A meal at this no paneer, no mushroom Vegan eatery in Mumbai takes inspiration from Ayurveda

There has been a rise of vegetarian food globally. The Google search for vegan food reportedly has risen by 5000% since 2021. This rise in vegetarian food is accompanied by shifting trends in the food industry where restaurants are looking at catering to vegetarian audiences. Even high-end restaurants blooming from Dubai are now looking at vegetarian food as their target food market.

If you are passionate about food, there is no way you haven’t heard of the Dubai based vegetarian – no paneer, no mushroom Michelin star restaurant – Avatara. The Mumbai outlet recently launched their new menu spearheaded by Chef Sanket Joshi. The menu is called Rasas and is inspired by the six tastes of Ayurveda – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent and spicy. And the meal does justice to each rasa.

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“At Avatara, we serve vegetarian cuisine using ingredients that people are already familiar with, vegetables that evoke a sense of connection. However, we present them in an artistic and unexpected way, challenging the perception of vegetarian food. Although it might not have a direct effect on mental health, it does change people;s viewpoints and inspire them to view commonplace components in a different way.” says Executive Chef Sanket Joshi of Avatara Mumbai.

Avatara is a sixteen-course extravaganza. Take out at least an hour and a half to enjoy the full experience. Each dish comes with unique cutlery and bear in mind – eating instructions to enjoy. Tasting menus seem to be the new trend within the luxury dining industry in India. “A tasting menu provides a trip through a variety of flavours, ingredients, and well-chosen meals, something that à la carte options might not always deliver. Diners get a concept-driven experience with a chef’s tasting menu, learning more about each dish, its history, and its inspiration. It’s a full experience” says Joshi.

The first course itself begins with lavana made of beetroot, ghee roast and appalam. Amla is made of butternut dhokla, black lime pickle and fafda. Katu is made of sago wada, charred pepper and peanut relish. Kashaya is a milieu of ghewar, sarson saag and pickled radish.Tikta and Madhura are made of bitter gourd, cafreal and makhana malai and saffron respectively.

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These first six courses were served in a unique peacock-like tray. The next course was just as spectacular as the one before. Named Kallingam, it came with grilled watermelon, stone fruit pickle and tomato water. Next up was kokum, which I gulped in just a bite – made of sunchoke modak, okra thecha and kokum rassa. I was blown.

Then came dallika, meaning lentil and I wasnt prepared to see this version of deconstructed lentil on my table. Horse gram galouti served with lentil tea and topped up with edible fresh flowers. Little could I have imagined in my wildest dreams that a fusion of Indian food could ever even look like this. Next up was banana chaat topped with avocados. There’s no easy way to explain what the milieu of flavours tasted like. It was truly spectacular and like something I had never tasted before.

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Krishna Phal was my favourite – passion fruit topped with spiced guava water and strawberry chutney. While each dish had a mix of winning ingredients, there was one overarching ingredient in each course which was the clear winner. It seemed like the chef had named the courses after these winner dinners. Klayaah was unique in terms of being a fusion of Italian and Indian. Imagine Cannoli stuffed with green peas served around a gajar jhol. Yes, it is tough to imagine but delicious to eat. Of course there were more mains but the desserts are what I want to speak about.

The desserts at Avatara were pretty much the same as the initial menu they launched with. Perhaps, they already chose the deserts which were best from diverse regions of India and wanted to present it on the plate. I truly enjoyed the Madhuram, inspired by the Garwhal region of Uttarakhand. Made of buransh juice, chocolate rosette and bal mithai, this dessert cannot easily be found in other restaurants. A lot of research goes into finding what is native and local to a place and then curating that on a menu. “The industry has evolved beyond just serving food—restaurants today focus on creating immersive, multi-sensory experiences that leave a lasting impression. Creativity has no limits, and modern dining is a leading example of innovation.“ says Joshi.

I truly enjoyed my experience. It was refreshing, fun and educational. I got a sneak peak into what Michelin chefs think and cook like, in my own city in Mumbai. I feel like the city is going places because restaurants like this give people a lot to look forward to.

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