A hidden find, Lakshmi Nataraj Refreshments’ loyal patrons heart the humble establishment’s many South Indian delights. It is however their Pudi Masala Dosa that comes close to stealing the show.
#GoHereEatThis: Pudi Masala Dosa At Lakshmi Nataraj Refreshments
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Dosa Delight
Everyone might not know about Lakshmi Natraj Refreshments but it is time they do. Close to Avenue Road, the spic-and-span establishment has its own legion {of limited} but loyal followers who dig everything that’s served up here. On a hot day, we dropped by here for a quick lunch and were treated to their spectacular Pudi Masala Dosa. FYI, we haven’t stopped thinking about it even two weeks later.
There are two clearly demarcated sections at Lakshmi Natraj — one for the meal-eaters and the other for the, well, non-meal eaters. Our dark-brown, thick Pudi Masala Dosa came on a paper plate. And we quickly opened it up to check out the fried up pudi {or gunpowder or chutney podi as it is also known} that was generously coated on the inside.
The batter was happily doused with ghee, we could tell after the first bite. And the heat from the pudi {that had darkened to an earthy brown after being fried along with the batter} cut through the richness. We had no complaints whatsoever with the potato filling but the coconut chutney deserves a two-thumbs up. It was thick and creamy and so unlike the watery nonsense we have to put up with at many restaurants.
Meals Served
Did we feel a bit jealous of the meal-eaters? Absolutely! Because the meal that was being plonked onto their banana leaves was envy-inducing. We spotted vegetables tossed up in coconut shavings, fluffy puris, and crisped-up ragi rotis. There were also helpings of payasam, and rice that was doused in sambhar, rasam, and curd {separately though}. It looked like it was worth every penny of that INR 170 they charge for it. We’ve also heard that their idlis and rice bhath are also worthy options.
