Gujarati thali @ NCR's Rajdhani

What Babu Maharaj cooks, Delhi eats with relish. This is a simple fact of life at Khandani Rajdhani , the latest restaurant in town dishing out lip-smacking Gujarati thali. Like most restaurant kitchens, this one too is as chaotic as hell. But one bite of the food and you’ll know that Babu Maharaj, Rajdhani’s cook from Mumbai, leaves nothing to chance.

You’ll be ushered in by an enthusiastic doorman and seated at a table as fast as possible; you could end up waiting at peak times though, but the turnover is quick. Once seated, huge steel plates with ten or more bowls appear before you like magic. And then, comes the food. For starters there is puran poli with unlimited ghee followed by freshly-fried baby samosas with the typical potato-peas filling served with mint chutney, dhokla and mixed papad.

Rajdhani’s unlimited thali is a cornucopia of delights. Even before you’ve polished off the last bit of puran poli, another one is readily plopped onto your plate. And before you say “Wait!’’, dollops of ghee follow. That’s another thing about this restaurant … it’s a haven for ghee lovers. However, forget your weighty worries and surrender to those hunger pangs … the fun’s just beginning.

Rotis, theplas, alu sabzi, kadhi, dal, katta and oondiyo are some of the most popular dishes at Rajdhani. Adding variety to the sweet, and sometimes too sweet, Gujarati food are some spicy Rajasthani additions such as gatte ke sabzi and dal bhaati churma.

Babu Maharaj’s hot phulkas too are tough to resist. But stop at your sixth if you want to stomach some of the khichdi and dahi bhalla that follows. You’re not let off the hook as yet. Dessert is the very irresistible srikhand or aamras (in season) or moong dal halwa.

The thali for the day is displayed at the restaurant’s window with all its frills as if to lure passers-by, and going by the number of people who end up eating at Rajdhani, one can safely conclude that they have been successful. And if you are floored by the food, the service is sure to turn you into one of its loyal patrons. The reasonable price of Rs 170 per thali is a bonus.

Luckily, Rajdhani is within the MGF Metropolitan Mall . You could just roll out of your seat and window shop, till you can walk straight again. Or else, a satisfying nap awaits you at home.

Next time hunger strikes, surprise yourself with a plate full of sweet and savoury Gujarati khaana.