Carnatic Café, Sector 15, Gurgaon

Let us please move over the likes of Sagar Ratnas, the Uddupis and the Bhawans when it comes to pure vegetarian South Indian cuisine. We, the Delhiites, the north Indians are least bit aware about the home made delicacies prepared in the Karnataka region. And that is where the sorcery of Carnatic café comes in.

Quick fact – water is served in bronze glasses here, thus reminding you of the older and simpler days. The interiors are classy and give a nostalgic feeling of the South Indian cafes of the 90’s. The servers and the manager are humble and know their cuisine well and are swift to suggest the specials.

Buttermilk: Freshly prepared and frothing gloriously to the brim, the classic and the masala buttermilk are the best way to begin an authentic South Indian meal. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Rice Idli: Fluffy and soft idlis with a prominent sour flavour served with piping hot sambhar; onion, coconut and coriander chutney. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Rawa coconut dosa: Loaded with desi ghee, crispy with embedded cumin and enclosing grated coconut – just how better it can get? The flavours are simple and not overpowering and when the dosa is served separately with mashed potatoes tempered in mustard seeds, onion and garlic, the taste is enhanced. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Malleshwaram 18^th cross dosa: The air becomes redolent with the aroma of pure desi ghee when this dosa is brought to you. It is not a paper thin variety but a thick, crispy and fluffy one with the insides coated with white butter and podi or gunpowder mixture. HIGHYLY RECOMMENDED.

Bombat dosa: This one is a bomb! Thick yet crispy variety with the insides layered with white butter, cinnamon and finely powdered onion garlic mixture. You can taste the prominent hotness of the cinnamon in this one – enough to ignite a small volcano inside your mouth. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Bisi-bele-bath: A hot maelstrom of short rice, lentils, vegetables and spices served with a crispy pappad/poppadam and crunchy boondi, this one is a complete meal in itself. RECOMMENDED.

Onion and Tomato Uttapam: A lovely soft pancake where the tomatoes are squished, thus imparting their tangy juicy flavour to the ensemble. The only drawback is its oiliness. RECOMMENDED.

Obatto: You will have second thoughts of tasting this after having a hearty meal. But trust me, you won’t regret a bite. The crepe is oily yet crispy and encloses finely pulverised jaggery which is moderately sweet with aromatic green cardamom. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Home made ice-cream: I usually avoid ice creams because of my childhood over indulgence. But, each and every flavour here is prepared in house and extracted from its natural source. I happened to binge on the Ratnagiri mango one and the strawberry & rose one and both were light, subtle and out of this world. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.