By Panchali Illankoon
Pictures by Pradeep Dilrukshana 

Cinnamon Life’s Indian restaurant INDIYA launches its limited-time vegetarian menu “Shakahari” from September 24 – October 10, 2025

Pulling from fifteen Indian states, the menu at Cinnamon Life’s Indiya on a regular day is a greatest hits compilation that embodies the very essence of India’s rich culinary heritage. But this time, the restaurant’s compass points West, towards Gujarat and Rajasthan, two states with the largest vegetarian populations, where vegetarianism is simply a natural way of life.  

With Diwali just around the corner, Indiya’s timing couldn’t be better. For some, it’s a festival of colours; for others, it’s a spiritual time, where turning vegetarian is the way forward. In honour of this, Indiya leans into the moment with “Shakahari” (Hindi for vegetarian) – a limited-time, meat-free 15-dish menu woven into its a la carte offerings, as a reminder that meat-free dishes can feel just as indulgent, rich, and delectable as their carnivorous counterparts.

As Head Chef Bhairav Singh puts it simply, “vegetarian done well is delicious. Good food doesn’t need a lot of spices, just knowing how your ingredients taste is all that’s required.”

The proof, as they say, is on the plate. Here’s what we thought of the Shakahari offering at Indiya: 

Soup 
Our meal started with a warm bowl of Tamatar Dhaniya Shobar, a bright tomato broth made with local tomatoes, coriander roots and roasted cumin. Served with crispy pockets for that perfect crunch combo, it was the kind of soup that warms from the inside out, tangy and earthy.  

Starters
Starting with our favourite, the Motiya Anjeer Pops, which were little croquettes of stuffed fig and paneer, coated in crunchy rice puffs and paired with a house-made pineapple murabba. The dry and crumbly paneer paired with the sweet fig and tarty pineapple with the rice puff crackle was a perfectly balanced starter. 

Next was Chef Singh’s signature - Shakarkandi Kulfi.  Skewers of sweet potato and sesame, drizzled and slathered in faluda-inspired sauces in a riot of flavours such as beetroot, mint, mango, coconut and pomegranate. The skewers were spicy, but the sweet and tangy sauces that coated it was the perfect equaliser. 

The Pattice Farali was a crispy potato patty filled with a coconut-peanut masala and topped with a sweet mango chutney, best enjoyed hot, and the Faldari Tikki is a raw banana (ash plantain) cutlet with a mint and pomegranate reduction that had a subtle natural sweetness from the raw banana.  

Mains

The Mains offer a selection of curries, rice and breads. 

Amrud Ki Launji was one of our favourite dishes. A sweet and sour guava curry that tasted like an Indian bazaar in a bowl. The curry is made simply with the use of panch phoran, the Indian 5 spices of cumin, mustard, fenugreek, coriander and chilli flakes. Think of a rich mango curry, only brighter, sweeter and with a punch. 

Ker Sangri is an iconic Rajasthani dish, made with dessert beans imported directly from Rajasthan, soaked overnight and tempered with curd and spices. It has strong, spicy flavours and pairs well with the Missi Roti, a whole wheat and gram flour flatbread with carom, chilli and asafoetida.    

The Gujarati dish, Methi Paneer Muthiya, is a yoghurt-based curry with steamed fenugreek and paneer dumplings, thick and creamy, ready to be scooped with a Luchi, a deep-fried, golden, fluffy flatbread from West Bengal, that’s a mini version of a puri. A gentler version is the Dhabka Kadhi, another yoghurt-based curry with gram flour dumplings that are so soft and pillowy in a gentle curry.  

The Aloo Posto is a Bengali classic, a gentle dry potato tempered with a poppy seed emulsion.  

The rice offerings on the menu are best consumed by itself. Nachni Panifal Khichdi pays homage to India’s 2023 “millet year” with a finger millet (kurakkan) and water chestnut porridge that’s soaked overnight and slow-cooked for hours, served with a tangy lime pickle, ghee and yoghurt. Mild and subtle on its own, it comes alive when paired with the accompaniments. Sabudana Khichdi [3Q8A0376], a Maharashtra breakfast and fasting favourite, is made with large tapioca pearls toasted with roasted peanuts, curry leaves and green chilli. It’s nutty and savoury, and the texture of the large tapioca pearls is most definitely intriguing to the unfamiliar. 

Dessert

Dessert was one of our favourite offerings on the menu, hitting every note. 

Mohanthal, a warm Gujarati besan fudge, is a popular wedding dessert with ghee and cardamom. It’s rich, decadent and utterly melt-in-your-mouth perfect.

The Malai Kheer is more cooling. It’s a household favourite in any region and any community, and for a very good reason. This creamy rice pudding is thickened with milk and flavoured with rosewater, cardamom and nuts and is not overly sweet but rather a gentle, cooling end to a meal. 

Overall

Over the course of our meal, did we even think about a meat dish? Not once. Fifteen purely vegetarian dishes that were rich and indulgent left us utterly full and satisfied, and a little bit amazed at how versatile simple ingredients can be.  While we may have stuck to a purely vegetarian meal that evening, it’s great that Indiya is offering these dishes alongside the a la carte menu to let diners revisit familiar favourites while opening their palates to new vegetarian perspectives. 

The “Shakahari” promotion is now available at Indiya till October 10, 2025. For more information,  contact+94 112 220 000 or email [email protected]