By Abhishikta Mallick
I’ll be completely honest. I’m not a fan of vegetarian food. So when my fellow mansahari friend insisted we go to a restaurant that is known only for unlimited servings of shudh shakahari bhojan, I knew it had to be something special. A 5 minute walk away from the Karol Bagh metro station, and right opposite another popular eatery called ‘Tempting’, Suruchi takes you to a smaller, warmer, simpler town. Rich sumptuous food, and hearty hosts who are omnipresent with ladles of ghee and shakkar.
The restaurant offers 6 types of all-you-can-eat thalis: Rajasthani, Gujarati, Punjabi, South Indian, Pav Bhaji, and Vada Pav. I visited Suruchi with 4 people, and between us, we tried all of these except the South Indian!
Although they've been awarded the Times Food Award for 3 consecutive years for their Gujarati fare, the Rajasthani is the thali I would highly recommend. It makes for an almost-Chowki Dhani experience, with excellent renditions of ker sangri {ker is a wild berry and sangri is a type of beans, best enjoyed with bajra roti}, gatte ki sabzi {spicy curry with besan dumplings}, and dal-bati-churma {lentils, hard bread dipped in ghee, and ground wheat cooked with ghee and sugar – traditionally eaten combined together}.
The Gujarati thali is slightly on the sweeter side with a typical kadhi, daal and aloo tamatar subzi – authentic stuff, and definitely worth a try, but is not for the spice lovers! The Punjabi thali has the usual dal makhani-shahi paneer routine, and fails to excite. The vada pao and pao bhaji are tasty too, but not the real Bombay deal. The breads are the highlight of the service – hot, free-flowing, and bite-sized, so you can easily work your way through the entire assortment {loved the bajra roti and puran poli}. Dessert was probably the only low point of the meal – there’s a choice between gulab jamun and fruit custard, and sadly I'm not too fond of either.
Bottomline | Suruchi offers a wide variety of Indian vegetarian cuisines at excellent prices. Add to that the warm hospitality and sheer joy of being served a buffet on your table, and eating here becomes a pleasure – whether or not you like your greens!
Where | Suruchi Restaurant, 15A/56, Ajmal Khan Road, Opposite Lane To Roopak Store, Karol Bagh, New Delhi
For reservations, contact | 011 45000244/ 255/ 266
