Until a few years ago, the people who ran at the sight of millets are savouring it like an exquisite delicacy now. Your smile on reading that tells us you were one among them! And with 2023 coming to a close (yes, it’s almost over, folks!), we can’t help but look back at how the tables for millets have turned. This is why when LaLit Ashok’s pan Indian restaurant Baluchi announced a new millets menu designed by executive sous chef Diwas Gurung, we jumped at the opportunity and landed at the restaurant for a tasting. And our visit did not disappoint. But before we recommend some dishes that are must-tries, let’s talk about the diversity of this menu that offers everything from breakfast and mini bites to breads and desserts; and a special mention for the soups and salads, of course!
Coming back to our table, which was topped with a bouquet of dishes, we first picked a bowl of Mixed Millet Watermelon Summer Salad. To say refreshing would be an understatement because the maple glazed fruit chunks complemented the mix millets and feta crumble a little too well for us to believe. We followed this up with a Mushroom Foxtail Cappuccino and it was as interesting as it sounded. The wholesome broth and the creamy texture of the mushroom detailed with the chewy foxtail grain had us at the very first bite.
The moment we downed the soup and prepped ourselves for the next delicacy, we heard the chef say Bajra and Vegetables Lasagna and we were excited. As we dug into the lasagna and chewed on a mouthful, we made a mental note to set the expectations high from here on. The chewy bajra lasagna sheets cooked al dente were any day a 1,000 times better than wheat or maida-based pasta. We paused for a moment here and decided to also taste the Mixed Millet Penne Arrabbiata in a bid to prove ourselves right and we were! The natural flavour of the pearl millet pasta when added to the tomato sauce tasted nothing short of heaven. And to our surprise, even after tasting this vivid variety, we felt light. Greed taking over, we also sampled the Methi Palak Ragi Papad Ki Subzi before wrapping up our meal with a Gur Ragi Ki Kheer (we would any day choose this dessert over the regular kheer, just for its earthy flavours and addictive mouth feel).
Meal for two: INR 1,800 onwards. At Kumarakrupa Road.