09 November,2025 07:47 AM IST | Mumbai | Phorum Pandya
Hetal Chheda started Unbox Jalso supper club this October. PICS/NIMESH DAVE
When you dine at a Gujarati's home, it makes strategic sense to say you are full when you are only half there. That's the cue for the host to begin the tradition of âaagra', which loosely translates to coaxing (sometimes forcing) the guest to eat more. Be warned, they do not take no for an answer. Keep this tip handy as you sign up for the much-trending Gujarati supper clubs that have mushroomed in the city.
When Hetal Chheda curates a Gujarati menu, she's on a mission - to go beyond the familiar thepla, fafda, and dhokla. The home chef hosted her first Gujarati supper club, Unbox Jalso, this October at her Andheri East home. For the past five years, she has been running a delivery kitchen under the name Not a Chef.
Designed as a slow, intimate pop-up for up to 10 guests, each course tells the story of the State's diverse culinary traditions. With family roots in both Kutch and Kathiawad, Chheda draws from a treasure trove of regional recipes and heirloom dishes. "I'm in search of forgotten preparations that are quietly disappearing from everyday kitchens," she says. "Many come from my grandmother's repertoire, others from my travels across Gujarat. The idea is to get guests to slow down, listen to the stories, and experience the depth of Gujarati cuisine in a home setting."
Supported by her mother, mother-in-law, and two staffers, Chheda insists on authenticity. "These are recipes from the mothers, so I make sure they're present when I cook," she smiles. "Kathiawadi food leans on red chillies with a sweet-tangy balance, while in Surat, green chillies dominate." From her nana, she has recreated an appetiser of roti crumbs called churma with banana raita, potato and parwal na bhajiya roasted and roasted green chilli. "It captures Gujarat's colourful personality in one bite - tangy, spicy, and full of texture," she says.
Chheda often travels to unearth regional gems. On a recent trip, she discovered Adivasi vadas, made from black urad dal - a traditional food of the tribal communities in the region. "Gujarat has so many regions, and so much to eat," she signs off with a grin.
AT: Andheri East
COST: Rs 1900-Rs 2400
BOOK: 7700095161
Dressed in a vermillion red patola sari draped Gujarati-style, Juhu resident Tejal Mehta welcomes every guest with an aarti and tikka. This Navratri, she launched her first Jamanvaar Supper Club in September, turning her love for cooking and feeding people into a business Â, eight guests per seating.
We settle into her living room, sipping a guava-pineapple cooler rimmed with chilli salt. Mehta shares, "I've always loved cooking and eating. When my daughter was studying in London, I'd cook for all the kids in her dorm. Now she's in Melbourne, and during a recent visit, I noticed the supper club trend there. I knew it was my calling," says Mehta, who convinced her businessman husband, Rakesh, to join her in this "crazy" idea.
Tejal Mehta and her husband, Rakesh, run Jamanvaar, a Gujarati supper club, from their home in Juhu. PICS/ASHISH RAJE
Tejal's parents are from the port city of Jafarabad, while Rakesh's family hails from Bhavnagar. On their farm in Umargaon, they grow mango, dragon fruit, lentils and pulses and they also source produce from smaller farms. The papad is made by a group of elderly women in her village. She hopes to expand Jamanvaar into an open-air, village-themed supper club in a heritage home in Juhu soon.
Her seasonal menu, features regional delicacies. On the day of our visit, we start with crunchy dahi puri stuffed with sweet potato, poha-chana dal samosas, and Ameri khaman, paired with a fragrant coconut-red chilli chutney. The dining table, with its vibrant décor, silverware, and floral accents, invites us to take our seats for the big meal. Slipping into her sing-song social media tone, she recites the day's menu: undhiyu, palak malai methi, gathiya nu shaak, vagharyu, dabka kadhi, badam halwa, fada kheer, banana cucumber matho, talela marcha gavar, Rajvadi pulao with charoli, multigrain puri, dudhi thepla, khichiya papad, and chaas spiked with hajmola.
