Rustom Battliwala: Sojju Khavanu – Peevanu; Majja Ni Life!

I’m a Bawi, which is why when it comes to Parsi cuisine, I’m a purist; no two ways about that. I’m the non-violent type but, mess with my Dhanshak and Saali Boti and rest assured, ‘mein tumhari boti-boti kar dungi’. (Well actually, I’m very angelic – oh come on, please believe me!)

When I received an invite from Rustom Battliwala, my recce revealed the restaurant was headed by a Sindhi chef; Chef Deepu. Quite unheard of! I wondered which gastronomic hurricane I was heading into. Chef Deepu walked in (if I might add, with immense swag – the nice kind) and introduced himself. Within a minute (or two) of talking with him it dawned on me that he knew Parsi cuisine and the culture really well. I knew then, the afternoon was going to be a cool, pleasant breeze; no hurricane hovered on the horizon. 😊

We clicked photographs of the venue and took in the feel of the place. A stained-glass wall, glass ‘barnis’ (big glass bottles) filled with biscuits and toffees, a typical Parsi-Irani type ‘galla’ (cash counter), antique chandeliers and checkered pink and white tablecloths. For an added Parsi-Irani feel, the tablecloth was held down firm with a glass top and the menu was ‘typically’ placed below the glass top. The décor is very authentic with regard to how Parsi-Irani restaurants have always been. Let me at the very beginning add that, while they have quite a large Parsi menu, they also have regular Indian fare on their menu. We were lucky enough to try both cuisines; Parsi and Indian.

We began with a couple of mocktails. While I chose Goldspot, a refreshing citrusy drink, my friend opted for a Raspberry-Ginger mocktail. 

The Raspberry-Ginger mocktail, however, lacked in ginger flavour. An extra touch of ginger would’ve been nice. The Goldspot sure wowed us, though!

The first dish sent was the Malai Shikhampuri. The carnivore in me was so not expecting the first dish to be vegetarian but I admit, we couldn’t have started off on a better note. The kebabs were made of minced vegetables and stuffed with nuts and cream cheese, sprinkled with a bit of chaat masala. These were absolutely delish! I’d opt for them time and again in the blink of an eye. 

Next, were the Murghi Na Farcha and Patra Ni Machhi. 

For Farchas, most restaurants boil the chicken, marinate it and then fry it. End result: an overcooked piece of protein. Meh! These Farchas were done just right. The chicken was tender and luscious, and the coating was classically ‘Parsi’. 

While the Patra Ni Machhi was good, it could have been better. It needs a few tweaks. They need to get the consistency of the chutney right; it should be a thick chutney so as to coat the fish without getting runny and watery during steaming. They also need to spice up the chutney and then give it a bit of a sweet-tangy zing. The spiciness should play the main role while the sweet & tangy flavours can play cameo roles. 😉

When asked what we’d like for the mains, I told Chef Deepu he could send over whatever he liked but there was one thing I definitely wanted to taste and that was Dhanshak; Mutton Dhanshak! He gave me an impish grin, knowing exactly why this request was coming his way. ‘Mutton Dhanshak, it is!’, he said.

The dishes that made their way to our table as mains were; Mutton Dhanshak (served with traditional Caramelized Brown Rice - I missed the addition of mutton mince kebabs), Chicken Bafat Curry, Mutton Kheema Pau and Maska Dal. Our roti accompaniments with the mains were, Butter Garlic Naan and Tandoori Roti.

The Chicken Bafat Curry was tasty but a tad spicier than expected. The chicken wasn’t overcooked and that was a big plus. 

The Maska Dal served was not the traditional Maa ki Dal; it was Chef Deepu’s take on the original. It was buttery and very well made.

Each Parsi home has their own recipe for Dhanshak hence, while this Dhanshak was not similar to the one I make at home, it definitely was Dhanshak! The flavours were intact! The robust dal, the succulent mutton with the caramelized brown rice was the perfect thing to have that rainy afternoon. 

Chef Deepu continued to wow us with his version of Bombaiya style Mutton Kheema Pau. The kheema was ground just right; not too fine or too coarse. The spice level and the consistency of the gravy was perfect. Served with buttered ladi pau (bread) this dish was stellar!

We ended the meal on a sweet note; Lagan nu Custard. What was brought to the table was Lagan nu Custard and yet it wasn’t. I say this because the custard was steamed instead of being baked. Ideally, Lagan nu Custard is always baked! I did miss the ‘baked texture’. Would I reorder this? I would, in a jiffy, coz it was yummy, but I’d order it as a custard, not as a Lagan nu Custard.

Chef Deepu’s joie de vivre and enthusiasm for the work he puts out is so heartwarming. Behind all that ‘swag’ is a humble soul who knows and understands food and yet is open to constructive feedback. ‘Food talks’ are always the best talks and we sat discussing ‘food’ for nearly 30 minutes after the meal. It was indeed a pleasure knowing and talking to Chef Deepu. I wish him the very best for this Bawa venture and extend a heartfelt thank-you for the invite.

Address: Shop No 9, Balewadi High Street, Panchshil Business Park, Baner, Pune

Buzz: +91 8637773888



 Some more photographs...