Mountabu travel guide

Gujarati thali

India's most generous vegetarian feast—unlimited refills of 15-20 preparations: dal, kadhi, vegetables, rice, rotis, papad, pickles, mithai and chaas; the sweet-salty balance unique to Gujarati cooking; Ahmedabad's Vishalla restaurant recreates a village feast experience

Dal baati churma

Rajasthan's warrior food born in the desert—baked wheat dough balls (baati) cracked and submerged in spiced lentil dal, accompanied by crushed sweet churma; traditionally cooked in open fires; the complete thali version is a feast

Sizzler at cafes

Pune and Bengaluru's inherited Anglo-Indian sizzler culture—a hot cast-iron plate of mixed vegetables, steak or paneer, corn, fries and sometimes noodles; the dish hisses dramatically when the butter is poured over the hot iron; Pune's Goofa restaurant pioneered the Indian sizzler in the 1970s

Farooda

Hyderabad and Old Delhi's rose-scented dessert-drink—rose syrup, sweet basil seeds, thin rice vermicelli, chilled milk and a scoop of kulfi; a Mughal-origin summer cold beverage; Hyderabad's falooda is associated with Irani café culture and served in tall glasses at Charminar

Rajasthani snacks

The Rajasthan snack culture is extraordinary—gathiya, sev, kachori, mirchi vada, namkeen and scores of fried specialties from Jodhpur, Jaipur and Bikaner; Jodhpur is considered India's finest city for savory fried snacks