friends Union Joshi Club in Narottam Wadi on Kalbadevi Road.
Turn left from Princess Street junction. The place is located on the first floor in an old building in Narottam Wadia 10-minute walk on Kalbadevi Road.

- Shree Thakker Bhojanalaya in Dadiseth Agiary (fire temple) Lane at Kalbadevi.

Shree Thakker Bhojanalaya
31 Dadi Seth Agiary Lane,
Kalbadevi,
Mumbai - 400002.
Phone: 022-2201-1232/ 2203-1490.

- Rajdhani at Nirmal Lifestyle Mall, Mulund (West).

Rajdhani
Lal Bahadur Shastri (L.B.S.) Marg,
1st floor, Nirmal Lifestyle Mall,
Mulund (West),
Mumbai - 400080.
Phone: 022-5688-8088/ 5643-2601.

- Rasoi near Mulund (West) suburban station on Central Railway.

Tip: Eat an unlimited (you may eat until you say Enough, please stop serving) Gujarati Thali late in the afternoon. The heavy food takes care of lunch and dinner . So you need not have another meal until late at night, and that too, if required.

Take care to see that you don't indulge in gastronomic delights of Gujarati Thali on a working day, else see to it that there's not much work to do in the afternoon, as a siesta goes hand-in-hand with an unlimited (bottomless, never-ending, keeps on getting re-filled again and again) Gujarati Thali.

Never eat fast at a Thali restaurant, else your Thali would keep on getting filled even faster and before you know it you would be tired of eating .

No matter how hard one tries, one always ends up over-eating an unlimited Thali.

How many of these places have you visited in Mumbai? What's your favourite place for a Gujarati Thali in Mumbai? Let us know through the 'Comments' link on this page.

Search and compare airfares to Mumbai on Mobissimo India.

Related:
- What is an 'Unlimited' Thali?

Indian Cuisine

chirayu@gmail.com (India Traveller) — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:16:00 -0800

Variety in culture, cities, languages, traditions, beliefs, climate, people, and food is what makes India special. Travelling across the country one can't miss the aroma wafting from its kitchens; be they dhabas, open air eateries with the night sky for company, on highways; restaurants in cities, roadside stalls serving street food, or home-cooked food.

Visiting India and not eating Indian food isn't possible. The variety of recipes that one gets to relish from region to region is a food lover's delight.

From the saffron-laced aroma of Kashmiri food to meat, butter, and cream varieties in Mughlai and Punjabi up north to the sweet delicacies and farsans in Rajasthani and Gujarati; the mild to spicy range in Maharashtrian food in the West; Bengali favourites like macher jhol (fish curry), sweet sandesh and roshogulla; and the South Indian delights of sambar, rasam, idlis, vadas, and dosas.

Spices are an integral part of Indian cooking. An Indian cook can create a canvas of delicious recipes with a subtle blending of spices like cardamom, asafoetida, turmeric, ginger, nutmeg, and coriander.

These links make for informative and interesting reading.

- Indian cuisine
- View a list of books on cooking Indian recipes