“Angithi” is Ahmedabad’s restaurant guru, Rushad Ginwala’s newest baby. A pure vegetarian restaurant, Angithi is the latest addition to the group that has given Ahmedabad the hugely popular Mirch Masala and Tomatos chain of restaurants. Rushad’s restaurants have been the Ahmedabadis favourite for three decades, serving up everything from food from the classic American Diner to the purest of Jain vegetarian food and everything in between.
Angithi as you probably know, is the traditional charcoal brazier and staying true to this, the restaurant uses this traditional cooking medium, capturing the classic smoky flavour of food cooked on charcoal. The Angithi theme extends to the décor with an interesting collection of the real things dotted around the restaurant; each one an “Insta” opportunity!
A menu designed around the classics of vegetarian Punjabi, Mughlai and the always popular “street food”, Angithi serves up a dining experience that warms the heart! A special menu of pure Jain vegetarian food provides diners the comfort of knowing their host has their interests in hand and there is certainly no compromise on these standards.
The Angithi specials, created by specialist chefs from Agra, really capture that smokey flavour, the very essence of charcoal brazier cooking, so try the Laziz Paneer, the Abre Chaman and Anguri Kofte, all testaments to the skills of the chefs! Another interesting inclusion are the “khada” masala (whole spices that typically include the classic ‘garam masalas’ but also a host of other spices used whole). The ‘Palak Khada Masala, Khada Masala Tawa Mushroom and the Paneer Khada Masala’ are all great examples from the school of ‘khada masala’ cookery. The supporting caste of the classics from Paneer Makhani to Jeera Aloo are well known, delectably cooked and the original comfort food!
The Jain menu, devoid of any onion, garlic or root vegetables, mimics the Punjabi classics and achieves the flavours and punchiness of each dish through a clever mix of cream, cashew nuts and vegetable extracts. Not only clever but lip smacking!
Equally comforting is that the Street food dishes are all part of the Jain menu too! And while the perennial favourites are all present, there are some ingenuous tweaks like the Angithi Bhel which has sprouts and alternative grains making it tasty and heathy!
And we all know that no meal is complete till we scour the dessert menu for something to end that perfect meal, despite protesting that there is no room for another morsel, you can hardly pass on the ‘Kesar Pista Phirni’ or the ‘Garma Garam Sukhdi’? Or if nothing else ‘Malai Kulfi’?
Do you have any idea how difficult it is to write about all this? How much drooling and belly rumbling it involves? Well if you are in Ahmedabad you are blessed, for the rest if us a detour is worth thinking about!
So not only has Rushad excelled at the old mantra of KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid!) Angithi delivers on every level and in these strange times, it is comforting to have your temperature checked as you enter, it is comforting to see sanitizer and sanitisiation available and practiced by staff and guests alike. And to top it off, a belly full of all your favourites and some new one’s too!
A little bit of trivia – It is believed that the Angithi used in an open courtyard purifies the house and the air, creating a “Sattva” predominant environment that takes away the negative energies of the house, the resultant positive energy is that much more welcoming to passing deities!
Breaking News : Angithi won the Times Hospitality Icons 2020 Award for Iconic Pure Veg Restaurant at a glittering awards ceremony held in Goa in dec 2020. Another feather in Rushad’s cap, and a testament to his adherence to maintaining the best-in-class quality and service.
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Alan is, in his own words, a born again foodie! An Alumni of the 1979 batch of the Bombay catering college, Alan spent the first 5 years after graduating in the hospitality industry, starting with the Taj group of Hotels. Many a shift later, Alan decided he wanted to see life outside the hotel too and left for what can only be described as a chequered career across the music industry, advertising, media, a brewery and finally in eLearning.
Alan lives in London (UK) and is now reconnecting with his first love – food – through the Travel and Food Network.
