Head to Ishtaa to relish tried and tested comfort food

Ishtaa in Jaynagar, Bangalore
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Bang smack in the middle of Jayanagar’s bustling best is Ishtaa — a vegetarian restaurant where you can start your day trying something new or relax by indulging in the familiar comfort food of punugulu, pappu avakaya annam, rago sangati and more.

Brought to you by those behind United Teugu Kitchen and Ironhill in Bengaluru, Ishtaa too, does not stray too far from the tried and tested staples found in traditional Telugu homes. At the same time, there are a few fusion surprises on the menu too.

Ishtaa boasts a wonderful range for breakfast which even the most pickiest of eaters would find hard to fault. Idlis, dosas, pesarattu, upma, uthappams and pooris — they all come with multiple options. Served only at breakfast time, the must try is their five-foot masala dosa served with eight chutneys and on a long platter. It appears with a flourish at your table and is a real treat, especially for the children at the table.

Idli fries
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Similarly, their Rayalseema yerra karam dosa served both with podi and masala, is only for those who can handle spice. And for those willing to subject their palate to curious flavours and textures, the chocolate dosa, ice cream dosa and Lays dosa await. Breakfast items are served only from 7am-11am and then again from 6pm-10.30pm.

We check out the starters which are an unusual mix of Telugu specials such as the chinta chiguru velluli paneer and Indo-Chinese favourites such as the honey chilli crispy potatoes. We try the paneer satay and the Ishtaa special chilli paneer. The satay was mildly hot and the nutty flavour paired well with paneer, while the Ishtaa special lived up to its name with its spice quotient.

Munakkya Karivepaku soup
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

We also tried the mushroom 65 and vegetarian Shanghai roll; both were good but did not stand out as being exceptional. Since Ishtaa does not serve alcohol and the menu is a mix of fares (North Indian and Jain dishes also make an appearance), your meal can be a mishmash of tastes, unless you pick a cuisine and stick with it, since you will not be adhering to the starters-with-drinks followed by the mains formula.

We begin our main course with garlic naan and malai kofta as suggested by the staff, but I would recommend it only if you relish the taste of creamy sweetness in the middle of your meal. There is nothing wrong with it — it just throws you off the Southern spice route your tastebuds were cruising on till then.

Next, we try the panasapottu (jackfruit) biryani which is as aromatic as it is delicious, with succulent chunks of well-seasoned jackfruit. The South Indian thali with its myriad little bowls of hearty vegetarian fare certainly did not disappoint either.

South Indian thali
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Traditional Telugu desserts that are on the menu include sheer kurma (a version of kheer with dried fruits), junnu (milk pudding in another avatar) and nethi poornam boorelu; we choose the latter simply because we have never had it before. It was an interesting choice to make — dumplings made of mashed channa dal, jaggery, coconut and dry fruits are dipped in batter and fried to a crispy, golden brown. Sadly, they came at the end of our meal or I’d have indulged in a few more of these delicious globes.

When you visit Ishtaa, make sure you are not too hungry because despite its capacity of 220 it always seems to be packed.