Udaipur – the ‘City of Lakes’, is one of the most beautiful places I have been to. It is royal, it is colorful, and it has so much to offer to everyone. From the majestic forts and palaces, to colorful bazaars that light up each evening, from delicious food, to the peaceful calm of the lakes, Udaipur always has something to cheer you up and make you fall in love with the city.
I have been visiting Udaipur since I was a 45 day old baby girl. Yes, you read it right, 45 days. But it has been quite sometime I had last been in the city. Thanks to the pandemic, just about everyone’s travel plans have been sitting on the shelf gathering dust, and I am no exception.
Udaipur offers delicious food for everyone. I am a vegetarian and I have discovered so much amazing food in the city – from lip-smacking street food to sumptuous fine-dine, from super-filling thalis to the stereotypical Rajasthani staple of Dal Baati. A lot of these places offer food with amazing views of the Fatehsagar and Picchola lakes (Yes, I am thinking of Jheel’s now). And if there is one meal that I remember like it was yesterday, would be my lunch at a cute restaurant called ‘Millets of Mewar’.
Millets of Mewar – A healthy food option
Millets of Mewar is Rajasthan’s first dedicated health food restaurant. It opened in November 2011 and has countless loyal followers now, including me. The restaurant is a shared vision of like-minded friends – Surendra Gandharva and Manoj Prajapat, who believe in the power of food to inspire good health, good conversations, and environmental consciousness. They originally began experimenting with health food in 2007 in Udaipur – their hometown. They focused on local grains, vegetables, and spices. Their creations received an overwhelming positive response, which encouraged them to begin catering for events, attending food festivals, and running a food cart in Udaipur twice a week. The team was looking for a new adventure and that’s how Millets of Mewar was born.
At Millets of Mewar, vegetarian recipes have been re-created by using alternative grains and millets like amaranth, ragi, etc. ensuring that the recipes are gluten-free and super nutritious, without compromising on the taste of the dishes. The cookies, shakes, and desserts served here are also vegan. They also have delicious salads and chapati pizzas, which are great. Apart from this, the restaurant offers a full Indian menu which is made using organic ingredients and tastes outstanding. You could be looking for a light snack, a chilled out bite, or a full meal, Millets of Mewar will have something for you.
My Lazy Lunch at Millets of Mewar
I was at the renowned Saheliyon ki Baari in another part of Udaipur one morning. It was so calming and delightful to spend time among the sprinkles and fountains and all the green. By afternoon, I was getting really hungry and was looking for a place to have a good meal. I had heard a lot about Millets of Mewar online, it showed up in almost all the ‘Must-eat’ and ‘Must-visit’ lists for Udaipur. The choice was made, I hailed an Uber and was making my way to the restaurant. Unfortunately, close to a bridge, there was a bad traffic jam, and there seemed no way to get out of it. I thanked the driver, and got out from the cab, letting the driver reverse and escape the jam while he still could. I decided to walk the rest of the way. Not exactly the best decision I made on that trip, but worth the exploring. Udaipur gets really hot in the day, and this is October I am talking about. Walking in that heat can get a little draining but I was walking towards delicious food, and that’s motivation enough, isn’t it?
After exploring the lanes and bylanes of Udaipur, and getting lost a few times, I was a bit tired. Google Maps wasn’t exactly a lot of help, showing me paths & turns where there were none. I think my cab dropped me in an area quite some distance away, ok, I am not thinking, I am quite sure it did. But well, long story short, I finally reached Millets of Mewar. I had a choice of which floor I wanted to sit on. I chose the top most one – overlooking the lake, even if it had no air-conditioning. I can get air-conditioning anywhere, but those views of the lake and the city, that’s not an every day occurrence.
I settle in and after about three glasses of water, I am able to breathe again. The staff puts a chic menu before me. I remember the menu distinctly because it had a unique clasp which was the same one I had on one of my shorts I had as a child. I was hungry, but I generally have a tough time choosing what to eat. And when in doubt, I pick the option that will let me try a lot of stuff with minimal ordering. I ordered a Dal Baati and Churma thali with rice & kadhi. I ordered a glass of lemonade to beat the heat and re-hydrate, while waiting for the food.
The food arrived soon. My thali comprised of hot baked baatis, the dal, the kadhi, rice, salad, churma laddoo, papad, and a glass of fresh mildly spiced buttermilk.
The dal baati was unique. I knew it was healthy and all, no doubt, but it was a real delight. The baatis were baked to perfection, and the dal was just the perfect consistency with all the right flavors. I still taste those baatis in my dreams sometimes, that is how delicious they were. And they had this crisp surface from the cooking which made them such a great experience to have, adding some nice texture to the food. The papad was crisp and freshly roasted. There was steamed rice. The real show stealer for me in the thali was the kadhi – it was a-ma-zing. I am generally always a bit biased towards kadhi, and if you eat the one I ate at Millets of Mewar, you would say – rightly so. The kadhi at this restaurant was perfectly tempered and spiced, and had the perfect consistency – not too runny & thin, not too thick and doughy – just perfect. It was one of the most delicious kadhi I ever had. I so want to eat that kadhi again, and I am definitely going to make my way down to the restaurant as soon as I get a chance to be back in Udaipur. Nothing on my plate that afternoon was a typical Rajasthani food I had eaten, it was unique and so much more yummy.
While the food was delicious, the view was very calming and the place has a really peaceful vibe. I was planning to visit the City Palace after eating here, and I was already beginning to feel a bit sleepy. I had an interesting book for company, so I decided to stretch out my feet and relax a bit at this place till the heat went down a bit. There is always something very calming about sitting close to the lakes in Udaipur and doing nothing – Dolce far niente, they call it in Italian (You must have heard this phrase in Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem’s movie Eat Pray Love). This place was perfect for my meal, and I am sure it would be an even better experience in the night, when it is much cooler and more pleasant.
Overall, I had a great experience dining at this restaurant. I am glad I listened to the online recommendations. The place is now located towards the base of the Monsoon Palace hill. It was located close to the ghats on the bank of the Pichhola Lake earlier, when I visited it. It has now moved to the new location near the Sajjangarh or the Monsoon Palace. And the next time I am in town, Millets of Mewar is definitely going to be on my list.
Millets of Mewar
Address:
25, Sajjan Vihar, Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace, Near the biological park, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001
Website: http://www.milletsofmewar.org/
