A few years ago, Amritsari kulchas and masala dosas were your best bet when someone mentioned regional Indian cuisine. Now, however, a tiny but impressive wave of restaurants throughout India are bringing back these long-lost dishes because of a new generation of chefs and restaurateurs who are eager for the flavours of home.
India has carved out its niche in the world, and it now appears to be the location where the sheer number of dining options might be overwhelming. We want to recommend eateries serving delicious regional Indian cuisine in New Delhi, Goa, Mumbai, and Chennai.
Bagundi, New Delhi
Bagundi, which means “excellent” in Telegu, is a restaurant serving authentic Andhra cuisine that opened its doors to the public a few years ago at Connaught Place. Picture dishes like gongura chicken and mutton, traditional Andhra thalis, and the famous Hyderabadi biryani…yummy… The founders of the restaurant, Ramachi Foods, invited traditional Andhra cooks from different parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to help them set up the 48-seater eatery to guarantee that the food served there stays true to the flavours of the cuisine. Popular dishes include a robust crab meat dish and a variety of tamarind-based curries made with fish, chicken, and mutton. There are 15 different dishes in each thali, and they come in vegetarian and non-vegetarian varieties. You should go to Bagundi while hungry if at all possible.
KI Hangla, Delhi
Ki Hangla, located at DLF Phase 3, is the place to go for seafood and Bengali food lovers. The location’s atmosphere will make you feel as though you have travelled to the city of joy. The Bengali ladies and their vintage ambassador automobiles adorn the walls. You can also
enjoy their delicious cuisine at their location in Dwarka. We give you our word that it is a paradise for people who don’t avoid eating meat.
Palash Borah’s Residence, Hengrabari, Guwahati
The supper will be enjoyed with friendly, diverse discussion, creating a warm, at-home atmosphere. The menu frequently changes to highlight seasonal, locally sourced Assamese ingredients prepared with a blend of traditional and contemporary techniques to create fascinating and novel flavour pairings. Utilising state-of-the-art methods to improve upon well-known regional flavour combinations and delivering them with the same warmth and welcome you’d receive at any Assamese house. Palash’s kitchen staff extensively uses the in-house garden’s herbs, vegetables, and flowers while creating dishes for the restaurant’s menus. The rest of the materials come from the legendary Assam and Meghalaya biweekly market, where the local farmers and fishermen sell their wares.
The Salt House, Kolkata
Earlier this year, The Salt House opened its doors to the public in Kolkata’s Park Street & Theatre Road area. Although it isn’t a traditional regional cuisine restaurant, chef Auroni Mukherjee honours Bengali cuisine by preparing dishes that combine European techniques with conventional Bengali flavours. If you don’t believe us, try the Mocha, also known as Banana Blossom Ravioli, the Daal, Bhaat & Bhaaja Risotto, a tribute to khichuri and bhaaja, and, of course, the Mishti Doi fro-yo, a wonderful spin on frozen yoghurt, with Mishti Doi. The restaurant lives by the mantra “flavour first” and makes all of its bread, spaghetti, spicy sauce, mustard, and ketchup in-house.
Dum Pukht Begum’s ITC Konehur, Hyderabad
Dum Pukht Begum is resolute in her pursuit of reawakening the region’s artisanal courtly style, display, and cuisine. It invites you to partake in a royal feast by showcasing authentic flavours and time-honoured dishes from the kitchens of Hyderabad’s royal dynasties. The silver and purple interiors are reminiscent of a bygone period and evoke a sense of the enchantment of the past.
Sodabottleopenerwala, BKC, Mumbai
The fading memory of a place that was so vibrantly real: an Irani café in Bombay, with all its chaos, crowds, bustle, colour, peculiarity, clutter, and eccentricity. The menu features traditional Parsi dishes, Irani specialities, and street food gems made famous in Mumbai’s gymkhanas and bustling streets. Parsi Style, Freddie Mercury meets Monty Python on the outsized mirrors, and a play on graphics all around create an old-world, colonial, and humorous atmosphere. You can find memorabilia from the famous chor bizarre in Mumbai, such as antique framed images of life in Irani cafes, beside barn glass jars bursting with nankatais.
Paati Veedu, Chennai
We were sold on the restaurant after trying the rasam. The rasam at this new vegetarian restaurant serving Tamilian cuisine is excellent, but it’s not the only standout item. Forgotten dishes from a Tamil grandmother’s kitchen are the centrepiece of Paati Veedu, the brainchild of businessman Sirish Ramkumar. ones that combine mythology and cuisine in equal measure. The 112-seat restaurant serves a 25-course Poorna Bhakshana, 12 types of rasam, and a roster of dishes like puliyodharai with capsicum pachadi—tamarind rice with bell pepper yoghurt relish and iddiyappam and sodhi, all of which will make you feel like you’ve stepped into a wonderfully warm paati’s kitchen.
Cavatina, Benaulim, Goa
Cavatina is a cosy restaurant in the heart of Benaulim’s peaceful fishermen’s village. Its open kitchen gives diners a taste of home while still maintaining a sophisticated air. The local origins of the ingredients are highlighted by Chef Avinash Martins’s focus on the menu. Seasonal and handcrafted items are also highlighted on the menu. There are three menu options available: a seasonal menu, a Goan experimental menu, and a 12-course tasting menu that pairs traditional Goan dishes with Feni cocktails to represent Goa’s bygone past. The third option is a more formal seven-course chef’s tasting menu highlighting the chef’s skill in creating contemporary dishes. The chef’s tasting menu can be paired with a selection of wines.
Chez Pushpa, 95/96 Ganhiji Nagar, Pondicherry
The atmosphere in Chef Pushpa’s house is warm and inviting, and guests can expect to engage in lively conversation with her and her family. French, Portuguese, South Indian, Vietnamese, and Cambodian flavours combine in one dish to make up Pondicherry Creole. French Catholics from Pondicherry who emigrated to France and its colonies developed an appreciation for various cuisines, including some with an Indian twist. Spices are used in the cooking process, although there is no use of chilli peppers. Vadavoum is a spice that was created by the Pondicherians during the French colonisation to prepare food for the French. It is made of mustard seeds, cumin, shallots, garlic, oils, and more and is dried under the sun for three weeks.
Avartana, ITC Grand Chola, Chennai
Avartana is a modern take on traditional South Indian dishes. The lucky banana leaf, which is representative of the entire southern hemisphere, appears throughout the design and decoration of this award-winning eatery. Tasting menus are available to showcase the new, traditional, and decadent dishes served at the restaurant. It was discovered this year that Avartana is one of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Now you are armed with this knowledge of quality regional food. Why not bookmark this article to enjoy these regional delicacies in these cities and do tell us which one you liked the most on review@snackfax.com