If you are up for some vegetarian fare, but bored with the usual idli-vada sambar or naan and paneer butter masala, then you must certainly give Khandani Rajdhani a try. The restaurant, located at Phoenix Mall, Velacheri, brings you authentic Gujarati and traditional Rajasthani cuisines.
We headed there during the festival week and as expected all seats were taken, indicating the restaurant’s appeal. In spite of the festival rush, the staff were at their courteous best and welcomed us with a tilak to our foreheads. The good vibes that began with the gesture was maintained throughout our dining time.
Welcome drinks arrived first and we chose the masala chaas (buttermilk) and lemon juice to quench our thirst first. Then came the jaripalla churma which was the special for the day. Cooked with dry fruits, saffron and khoya, jaripalla churma is a richer version of the regular churma that is synonymous with Rajasthani cuisine. This was followed by the rasiya dhokla and paneer cheese samosa served with two
varieties of chutney. We loved eating the juicy rasiya dhokla with coriander chutney and it is a must-try if you head there.
The mainstay of Khandani Rajdhani is their thali and we started it with four different Indian breads on offer – phulka, puri, gobi paratha and makai ratla. The puri and phulka went well with the paneer maharaj and Jodhpuri gatta. The highlights were the gobi paratha and makai ratla, topped with dollops of ghee making us smile from ear to ear. Eating them with the dum aloo and bhindi shambhariya made our eyes close with gastronomic pleasure. The sangri ke kofta is another dish that should not be missed. It goes well with the gobi paratha.
We decided to try the rice dishes next and started with butter capsicum pulao and had it with the chawli kadhi and methi dal that was amazing. Since all food that was served had good amounts of ghee poured on top, we were already clutching our stomach that had reached its capacity.
But on the insistence of the hotel staff, we made some space for their special dessert – the angoori basundi. We can confidently say this is one of the best places to have basundi in the city. The kesri jalebi, served hot, was also a treat for the tastebuds.
From the main course to the dessert, in total, there were more than 20 items served during our meal. We were overwhelmed with just the sheer variety on offer. This also offered us the opportunity to have a different taste with every handful of food we took off our plates.
The entire thaali we had was priced at Rs 500 excluding taxes and is really worth the money if you are looking to treat yourself to a north Indian vegetarian experience.