The following 45 minutes unfold in a delicious blur of khattu, meethu and tikhu - sour, sweet, and spicy - flavours, punctuated by Mehta's easy banter. The pickles and chutneys elevate the feast. We leave with full hearts, fuller stomachs, and Mehta's cheerful send-off: Jalso Padi Gayo! (had great fun).
AT: Juhu
COST: Rs 3150
BOOK: 9833303708
Shanti Petiwala, known for her home venture Riot of Flavours, began hosting Bohra thaal experiences in 2020 to share the culinary traditions of the Dawoodi Bohra community in which the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin is married into. Her tryst with the cuisine began in Dubai when her husband missed home-cooked food. "I started experimenting with recipes, but it truly came alive when I returned to India and began learning from my mother-in-law," says Petiwala.
She now hosts up to 15 guests for a community-style dining experience around the thaal, beginning each meal with stories that introduce guests to the community and its culture. "While my mother-in-law and I handle the cooking, my husband and brother-in-law take charge of serving," she shares.
Bohra cuisine, she explains, carries Arabic influences, tracing its roots from Egypt to Yemen before reaching Gujarat. "Along the way, it absorbed Gujarati flavours. One of our signature vegetarian dishes is dal chawal palidu, much like a Gujarati osaman (thin dal). Our Yemeni-inspired sandwich sufoot is elevated with green chutney. And in Rajasthan, there's gosht ki tarkari with mathania chillies," she says, noting that the community's food culture also travelled to Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
At her table, Petiwala serves what her family eats at home - Chana Bateta, Kaari Chawal, Kalamra, and Keema Baida Lasan - following the community's tradition of alternating sweet and savoury dishes. "At my last pop-up, I served Lagan ni Seekh, a minced mutton pie made at weddings. It was a hit," she smiles.
AT: Marol, Andheri
COST:Rs 2000-Rs 2500 per person
BOOK: DM @riotofflavours on Instagram
Step into Bansari Bhagat's home in Goregaon, and you instantly feel the warmth of a mother's care. The 54-year-old single mother to daughters Hiteksha and Dhruti started Maa Nu Ghar to offer meal experiences that feels like home.
A home chef for over 15 years, Bhagat often found that Gujarati food served in restaurants to be oily and over-spiced. When her younger daughter returned from Canada earlier this year, the two launched Maa Nu Ghar to change that perception. "The idea was to bring back ghar ka khana," says Hiteksha. "When a mother feeds you, she insists on second and third helpings - that's the emotion we wanted to recreate. Many people in Mumbai live away from their families. We wanted everyone to experience a mother's cooking," she adds.
With family roots in Kutch and Mangrol, a port town in Junagadh district, Bhagat draws inspiration from her ancestral recipes. "We make gol kokam dal rich with cashews and peanuts, and add kachori dumplings to our dal dhokli. In my in-law's home, undhiyu is paired with a sweet gol thepla for balance," she shares.
Bansari Bhagat, with daughters Dhruti (R) and Hiteksha Bhagat (L), runs Maa nu ghar Gujarati supper club in Goregaon, West. PICS/ ASHISH RAJE
Guests are seated on floor cushions around a low, traditional-style table. Dhruti, who manages kitchen, begins the meal with a tray of condiments - tangy pickles, kacchi kairi, and amba halad The farsan course brings masaledar batata vada, soft white dhokla, and warm khichu. Then arrives a spread of undhiyu served with bajra rotlo, puri, and roti, paired with sev tameta nu shaak, mix kathol, and Bhagat's Surti dal. The puran poli, drizzled generously with ghee, rounds off the meal, followed by spoonfuls of sitafal basundi and crisp papad to cleanse the palate.
AT: Goregaon
COST: Rs 996
BOOK: 9137475314
Gujarati cuisine varies across regions - Kathiawad, Kutch, Surat, and Central Gujarat - each defined by distinct flavours. Kathiawad, bordering Rajasthan, is known for its use of red chillies and a sweet, sour and spicy balance. Surat favours green chillies and a bold ginger-chilli paste. Kutch is known for its vibrant street food, characterised by sweet, tangy, and spicy notes. The State offers meat dishes too, and seafood comes from the coastline. Parsi influences further enrich the State's diverse culinary landscape.
