A gastronomic passage to India

Saravana Bhavan, Shop F3, Rivonia Junction. It is situated on the corner of Rivonia Road and 7th Avenue, Sandton.

011 234 4270 Open daily from 9am to 11pm. E-mail: hsbjohannesburg@ saravanabhavan.com

Choosing the food was not that easy as the menu is extensive but Suresh offered us a platter with some of the more popular dishes. It was a fascinating culinary adventure for someone not familiar with Indian cuisine.

The platter included onion bajjis (slices of onion coated with chickpea batter, deep-fried and served with chutney and sambals), fried mushroom with Chinese herbs, deep-fried cauliflower florets mixed with Indian spices and cornflour, lentil balls and chilli bajji.

For the main course, I tackled the onion rava masala dosa, a crispy rolled wheat and rice pancake with smashed potatoes and sprinkled onions (R59). It was a large tasty helping which hit the spot.

Popular items are rasam, a south Indian mild and spicy lentil soup, gulab jamun (Indian sweet pastry drenched with syrup, and payasam, a rice dessert served at weddings).