22 November,2010 06:20 AM IST | | Janaki Viswanathan
Versova's new Rajasthani joint, Kadi Patta, could be your ticket to a vegetarian, ghee-friendly gastronomic affair
If you thought the city's smoggiest suburb couldn't look pretty, think again. The open air dining area at Kadi Patta, which is just two floors above traffic level at Versova, Andheri, makes for a lovely picture after sundown. We chose to sit out simply because it was one of those rare breezy evenings, not to be wasted over a dinner indoors.u00a0
Rajasthani Thali. Pics/Rane Ashish
We didn't realise until we walked in, that Kadi Patta is a Rajasthani restaurant, and that it serves only vegetarian food. Well, you know now. Starting off proceedings, we settled for a glass of Jaljeera (Rs 40) instead of the sheesha. It arrived soon enough, minus the topping of crunchy yellow boondi ufffd a trademark of this appetiser.
Nevertheless, it arose our tastebuds nicely, with its sharp tanginess, like it ought to be. For starters, we picked the Dahi Puri Amrapali (Rs 80) and Bhutta Lajawab (Rs 80). The Dahi Puri Amrapali is as interesting as it sounds. Mango pur ufffde stirred into yogurt chutney ufffd it made them get full marks for innovation. The crunchy puri with sev and cold, creamy, fruity dahi made for a lovely mix of textures.
The Bhutta Lajawab was pretty lajawab too. It's deep-fried babycorn but the sweet and spicy chutneys were super cold, super fresh and a great accompaniment.
After a long time we were sensible with our starters, and could go all out for the mains. We opted for the Rajasthani Thali (Rs 280), a portion of Puri Undiyo (Rs 150) and (foolishly) Chana Tarkaari (Rs 140). Not so sensible. Because every item in each of these dishes has a generous amount of ghee stirred in. By the time we got to the thali, we were already groaning.
First, the bad news. The Chana Tarkaari was a rudely spicy item, we couldn't tell any of the flavours apart from chillies. The Undiyo on the other hand, was a lovely sticky dish full of yam, raw banana and brinjal, which went perfectly with puris. When the servers brought the thali, we were worried we wouldn't do justice to it. Spoons and forks out, we gingerly dipped into each of the bowls.
Did I mention that the lighting was bad? Well, it was, and we had to check the bowls under the inverted spotlights to figure out what we were eating. Strangely, the chhaas came in a bowl too. The thali had Undiyo (again), a Turiya Patra, an Alu ki Sabzi, kadhi, dal and rice.
The Turiya Patra, which was basically ridge gourd and patra leaf was dripping with oil, not an enjoyable experience. As for the Alu ki Sabzi, it was a sour-spicy gravy with succulent potatoes. The thick yellow dal and runny white kadi made for great mixes with the rice, but it's the Dudhi ka Halwa that truly killed us. A medley of gourd, sugar and ghee, the halwa was grainy and warm, and melted in our mouths. Suddenly, we didn't care about overeating.
Our meal at Kadi Patta came with a great view of city lights and the sea; it was badly lit, but the food was well served and dripped with ghee. Maybe, we'll try the sheesha next time.
u00a0
At One, Aram Nagar, JP Road, opposite Darya Mahal, 7 Bungalows, Andheri (W). Call: 9819032132
Kadi Patta didn't know we were there. Theu00a0Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals.
