Ahilyadevi's Thali — Restaurant in Maharashtra

Ahilyadevi's Thali is a venture of the famous Ahilyadevi Mutton Shop near KK market Pune. They are well known for serving fresh raw meat since many years. Recently got a chance to visit their restaurant on the old Katraj highway for lunch with friends.They specially serve maharashtrian Veg & Non Veg Cuisines. All the recepies are their homemade from their own kitchen. The entrance of the restaurant is nicely decorated with a old Waada style doors with two elephant idols. You can also see a nicely lit up corner with Ganpati idol while entering the restaurant.There is also a small water fountain inside the restaurant. They also serve Mutton Raan according to Pre-Orders.

We tried the following:-

Soups And Starters:-

Paaya Soup- Lamb trotter's broth cooked with various spices and herbs. Was served fresh and hot with paya pieces in it and was delicious in taste. A truly HEALTHY way to start your meal !!!

Paneer Tawa- Fresh and flavourful shallow fried paneer cubes on cast iron pan with capsicum & onions.

Mutton Chops- Meat chops coated in bread crumb to give a crispy touch tossed with secret recipe in cast iron pan.Was perfectly cooked and had medium spicy taste.

Loin Chops- Lamb loin chops contain almost one muscle and are the biggest lamb chop that does not have bands of connective tissue separating the meat.These were shallow fried pieces in cast iron pan after marinating in spicy chilly paste. Were amazing in taste.

Kheema Ladoo- These were modified version of Kheema Unde which are actually meatballs made from finely minced meat. These were pan seared in maharashtrian spices having medium spicy taste and are MUST HAVE here !!

Chicken Tangdi Grill- This was a newly introduced dish in their menu. Chicken leg pieces were marinated in spices and then grilled. Didnt suit my taste buds as it was mild in taste.

Mains:-

Maharaja Mutton Thali- This thali consisted of mutton masala, mutton kalvan, mutton chops, kheema ladoo, vajadi fry, aalni waati, chapati / bhakri, biryani portion, koshimbir, solkadhi and sweet.It is actually a huge thali with all the mentioned items and includes all of their main items which are offered in a la carte. A really good option to go for !!

Maharaja Chicken Thali- This thali consisted of chicken masala, chicken kalvan, chicken sukka, egg omlette, boiled egg, aalni waati, chapati / bhakri, biryani portion, koshimbir, solkadhi and sweet.

Both the thalis were madhe to perfection in taste with the right amount of spice level and masalas.

Mutton Daalcha- Is an Hyderabadi Indian stew made from mutton, chana dal and tamarind. This was again a newly introduced menu item which is available only on weekends. Was good in taste and little tangy due to tamarind inclusion in the gravy.

Aalni Bhaat- This was a basic aromatic flavoured mutton stock mixed with Indrayani rice topped with mutton pieces. A simple and all time favourite dish which never disappoints.

Deserts:-

Jaggery Kharwas- Pudding made from colostrum milk cooked with jaggery and saffron. Was superb in taste and had the perfect amount of sweetness and was well set.

Jalebi- Crispy, Perfect Sweet and Freshly made.

Overall:-

Rustic interiors with a simple and elegant look with comfortable seating arrangement surrounded by trees.

Restaurant is hygienic and clean.

Friendly, Polite and well-trained staff

Total VFM as compared to price, taste...

It was the constant pics of the Raan mutton which kept me wanting to visit this place and my consistent bad luck just never helped me get to Ahilyadevi’s. Finally, the day came and I started my long journey to the restaurant. Yes, it is a bit far from my residence and a few other places in Pune as it is located on the outskirts of the city. Food- I will start with my favourite dish, The Raan mutton. It’s a slow-cooked lamb shoulder marinated in spices and cooked on open fire stove till the crust is all crispy. It is large enough to pacify 3-4 heavy meat-eaters. It is served with charred pineapples which I find very interesting. I would recommend you have a bite of Pineapple with a piece of Mutton. The thali also has steamed rice and mutton curry. Rather than having that curry with rice try it with their Jowar bhakri. Let the pieces of the Bhakri sit in the curry for a while and then enjoy your Bhakri soaked in curry like never before. The Raan is sprinkled with little pockets of sweetness. The pomegranate adds a different flavour and visual treat to the entire dish. Raan mutton isn’t available easily in Pune and good Raan mutton is rare. The one at Ahilyadevi’s is well cooked but from what I understand about Raan cooking techniques, it needs to be cooked for long hours. The meat should be juicy and tender enough to be pulled off the bone easily. The Raan at Ahilyadevi’s had it all but one, the juicy-ness. The mutton was dry inside and lacked marination.

