Living in Mumbai, in a Maharashtrian family, this Rajasthani writer jumped in her seat the moment she heard about a new restaurant in Lower Parel that promised authentic Marwari food alongside Gujarati dishes. Roping in a Gujarati friend, we were quick to park ourselves in the almost hole-in-the-wall Green Gujarat. Beside us, their biggest table was occupied by a group of 10 Gujarati women who were playing tambola, gossiping, and even got into an argument.

The farsan platter (Rs 290) included Gujarati patra, which is similar to the Maharashtrian alu vadi—deep-fried and crispy. Giving it perfect company were fluffy, light dhoklas. The mildly sweet coconut pattice and deep-fried crispy pocket with a paneer-vegetable stuffing made it a variegated mix. Their aam panna (R90) comes with the goodness of chia seeds. We like.