Poonam's Gujarati Bhojanalaya, Broadway, Chennai for authentic Gujarati food

Pooam's Gujarati Bhojanalaya, Broadway, Chennai

Gujarati Meals (Thali)

Poonam's Gujarati Bhojanalaya, Gijarati Mandal's the vegetarian restaurant, located (near High Court) at Broadway, North Chennai, is serving the Gujarati Thali from 1130 am. The place is certainly not as noisy and cramped as other Gujarati restaurants. However the seating space is limited and during weekdays you may have to wait to get your turn and the parking is difficult here. But during sundays the crowd is less and dining is comfortable.

 The "authentic" Gujarati food at Poonam's Gujarati Bhojanalaya in Chennai is a crowd favorite. Whether you go with family or friends, Poonam's is mostly a favourite place in Chennai for Gujarati food.

The menu consists of Jelibi, dal (lentils), gravy, two vegetarian dishes, Phool Wadi, roti (instead of roti try Thelpa at an extra cost of Rs.4.00 each), rice, rasam (Indian soup), mint chutney, pappad, pickle, salad and green chilly toast. The unlimited - eat as much as you want - meals cost just for Rs 75/- per head. You may like to have srikhand or basundhi or gulab jamun or aam rass (juice of ripe mango) at an additional cost of Rs.15.00 for each. The thalis are full and the dishes are subtly delicious. The plus point is generous and frequent refills with quick service. The Bhojanalaya also offer  Dal Halwa, Dhoklas, Fafda, Khandvi, wide variety of Milk Sweets  and  snacks for the Gujarati food lovers.

Address: 116, Gujarati Mandal, Near High Court, Prakasam Salai, Broadway, Chennai - 600108.

 
Timing: 11:00 am to 11:00 pm

Meals: Lunch, Thaali, Dinner

Mansukh's Sweets and Snacks: Gujarati Food Trial in T Nagar, Chennai

Manshuk's Sweets and Snacks. Source: Zomato

Sweet Stall at Manshuk's Sweets and Snacks Source: Zomato

Gujarati Thali

Mansukh's Sweets and Snacks, a favorite Gujarati restaurant for many Gujaratis and North Indian people, is located at no. 10, Ramaswamy Street, Opp. Shree Temple of Gold, T.Nagar. If you are a lover of Gujarati food, then this restaurant is one among the few places in Chennai where you can enjoy  Theplas (Dhebra: Made with a mixture of flours, pan fried, mildly spiced, usually contains shredded vegetables), Dhoklas (Steamed cake made primarily of rice flour), khandvis (Roll made of gram flour and yogurt topped with mustard seed, cilantro, and grated coconut.) and Dhabelis (spicy burger of peanuts and potatoes, in a roll), at one place. For people new to Gujju food this restaurant is popular for its authentic Gujarathi and Rajasthani sweets, chats and savouries as well as Gujarathi / Rajasthani thali.

The snacks are very tasty and unique and people often wanted to try Gujju food  freshly prepared dhokla or thelka or go for genuine Gujju snacks like Chakri, Fafda, Ghanthia, Khakhra,    Mathia, Sev, Sev mamra and Lasaniya mamra. The Staples include Bakri, phulka roti, Aloo paratha or methi paratha or cheese channa bhatura . The side dishes include pakora, dahi vada, handvo, khaman, khandvi, khichu, muthia etc. The Gujju sweets like Shrikand (made from Curd & Sugar), Doodhpak (rice pudding made by boiling rice with milk and sugar, and flavoured with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashews, pistachios, or almonds) Puran Poli, Sukhadi, Moti pak, Malpuaa, jelebi etc, are generously prepared with ghee. You can try chat items like dahi pori bhel pori and pani pori or aloo paratha or methi paratha.  The ambiance looks like a typical sweet shop with few chairs spread across for people to sit and eat.

The restaurant called Swaad located in the first floor offer Gujarati and Rajasthani thali at normally affordable cost.  Gujarati Thali (special) included Jaljira, Dhokla as appetizers. Main thali plate comprise unlimited puris and rotis, steamed rice and curd rice along with  aloo subji, paneer subji, dhal makhani, sweet dhal and a sweet kadhi. Sweet dish offered for the day included Chum chum and jelebi. They keep changing subjis and the sweets everyday. The ambiance of the restaurant is good enough for such a small restaurant.

Sowcarpet at Mint Street, Chennai: A Reminiscent of North Indian Small Town

Min Street A Congested Place

From Park Town to Mint there exist a narrow and heavily congested street with tightly packed buildings with its culturally rich heritage and history.  It’s called Mint Street - a world wherein wholesale markets,  hardware stores, clothe shops, temples, eateries, pavement vendors, street hawkers and stranded cattle  compete for space. The street always remains busy with people carrying head loads of bundles or tri-cycles transporting huge loads of goods or Scooters overloaded with entire family, noisy auto-rickshaws, man-pulled carts and sidelined pedestrians. The entire stretch is an assortment of shops selling all kinds of things - electronic goods, bangles, materials for jewellery, sarees, salwars, dry-fruits, sweets, fruits Rajasthani pickles, papads spices. Name boards of firms and business houses appear in Gujarati, Rajasthani and Hindi scripts.

What could be the tradition and culture of Jaipur or Jodhpur is becoming common scene in Sowcarpet and men found in shops and streets wear traditional kurta and dhoti and young and old women walk past  in traditional lehenga choli or colorful sarees with faces fully veiled. It is reminiscent of a small North Indian town.

Long back in 1700s this street was called as washers street, since the Telugu speaking washers and bleachers employed by the British East India Company occupied this street. Soon Beri Chettis and Gomutti Chettis followed them to this place. Also there were middlemen and dubashes. Later on during 1740s Gujarati from the land of Saurashtra known for its textile factories occupied the north western part of mint and got extended their area up to Elephant gate. The Marwaris (from parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat states)  known for their money lending business also mingled with these joints. The present name 'Sowcarpet' derived from the Hindi word 'Sahukar' meaning money lender. It is a place where people from different states, different languages, different cultures live together in harmony. 

Mint Street at Sowcarpet - Street Scene

Sowcarpet Narrow Lane Glittering with Rake - A Day before Raksha Bandhan

Textile at Sowcarpet Lane

Women in Sowcarpet Lane

Typical Marwari Elderly Woman

Typical Marwari Elderly Man

Men at Rest in Sowcarpet

Juna Jain Mandir

Mehendhi Session

Street Scene at Sowcarpet

Another Street Scene in Sowcarpet