Could you ever think that the most qualified bhaji. Review on Surti Restaurant, Charni Road, Mumbai

Could you ever think that the most qualified bhajiawala is an IITian? Truly, the third generation owner of ‘Hiralal Kashidas Bhajiwala’ is an IITian and has been looking after his family business for almost 31 years. Mumbai’s most popular ‘surti dishes’-the authentic taste of surat made in Mumbai is what you will find here. Now how different is a Surti dish from the other gujarati dishes? Well the base in these ‘pakwans’ is garlic and green masala and that’s what makes it stand out. The all time popular dish here is ‘Undhyu’ which is a mix of vegetables specially brought down from Surat and freshly grounded spices, which are ground in the restaurant itself!

Available during the Ganesh festival it’s a must try. Besides the Undhyu try the ‘khata dhoklas’ these are white dhoklas made of rice flour mixed with hing and whole pepper. A very different taste to the usual dhoklas. Also try the weekend special ‘peas (vatana) ghunghras’ a mix of peas, special masala and besan.. truly delicious. Now the dish which guarantees no taste change for one month is ‘Bhusa’ which is made up of mini methi bhajias, sev and khaman. This is quite popular among the NRIs.

Besides this if you are a fan of kachori then do try it. It’s slightly spicy but awesome! And don’t forget to ask for Goba Puri. It is one more specialty made from kali mirch, jeera with a very strong taste of hing. As u might be aware that one of the most popular surti snacks cooked at home is ‘khandvi’, yellow jelly like. Try it at this place.

Made of besan, dahi, rai mixed with ‘chaas’ to enhance the taste and keep it soft and garnished with coriander. Now if you are from Surat you will relish and reminisce the ‘khajas’. Quite similar to the Parsi khajas but with the difference being in the ingredients and that they are traditionally cooked in sarson ka tel. After all this you definitely want to go to the restaurant, which is open 6 days a week, shut on Mondays. The exact location would be CP Tank Circle. Walk straight on the footpath of Kothari hospital and at the end of the road you will spot an old restaurant displaying Surti, Punjabi and South Indian dishes. Don’t be deceived by the appearance, as it has not been renovated in years. Just enter with a voracious appetite and enjoy a hearty meal!