Khandani Rajdhani

The other day on my mother’s special demand of eating traditionally authentic Indian food, I visited Rajdhani, the pure vegetarian restaurant. Rajdhani has successfully established its outlets in various places like Ghatkopar, Bandra, Kurla, Lower Parel etc. We decided to have a full-fledged lunch, followed by some shopping at the Viviana Mall. Our entry to this Khandani restaurant was invited by the warm, traditional colours and ambience. With a pleasing smile on all their faces, wearing earthern clothes, the waiters welcomed us.

They have fixed menus for everyday and have a cheaper special offer on select days (mostly Tuesdays) for lunch.  The thali was elaborate and put together very thoughtfully, there was something for each palate. The Gujurati-Rajasthani conflux in the thali sure works for us. What fascinates me is the mixture of varied flavours in one plate, the spicy Delhi Chana and sweet Puran Poli, the fiki Khichdi and the khatti meethi kadhi, all enticing your taste buds.

 We were first served with dahi wada and gold coin in the farsan.The dahi wada was soft and nicely made, but only missed the final sweet and spicy chutneys on top. The gold coin, on the other hand was disappointing. The filling remained half cooked and hindered the crunchiness and taste.The various bowls huddled inside were then filled with Paneer Kashmiri Chaman: slightly sweetish, with a rich taste of grinded cashew; Turiya Vatana Tomato, a gujarati recipe, had the perfect tangy taste to it.

One could not take only one serving of these  two divine vegetables. Apart from these the well-known kadhi deserved appreciation. The Batata chips and Ragada vatana were just fine. For all the bland Khichdi lovers, the hot Khichdi, with a dollop of ghee was ‘finger  licking good!’ However, what took my heart away was the Malpua! It was heavenly. It would definitely give you those extra calories, but every bite of it was worth it.

The service was really warm. You will be amazed by the courtesy and the enthusiasm of the waiters who will always try to make you feel homely (with the "ek roti aur lelo attitude :D"). Everytime you visit, you will find a whole new combination on your plate. Rajdhani has indeed become an experience to savour for families everywhere, keeping its traditional uniqueness, homely service and the Aao Thali Bajao!