North Indian thali fit for royalty
Rasovara is my favourite vegetarian restaurant in the Greater Toronto Area. Heck, it’s one of my favourite restaurants of any type. Vegetarian cuisine usually conjures images of organic salads and mock meats. But don’t forget that South Asians have been perfecting it for centuries. Vegetarian dishes can rival any meat dish, given the right ingredients and technique.
Rasovara is a specialist in premium thalis. That’s a pretty bold move considering that thalis are associated with cheap daily specials. Even better, their dishes hail from Rajasthan and Gujarat, which are under-represented in Toronto. They also have a smattering of Punjabi ones. I rank Rasovara highly because they manage to make every dish taste different from one another and of course, sumptuous. No mean feat considering there are 8 different curries in their thali. Each ingredient had a different cooking time and they were able to achieve perfection.
Thali—the original Indian buffet
Thalis are multi-course meals served at once on the same platter. The arrangement is invariably rice and breads in the middle and small bowls around the perimeter for the various curries. They may be vegetarian or not. Traditionally, refills are unlimited, so they are the original all-you-can-eat meal.
Thalis are an affordable way to sample a bit of everything. Items in a thali change often, on the whims of the chef. Kind of like a tasting menu for the masses. But cafeteria quality. I have eaten dozens of thalis across India and none of them were memorable. It’s difficult to find a premium version of something that is associated with a lunch special. Rasovara bucks the trend.
The food
Firstly, “premium” here refers to taste, not presentation, ambience, nor service. The latter are admittedly mid-range. But the cooking is top tier. Even in takeout format, the thali was an impressive procession. It was akin to rijsttafel, an elaborate Dutch-Indonesian feast of multiple small dishes.
There was enough to feed two. Regular thalis don’t have these many dishes at these portions.
At Rasovara, the thali follows a set format:
- Farsan x 2 (फरसाण; savoury snacks)
- Dal x 4 (दाल; lentils, beans)
- Sabzi x 4 (सब्ज़ी; vegetable dishes)
- Rice x 1
- Breads x 2
- Dessert x 1
The menu changes every week, so prepare to be surprised.
Farsan
The two types of farsan were:
- Jodhpuri mirch pakora (जोधपुर की मिर्ची वड़ा; Jodhpur-style chilli fritters)
- Khatta dhokla (खट्टा ढोकला; fermented rice and black gram cake)
The former is from Rajasthan and the latter, Gujarat.
Although it was just half a pakora, the mirch pakora served its purpose to whet the appetite. The chillies were mild and coated with tiny bits of aloo masala (mashed spiced potatoes). The dough was thin and not greasy. I don’t see what was so Jodhpuri about it. It tasted like a regular pakora. But it showed better technique than average Indian restaurants since a delicate dough had to be wrapped around the filling. 7.5/10.
Khatta dhokla, also known as white dhokla, is a lesser-known member of the dhokla family. Khaman dhokla is the most common, which is yellow from chickpeas. I was delighted to find khatta dhokla at Rasovara since it is difficult enough to find khaman in Toronto. This dhokla is made from sour yogurt, rice flour, and black gram flour (which is ironically white in colour).
Taste-wise, it was like an idli. Slightly sour, savoury, and spongy. But it looked more royal with a polygonal shape and yellow finish on top. Bits of coriander leaves added colour but not flavour. 8/10.
Dal
The four types of dal were:
- Bukhara dal (दाल बुखारा; black grams in creamy tomato gravy)
- Gujarati dal (गुजराती दाल; pigeon peas in sour and spicy soup)
- Gujarati kadhi (गुजराती कढ़ी; white yogurt soup thickened with chickpea flour)
- Punjabi kadhi pakora (पंजाबी कढ़ी पकोड़ा; fritters in yellow yogurt soup thickened with chickpea flour)
Dal Bukhara originated from Delhi, not Bukhara. I haven’t had this before. It reminded me of mung bean soup.
The taste of the black grams was prominent. The gravy was a little sweet from tomatoes and a little funky, in a good way. 7.5/10.
The Gujarati dal uses a soup similar to South Indian rasam.
Lots of strong flavours here, including spicy and savoury. Fresh ginger was assertive. Pigeon peas were al dente. 8/10.
Kadhi refers to gravies thickened with gram flour. Gujarati kadhi stands out for its white colour and the absence of fritters in it.
The yogurt curd was certainly front and center and it contained different spices from the other curries. Asafoetida, black mustard seeds, and an aftertaste of spicy green chillies gave it a unique flavour profile. It was very watery. 8.5/10.
For contrast, Punjabi kadhi was thicker and yellow. There were chunks of soya pakora (deep-fried soya nuggets) in there.