Lamb Paya soup was the refreshing dish we started our food journey at Ahilyadevi’s. It is the best dish to warm up your belly for the nonstop meat entourage. Out of personal choice though I would recommend you to try the Alani rassa wati over Lamb Paya soup. Same texture but more flavour and richness. Chicken thali has a great variety all the while holding onto its primary spice and vibrant colour. The chicken masala has one of the best-balanced flavours I have tasted in Pune. A lot of curries are overloaded with either oil or spice. This one had the perfect combination. I bet you won’t settle for only one bowl of Chicken curry. And yes the Indrayani rice. Rice topped with ghee and served with the chicken curry is worth dying for. Pardon my exaggeration. Meat lovers must visit this place. A perfect dining experience for family, friends and especially meat lovers. Ambience and Service- The place is full at lunch even on a Sankashti (nonmeat eating day of the month in Maharashtra) that tells a lot about its popularity. The service on this full house was swift. The staff here is used to the full house and serves you well. The ambience has been designed like an old fashioned Wada, made of rock and wood and that sticks well to the restaurant's theme. The only concern we had were the mosquitos. Due to monsoon there were a ton of them and even with the basic measure to avoid them the issue is persistent. Overall- Take your buddies with you, as the Raan is 1200gms of meat and bones. Take your vegetarian friends along with you. They have a huge vegetarian thali as well for non-believers. Overall the place has something to offer for everyone but more for...

One of the very few places serving authentic maharashtrian food in Pune. Located in Katraj amidst the greenery, this place is away from hustle bustle of the city. The ambience has a very elegant and luxurious feel to it. I am sure you will notice the good vibes as soon as you enter this place. They have an open kitchen where you can see the cooking in action, or making of bhakris the tradition way.

Coming to the food we tried:

Lamb paya soup: Lamb broth, mild in flavour but hot enough to enjoy during rainy season.

Ribeye chops: Mutton chops marinated in spicy red chilly marinade coated with bread crumbs. Perfectly cooked, spicy flavour and tender meat make it a perfect starter.

Ahilyadevi's meat balls (Keema Ladoo) : Minced mutton made into a ball and topped with a flavourful masala. These ladoos literally melted in mouth. The tantalizing and spicy flavour make it a usp of this restaurant. Definitely recommended for mutton lovers.

Chicken Kharda: A green colored chicken gravy cooked in green mirchi thecha (a spicy condiment cooked the tradional way using green chillies and various indian spices) with a hint of spinach flavour. The dish basically needs to be very spicy, but this one was noticably less spicy. The chicken was perfectly cooked and tasted great with bhakri.

Maharaja mutton thali: Huge thali consisting of mutton masala, mutton kalvan, keema ladoo, mutton chop, mutton bheja, vajdi and paya masala, unlimited tambda rassa and aalni rassa, bhakri/chapati and mutton dum biryani. All the dishes were amazing and had a unique flavour to it. The thali is enough to serve two persons with medium appetite.

Maharaja chicken thali: Again a huge thali consisting of chicken masala, chicken kalvan, boiled egg, egg curry, unlimited aalni and tambda rassa, chapati/bhakri and indrayani rice. All the dishes were great. Chicken kalvan was too good with a spicy flavour.

Mutton dum biryani: One of the best biryani I've had. The biryani was cooked in butter, which gave it an interesting flavour. The mutton pieces were tender with perfectly balanced flavours.

Solkadi: This is a konkan based drink made using kokam, coconut milk and some indian spices. It is known for its spicy and tangy flavour. Good in taste, just the kokam flavour was overpowering.

Kharvas: Indian pudding made using a special kind of milk and jaggery. Great texture with a delectable taste. One of the very few places serving kharvas in Pune.

Overall, a great place to have lip smacking mutton delicacies while having a quality time with friends or family. Definitely worth a visit for all the non-veg...