It had been such a long time since I had my last Dosa in Udaipur. South Indian joints are rarely good, someone suggested Cafe Purohit, and, off I went to alleviate my condition.

I had also taken along a South Indian friend of mine. Generally, a south indian’s word can be taken very sincerely, when it is about the cuisine he has grown up eating.

Cafe Purohit is a small basement cafeteria cum restaurant adorning the belly of complex- Anand Plaza on University road. The entrance is adjacent to the wash basins and the kitchen extended, so, when we approached the entrance we were greeted with the entrancing smell of freshly prepared Sambhar.

The inside atmosphere, however, was heart breaking. A damp stench had taken refuge in the corners of the ill lit dining hall. Probably, due the cool showers outside! There were no ACs, which is surprising, since, it is an underground restaurant. To try to keep it cool, they had coolers peeping in from the ventilations at the ground level of the complex.

What saddened me were the arrangements of the tables. They were kept shoulder to shoulder in a line, three rows of them with chairs hugging closely. This meant that a dining family would automatically seem to be sitting with their neighboring family.

The austere Menu card was a single leaflet acclaiming Dosas, Rava Dosas, Uttapas and Idli Vadas. We started with Dosas first.

The Sambhar we got along with the Dosas and Uttapas wasn’t up to the quality. The vegetables were perfectly cooked but the taste couldn’t kick in. None among us needed more than a bowl. Which is, not-so-good indication!

The Coconut Chutney was cool and finely mixed. Thick, as one would like it and complementary to the Dosas.

Mysore Butter Masala Dosa

Mysore Masala Dosa is a popular one. Chiefly so, because of its red chutney coated on the inside of the Dosa along with the masala. This Dosa was ordered by my South Indian friend. He found it average, not as bad as half of the restaurants he has tried. I tasted it myself as well. I found it recommendable!

Pudina Butter Masala Dosa

As the name clearly suggests: Pudina coated Dosa with Masala stuffing. The pudina chutney was sharp and distinct. The Dosa was long and buttery. Though, it didn’t have any clear flaw, it wasn’t as delicious as we’d expected.

Rava Onion Mysore Butter Masala Dosa

This was the same as the aforementioned Dosa, but made with Rava (Semolina) instead of Rice. This Dosa wasn’t as long as the previous two, but ruled the party.

The combination of chutney and onions served it well. I would recommend this over the previous two, if you have the tenacity to handle Rava Dosas.

Idli Vada

The idli wasn’t fibrous. It was small and not well prepared. Same goes for the Vada. It should have been crispier. It wasn’t at par.

I wouldn’t recommend Idli Vada to the readers.

Onion Tomato Uttapa

Uttapas are to be prepared very carefully. Unlike Dosas, where a thin crusty layer suffices the aim, Uttapa has to be thicker.

My Uttapa was really messed up. The batter used for Dosa is generally used to make Uttapas too. It has to be a little sour though. Mine was ultra-sour.

The pancake was also sticky and seemed a little undercooked. Not much recommended.

Masala Uttapa

As in the photo, this wasn’t like the Masala Uttapa at all. They apparently have modified the recipe. Though, this version wasn’t less interesting, we wanted it to be the original one. The pancake was thin, it should have been thicker. And, the masala was directly of a Dosa. I would recommend this only because it has something new and interesting to offer, not because it appealed to my senses.

With this, our pallate was complete. We demanded the bill and waited as it arrived. We conferred among ourselves and concluded that we weren’t satisfied with the food we had just consumed.

Cafe Purohit has nothing exceptional to offer. And observing the condition of the dining hall, I don’t think one would feel like eating in such an abysmal ambience. There are a slew of other options with a less expensive plan to suit one’s needs. Still we felt that there’s an incomprehensible connection between the loyal customers and Cafe Purohit.

The bill came to be Rs. 560, including a glass of Butter Milk and a bottle of Water. The water they served tasted suspicious!

I really want to hear out the reader’s experience of Cafe Purohit. Also, please suggest a restaurant if you know one, or own one. We’d love to pay a visit.

As always, stay connected and have a happy weekend.