Yantra Restaurant – Gujarati and Rajasthani Food Festival
The announcement of ‘Gujarati and Rajasthani Food Festival’ by Yantra absolutely deelighted me. Gujarat and Rajasthan are culturally rich states in India that have a great food culture and trademark delicacies. It was nice to see most of the dishes being served in a Thali (plate) and I was in the mood to taste some authentic food from back home. I decided not to eat a heavy breakfast so that I could work up an appetite to gobble some of my favourite items. The dishes will be available at Yantra, Tanglin Mall from 10th – 24th Aug ’14 between 11.30 am – 3.00 pm. Prior reservation at Yantra is highly recommended as this event is quite popular and walk-in seats are not easily available.
The Orders
Since there were Thalis from each state, we decided to order one each to maintain balance and also get a good variety. We first ordered the ‘Gujarati Thali’. For those who are new to Gujarati cuisine, their dals generally include a small amount of jaggery, so it will taste a bit sweet. Apart from that, it contained the dhokla and thepla which were quite tasty. In the vegetables there were ‘Undhiyo’ (a mixed vegetable made of green beans and unripe banana), Bhindi/Okra with coconut shavings, Gujarati Kadhi (mainly made of yogurt and gram flour) and Gujarati Dal. The Dal and Kadhi were not overly sweet. Overall, there was a good balance in taste across the thali. The ‘Khichdi’ was well made and had the right texture and consistency. Dessert consisted of ‘Basundi’ which is basically a concentrated milk dessert. A glass of ‘Aamras’ is served along with the thali. I would have liked the Aamras to be a bit thicker.
Next we ordered the ‘Rajasthani Thali’. In the vegetables there was ‘Ker Sangri’ (dry beans cooked in spices). The ‘Gattey Nu Shaak’ (gram flour dumplings cooked in curd based gravy) was delicious. Distinctive to Rajasthan, was the ‘Daal-Baati Churma’ offering which consisted of breads that have to be broken and dipped in the dal and consumed. The ‘Khasta Kachori’ was nice and flaky and tasted yummy. In the desserts, there was ‘Churma Laddoo’ which tasted like it belonged to Rajasthan. What stole the show for me was the ‘Thandai’ (served along with the thali). It was so refreshing to drink that glass – highly recommended.
Both the thalis come with rice, so no separate order required. On the whole, for the trip down memory lane, for the traditional Gujarati and Rajasthani offerings and the ambiance – this festival is totally worth a try.
| In a Nutshell | Deelightful Rating |
| Cuisine Type: Indian | ★★★1/2 |
| Nearest MRT: Orchard | |
| Address:163 Tanglin Rd, #01-28 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933 | |
| Timings (for this festival): Mon-Sun: 11.00 am-3.00 pm | |
| Website: http://yantra.com.sg/yantra.html#yantracuisine |