This kadhi was somewhat tangy and onion-y. Its consistency was between that of the Gujarati kadhi and Bukhara dal. I don’t get why pakoras are dunked in curries. It loses its crispness. But hey, it’s traditional. The soya pakora didn’t have a strong taste but they added bite to the watery kadhi. It also imparted oil flavours from deep-frying. 8/10.
Sabzi
The four types of sabzi were:
- Aloo baingan (आलू बैंगन; potato and eggplant)
- Aloo matar (आलू मटर; potato and green peas)
- Mangodi papad (पापड़ मंगोड़ी; crackers in spicy stew)
- Paneer lababdar (पनीर लबाबदार; cottage cheese in creamy tomato gravy)
Mangodi papad is from Rajasthan. The rest are classic dishes from Punjab.
The main ingredients of aloo baingan are in its name: literally potato eggplant. It wasn’t the prettiest dish but it was delicious.
As one of the few non-liquid dishes in the thali, it added balance. Like all the vegetables in the thali, the eggplant was cooked to the right degree. Firm skin but not hard. Astringent and earthy. I can’t put my finger on the masala mix but it was appetizing. There were chunky potatoes and mashed ones for a variety of textures. I would be happy with just this and rice for lunch. 8.5/10.
Aloo matar is a standard dish at North Indian restaurants. This one had a thick layer of oil which might be a turn off for some. I didn’t mind it.
The potato purée formed a comforting emulsion with the oil. The peas weren’t pulverized as they would have been at lesser restaurants. The dominant spices were fenugreek and onions. It was salted perfectly. 8.5/10.
Mangodi papad is another dish with a thick layer of oil. Rasovara called it “Manodi papad” but I believe it was a typo. I haven’t tried this dish before. It’s papadums (thin gram flour crackers) dunked in a vegetable curry.
Like with Punjabi kadhi pakora, I don’t get the reason behind dunking crispy foods into liquid. Regardless, the papad retained their unmistakable flavour. They were spiked with asafoetida and cumin. Potato chunks and chilli slices rounded up the curry. This curry was dominated by black pepper. The amount of salt was perfect. 8.5/10.
The creamiest curry of the lot, paneer lababdar, was my favourite. The creaminess comes from ground cashews. Crushed tomatoes give it a lovely red colour and umami.
The paneer (soft cheese) cubes were firm and toothsome. Besides tomatoes, the other prevailing flavour was fenugreek. It felt decadent. 8.5/10.
Base
The carbs weren’t as exciting as the curries. Understandable, since they would cause a flavour clash.
The rotis were two pieces of chapati (unleavened wheat flour bread). They were respectable. Some browned spots added caramelization. They would be tasteless otherwise.
The chapatis were rolled thinly. I can’t complain much about such a plain food. 7.5/10.
The puris (deep-fried flatbreads) were more interesting in terms of taste. If they were served in a restaurant, they would be puffed up from the hot air created during frying. Alas, for takeout, they were deflated.
Firstly, the puris were greasy. They could have been drained of oil before packing. Chopped coriander added some colour to the brown bread but contributed little to taste. The puri dough was more aggressively spiced than the chapatis. Indeed, I would not advise pairing this with any curry. One should just savour it on its own. It’s as big as the chapatis and could be a satisfying snack. 7.5/10.
The rice of the day was matar (green pea) rice. It was well-cooked. None of the basmati grains stuck together. However, it lacked seasoning and the only flavour came from cumin seeds. This isn’t such a bad thing as it is meant to be eaten with assertive curries. 8/10.
Dessert
To be honest, dessert is not Rasovara’s strong point. The dessert of the day was gulab jamun (milk doughnut balls). I was hoping for something less common. It was ok and unremarkable. 7/10.
The place
Rasovara is located in a strip plaza at Dundas and Hurontario. It looks like a low- to mid-end family restaurant.
The space isn’t very big either. There is space for 7 to 8 groups.
The insipid brown furniture certainly doesn’t do justice to the vibrant flavours of the thalis. The interior desperately needs some lively colours or sleek contours.
Verdict
Sumptuous feast fit for royalty. Every curry is distinct and executed well. 8.5/10.
Practical information
- Name
- Rasovara
- Rating
- 8.5/10
- Recommended dishes
- Weekend premium thali
- Prices
- Weekend premium thali: $24.85 ($21.99 excluding tax)
- Address
- 2560 Shepard Avenue, Unit 8, Mississauga
- Hours
- Thursday 1200h – 1500h, 1700h – 2000h
Friday 1200h – 1500h, 1700h – 2030h
Saturday 1200h – 2030h
Sunday 1200h – 1500h, 1700h – 2030h - Date of visit
- September 2020