South Indian food gets typecast as a single cuisine. But each state has its unique food identity. The food of Karnataka is one of the shyest cuisines of India. If you have had Karnataka food, in all likelihood, that would be at the homes of Kannadiga friends, colleagues, or neighbours. That was how we were introduced to Karnataka cuisine. Carnatic Cafe, New Friends Colony in Delhi happened to us much later. It was somewhat off-route. Yet, whenever we were in that area, we would try to have a meal there.

Carnatic Cafe – Vegetarian Food Near Lodi Road

Thankfully Carnatic Café has come closer. They are now at Meherchand Market on Lodhi Road in a fresh avatar. It is not a big place. But we loved the understated deco that was a mixture of traditional and contemporary styles. The Carnatic music playing in the background added to the dining experience.

It was a cold evening and we were happy to have found a table in the corner. While the menu here was a lot of idlis and dosas, if you look at the details, you would realize these are different from the plain, masala, or Rawa dosas that are ordinarily available at South Indian eateries. There were other delicacies too such as Bisibelabaath, Akki Roti, and our favourite Paddus.

South Indian beyond regular Idli, Dosa, and Vada

But we stuck to dosas and ordered Khali, a set of thick fluffy dosas served with sambar, coconut chutney, and tomato chutney. We also ordered Neer – a set of 2 dosas made with coconut and served with sambar and a coconut jaggery chutney. We ended the dinner with filter coffee.

The Khali dosas were soft and melted in the mouth like pancakes. The sambar was not overtly spicy and hot even in this chill. The 2 dosas that came in Neer were more steamed than fried. We would highly recommend this for diners who do not like a lot of oil. The coconut jaggery chutney was mildly sweet and full of a unique flavour that was a combination of grated coconut and jaggery. It was a little smoky from the jaggery yet fresh given the coconut. This in our opinion is an interesting twist to the dish and a must-have.

Desserts and Filter Coffee

They have an interesting selection of icecreams with unheard-of flavours such as Palm Jaggery Roasted Seasame, Fig, and balsamic vinegar, Mascarpone, Cocoa Raw Coconut Sugar, and Roasted Almonds. Regrettably, the dosas had filled us up beyond expectation. Next time, we will keep some appetite for dessert.

But we did not let go of the filter coffee. The South Indian glass–tumbler froth on the top was a shutterbug’s delight. The richness of the aroma refreshed us and these were nice cups of filter coffee we thought that packed the punch.

The only dampener was this noisy group of diners on a table. Carnatic Café exudes peaceful somewhat arty vibes and any row is such a disruption!

No complaints though, we are frequenters at India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road. We are coming back to Carnatic Café to try their other dishes and the icecreams of course.

It was winter when we visited the Carnatic Cafe outlet in Meherchand Market. While we saw their ice cream menu, it wasn’t the right time.

So when we recently visited this place on a sweltering June evening, we deliberately saved some appetite for ice cream. The menu said that the icecreams, under the brand Jayre, were made with natural ingredients and they had a long list. Although all the flavours were not available, balancing between adventure and playing safe, we selected red guava, black pepper-cardamom and coffee sesame.

Red guava was prettiest with soft notes perhaps because they stick to real fruits and spices. The mocha sesame was the richest in taste. We were a little sceptical about black pepper cardamom. While the strong aroma of pepper hit the nose, the taste was balanced with the sweet flavour of cardamom and thankfully we were not disappointed.

At 150 Rs a scoop, the icecreams are pricey. But the harmonious subtle taste and aroma of natural ingredients make it worth. Speaking of natural, the icecreams were served in quaint coconut shells! Great move towards sustainability guys!