Daily Times

If you take a trip down memory lane then you might remember Ponderosa, the restaurant that popularised south Indian thaali food in the 1990s after which it faded into obscurity.

There have been few and far options when it comes to thaali food. It also might have partly to do with the fact that the Pakistani palate is biased towards meat which is a strict no no when it comes to most types of Indian cuisines. But that is not to say that one cannot get creative in serving vegetables and white meat.

That is a something the restaurant Rajdhaani Delights has taken upon itself to serve Rajasthani/Gujarati food in a city where one has to look really hard for good vegetarian options. The restaurant is a brainchild of Aziz Gangani who wanted to bring the definitive authentic Indian cuisine experience to Karachi. Exactly how far he has succeeded in this worthy mission? Lets find out:

Rajdhaani Delights is situated behind Agha’s Supermarket in a rather unassuming quaint corner with very little to mark its presence. The inner décor also has a rather Spartan outlook.

The menu is preset with a smorgasbord of influences from all over the Indian subcontinent. Once inside you see turbaned servers circulating around, carrying vials and topping up portions. It makes for quite a spectacle. To start things off I was served idli with khopreyki chutney and bikaneri papad along with an assortment of chutneys namely lassoni chutney, green chutney, Gujarati achar, cabbage sambar and kachumber. At the very beginning there is a riot of flavours, textures and colours.

Rajdhaani Delights is situated behind Agha’s Supermarket in a rather unassuming quaint corner with very little to mark its presence. The inner décor also has a rather Spartan outlook

Next up were achaari baingan (eggplant and pickled), malai aalo (potato and cream mash), bhindi curry, palak paneer (cheese and spinach), karahi murgh and Gujarati curry. All were served up in by the cheerful turbaned staff in their vials. And to top things off lauki ka halwa and masala chai was served. An impressive array of flavours at a reasonable price. What could be wrong?

The interior could benefit from a facelift as there is certainly room for improvement in the ambiance of the restaurant. Furthermore there could also be more options made available when it comes to vegetables; aalo, bhindi and baingan are usually what is served when it comes to serving ‘veg’.

Rajdhaani Delights is the place to be if you are in for Indian cuisine but it certainly could benefit from enhancement in service delivery whether it comes to taste, ambiance and menu items but in the absence of other credible alternatives this is a worthy event of bringing thaali food on the Karachi food map. It has an impressive array of flavours and tastes to offer, only thing holding it back are some overlooked facets which would radically improve the overall dining experience there. Considering how things are at the line of control these days, a trip at Rajdhaani Delights maybe the cheapest and most convenient way of visiting India by means of a thaali.

The writer is a freelancer and can be reached at raheel_@outlook.com