Vrat Thali at Mast Kalandar

It is Navratri time and people all over are busy preparing for the festivals, gearing up for the holidays and planning their weekly menu. 

While the South Indians abstain from eating onion-garlic during these 9 days and have only tiffin items for dinner, the North Indians fast in a different way- they abstain from eating rice, wheat [any by product of wheat], grains and pulses as well, apart from the no onion no garlic diet. This makes it quite difficult as there are very few items available for one to cook with or eat during this fasting season. 

Mast Kalander, one of the leading North Indian veg meal restaurant have taken this into consideration and put together a meal that address the various issues and concerns. For the Navratri season, they have created a Vrat thali which consists of Puris, pakoda, side dishes and sweets made with ingredients people are allowed to eat.

The puri is made with Kuttu [ water chestnut flower], kela chaat [ banana chat] similarly the dessert is coconut laddoo, there is also a paneer sabzi where the paneer is not cooked, but just scrambled by hand in a very light gravy and chole gravy as well. All of these dishes are made with Sendha namak [ rock salt as people dont eat table salt during this vrat phase]. There was also another dessert we tried, which was  Makhana kheer [ lotus seed kheer]. The highlight of this meal is that the entire thali is priced at Rs229 [dine in] and Rs149 [take away mini vrat thali].  The puri was dark in colour and tad crispier than our regular puri [ but apart from this there was no major taste difference]. I quite liked the paneer sabzi [ they had used ajwain even though most people who fast dont eat ajwain, but for need of flavour this spice had been used]

If you are not the kind to experiment, you can always pick up the Utsav maha thali combo, they have one very similar to the vrat thali, but the puri is made with carrot/beetroot puree to give it a rich colour, there was a daal with cereals & lauki, kofta gravy a gulab jamun and a small serving of pulao as well. If your sweet buds are still not satiated, you should try their malpua- it is sinful and heavy duty [with sweet rabdi poured generously on top]. With all this food and sweets, I needed a glass of Chaas to wash it all down :)

The highlight of the meet at Mast Kalandar was we got to meet their CEO Mr Gaurav Jain and get a glimpse into his journey, and his experience with Mast Kalandar. They are also the only restaurant to have 65 outlets across the country.... 

To know more , visit http://www.mastkalandar.com/

You can also read about Gaurav & pallavi's journey here

Disclaimer: The reviews posted on this blog are based on my personal experience. Also remember these were just my views!! Remember, no two palates are the same. Bon Appétit :-)

Mast Kalandar- Home delivery

I was just getting done with my walk when a friend called saying he was coming home. This was such a surprise, it took me a while to comprehend it . I rushed home and within minutes he landed. Few hours later, we suddenly realized it was nearly 1 pm. While I pondered over what to cook, he barged into the kitchen asking if we could just sit back and order in lunch. I agreed after a bit of push. He is also a vegetarian and said he was in the mood for simple light north Indian food. It was then decided we would order from Mast Kalandar.  I have eaten at their outlets in Bangalore and in Chennai, and even though I wasn't too fond of their food, off late I find them quite good~!! 

I called their outlet in Teynampet [from where I'd ordered earlier] and proceeded to check on their combos. The guy on the line suggested "Lohri Combo" [ a new one on their menu keeping in with the Lohri festival that just went by]. 

 

It had-- 

Dal makhani, 

Channa gravvy

Saag

2 Lachcha parantha

1 portion of pulao  

2 desserts- one that tasted like a version of besan ka laddoo and the other was a small piece of peanut chikki 

Patiyala chaas

Fresh salad

Raita

This combo is priced at Rs179/-

Infact, this meal was good enough for the 2 of us!! Burp.. that was quite yumm... 

 

The amazing thing about this restaurant is that the food is tightly neatly packed and they are spill proof as well. The total bill rang to Rs 209 [Rs 179 for the combo + Rs16 for packing/container] . Friend was beaming after the meal, saying he was stuffed. Well, he is off to a meeting and I am getting back to work!! 

Well, they do have quite a few other combos outside of this and a few a la carte items as well. Do give it a try next time you are hungry and wondering where to order from!!

Phone - Teynampet- 044 42158381/42138381

Website- Mast Kaladar

Facebook:  Mast Kaladar

Mast Kalandar, Chennai

Duma Dam Mast Kalandar

Ali Da Pehla Number

Dama Dam Mast Kalandar

Sakhi Shabaaz Kalandar

O..Laal Meri Pat Rakhiyo Bala Jhoole

Laalan

Laal Meri Pat Rakhiyo Bhala Jhoole

Laalan

Sindhdi Da, Sewar Da

Sakhi Shabaaz Kalandar

Duma Dam Mast Kalandar

Is the song that comes to my mind every time I hear the name Mast Kalandar... The Mast Kalandar am referring to here is the restaurant. Keeping in sync with the times, they have now launched a Festive menu.. I have eaten a couple of times in their outlets in Bangalore, but this was my 1st time in their Chennai outlet.. 

[Image courtesy: Mast Kalandar FB Page]

They have created a menu that works for those who are fasting and for those who are looking for a grand feast!  The menu is quite extensive and has been blended in with their regular menu. As we settled in, we were greeted with a drink- either chaas or shikanjvi. I chose the shikanjvi and then later had some chaas as well.. Both were good and refreshing! Moving on, we were treated to quite a spread of starters and main courses. Each dish looked different, was of a different texture and had a unique taste as well. 

First came the kachori, then came a small sweet of sorts [similar to our south indian Badhusha, but diff]., and there was also papdi chaat and another dish which resembled small bondas floating in teeka water. [I know I am bad, cant remember names of dishes].. All these were served with 2 kinds of chutneys- One was green apple ginger chutney, other was carrot chutney and then there was the katori with lightly roasted green chillies [which made my eyes water just at the mere sight] :-) The apple and carrot chutneys were amazing. Subsequently we also got to try what i would describe as the best bhel puri ever- it had loads of veggies- beans, peas, carrots, and so much more.. loved it..  Such a healthy snack!! 

We chatted, we nibbled, we drank, we laughed, we sang along to the songs playing in the background and before we knew it more food landed on our plates. There were 2 colour puris and 3 bowls with side dishes in them, and a boondi raita as well. 

Dum Aloo, paneer butter masala, peas curry were the gravies and the Aloo dish was the best of the lot. Am kinda saturated with paneer, and the peas dish was not so impressive. But then, if you are a paneer fan, then you should try the paneer gravy..  Following close on the heels of these dishes came the bowl of mix veg rice, which was alright. [Am not a rice fan, so just tried a spoonful of this and passed it on]..  And to finish the meal, there was the divine Gulab jamun dessert. Perfect for those with a sweet tooth.. 

[Image courtesy: Mast Kalandar FB Page]

The restaurant is quite large, can seat close to 70 covers if I am right. They also have quite a few combo options for lunch which are total value for money!! Apart from the food, they also retail some of their masalas and powders...  

Address:

1st Floor  33, Mahatma Gandhi Rd, Vannanthurai, Adyar, Chennai, TN 600020

044 4201 8382

Directions: If you are near Murugan Idli, go straight down the road, away from beach, past Karaikudi and head down about a km and you will find Mast Kalandar on your right.