No visa required for this culinary journey

Desi magic

Bringing back the essence of home-cooked food, Desi Roots is a Pan-Indian cafe which attempts to celebrate the comfort of India’s rich food legacies. Located in one of the malls in Saket, one cannot move ahead without taking a look at the brightly-lit restaurant.

Paintings of children playing games, hung on the wall take one back to childhood memories. The menu, which is designed in the form of a newspaper, incorporates engaging facts about food. For example, how kebabs came into being, speciality of food in different states of India and many more.

“The thought behind this entire menu was to pick up regional dishes from all over the country. So it’s a journey through India and its diverse kitchens with food that is cooked like we cook it at home,” chef Samata Gupta tells Metrolife.

Along with serving regional cuisines from all across the country, Gupta has tried to “tweak” some dishes in order to “match our tastes”, which have evolved with time.

“We have tried to incorporate dishes with interesting origins, like the Dagga Ji Ke Chai Bagaan which includes rotis made with rice flour, created by the Marwaris that moved to Assam,” she says adding that Indian regional cuisine has a tremendous cultural heritage, and has evolved and adapted itself to migration and food trends across the landscape.
So, while we indulge in Italian, Asian, Mexican and many other cuisines, a tinge of desi Mogar moong dal ki pakodi, Mircha poppers (Bhavnagiri mirchi ke pakodi) and Matra Kulcha are a surprise for all of us.

Other delights on the menu include Nehari, the Ambala Cantt Mutton Curry, Dal Baati Churma, Gujarati Kadhi, Khichadi aur uske chaar yaar, Ghat ke puri aloo and Aa le kadhi.
For desserts, we went back to our roots with the sumptuous taste of motichoor ke
laddo. A Motichoor New York Cheesecake slice, and India-Stanbul can be considered a good pick.

So if you want to go down the memory lane with ghar ka khana combined with some high energy Indian music, head over to the place.

FAQs:

 Address: G-16, 17, 30 and 31, Ground Floor, Ras Villas Mall, Saket, New Delhi
 Timing : 12 pm till 12 am
 Cost for Two: Rs 1,500 plus taxes (without alcohol)