NEW DELHI: Despite the somewhat forbidding look of the drawn gates and the seemingly austere stone facade of the building behind it, Ba Ni Rasoi wants you to know that it’s open for business. The newly opened restaurant at the Garvi Gujarat Bhavan boasts a comprehensive representation of the traditional cuisines of the coastal state, from breakfast to dinner and including Farsaan from 4.00 pm-7.00 pm.
Meaning ‘Grandmother’s Kitchen’, Ba Ni Rasoi is run under the auspices of Gateway Hospitality, which also operates the Veda chain of fine-dining restaurants, among others.
With separate menus for the different meals of the day as well as the aforementioned snack time, the vegetarian-only restaurant has a la carte as well as full thalis, with the dishes regularly changing to reflect the passing of seasons. And yes, there is Fafda as well as Dhokla, though what you think the latter is, is probably actually Khaman.
What the Gujaratis actually call Dhokla comes in both white and yellow shades, and has a far denser and firmer texture than Khaman the soft, sweet and tangy gram-flour cake that has the fluffy moisture of a monsoon cloud. Other items that are part of the Farsaan include crisp Methi Na Gota (small freshly fried fritters made by combining fenugreek leaves and gram-flour) as well as freshly fried Dal and Batata Vada (split green gram and potato dumplings respectively). These Gujarati staples are prepared from scratch daily, and are worth the wait, which itself is minimal, with polite and attentive servers, ready with serving dishes and ladles, whisking between the spread-out tables and replenishing whichever item you find yourself desiring.
We are then introduced to a seasonal Kathol, Gujarati coddling of seasonal pulses and beans which goes swimmingly with the toasty warm Methi ka Thepla and various other breads. There’s also the characteristically bright red Rasawala Batata, a prettily piquant potato curry that no self-respecting Gujarati repast would be complete without. And naturally, that brings us to that most contentious item, the Gujarati Dal. Full disclosure: I’ve never actually tried this divisive dish because the idea of a sweet dal sounds somehow aberrant. After actually tasting it, I don’t see what the fuss is about since the sweetness is more suggestive than obvious, a smoky caramel-like after-taste rather than the cloying chimeric monstrosity its detractors claim it to be. Hell, I even have a second portion, it’s that good.
Dish of the day
The actual dessert of the day is a Moong Dal halwa, served piping hot and just the right amount of sweet, making it welcome during winter’s last nip. Luckily, no matter what the weather, one can always drop by at Ba Ni Rasoi for a taste of Gujarat. The newly- opened restaurant at the Garvi Gujarat Bhavan boasts a comprehensive representation traditional cuisines.
Price: Rs 500 (including taxes)
At: 7.30 am-1 0.30pm
Where: Garvi Gujarat Bhavan, Akbar Road, New Delhi