VATAN, Indian Excellence in Manhattan

A giant elephant adorning the façade of Vatan leads you toward your Indian culinary adventure in lower Manhattan. It’s late on a Saturday night and inside the place is abuzz with energy.  The decor is snazzy for sure with assorted large and wonderfully intimate thatched roof banquettes lining a large open dining room that’s decorated with lushly detailed murals and moored by a colossal banyan tree.  A giant red-hued Ganesha, the Indian elephant-headed god, presides over the surroundings as if to say, “Don’t let me miss out on the fun.”

An All-Inclusive Indian Affair

Vatan is a long-standing pioneer of traditional Indian food in this city of countless forgettable Indian restaurants.  This is an all-inclusive Indian affair that offers a prix-fixe Thali style menu (small platters similar to tapas). It’s a distinctly unique vegetarian experience that originates from Gujarat, a northwestern Indian state west of Mumbai, and (notably) it has secured a Kosher certification, not a bad thing to have in a city of almost a quarter million residents worshipping in the Jewish faith. Naturally, there are additional options for expanding or augmenting the set menu, but it remains relatively unchanged since opening over 20 years ago.  Now, that’s saying something for Manhattan!

The History Behind Vatan

A little backstory here just to provide a foundation for what’s happening now. Vatan was founded in 1996 and altered the landscape of Manhattan’s Indian food scene, which at the time was centered mostly around the curries and naans of the north. Gujarati cuisine was relatively unknown then but could be found at the original owner’s restaurant in Queens, which sadly, was claimed by a fire. The owner and his wife, both born in Gujarat, wanted to share their culinary heritage so they reproduced the dishes they grew up eating.  Enter the present owner, Prashant Shah, who took over Vatan in 2014, maintaining the restaurant’s authentic cuisine but adding an expanded wine and spirits selection. Other additions included the Jain menu (dishes without onion, garlic and potato) and the Swamiarayan/Vaishnam menu (dishes without onion or garlic).

The multi-course $34 prix fixe meal runs the gamut of selections and includes an appetizer, entrée with accompaniments, dessert and chai.  This is a smorgasbord of sorts as you may reorder dishes that you enjoyed for no extra charge and as it is completely vegetarian there’s no guilt to “bulk up” so to speak. The entire menu is also available vegan, gluten-free and nut free.

The appetizer course includes:  Chana Masala (chick peas spiced with onions and coriander), Khaman (a puffed cream of wheat flour cake), Muthia (steamed flour with spinach), Mirchi Bhajia (fried hot peppers with garam masala), Batavada (fried potato balls), Ragda Patis (a potato cutlet in a white bean sauce), Sev Puri (crispy bread filled with potatoes, chick pea, yogurt and chutney) and Samosas (the ubiquitous savory pastries filled with spicy potatoes and green peas). Suggest nibbling on all the above while enjoying Vatan’s fantastic Lychee Martinis, which pair so well with everything. The beverage program is designed to complement the exotic spices and flavors found in the cuisine, and there is an impressive selection of Indian-inspired cocktails like the Highway Lassi and the Mango Mirch. A global wine list features reds and whites by the glass and bottle, kosher labels, and a selection of champagne and sparkling wine.

More Enticing Entrées

Entrées include Toor Dal (boiled lentils in Indian spice mixture), Bhaji (sautéed spinach & corn), Ful-Cobi (cauliflower & green peas sautéed in a savory sauce), Batakanu Sak (potatoes cooked in mild red gravy), Chole (chickpeas cooked with garam masala), Puri & Roti (puffed whole wheat bread or whole wheat flatbread), Papadam (thin lentil wafers), and Kheer (rice pudding with dried fruit). This course is accompanied by Pulao (boiled white rice with peas), Khichdi (lentils mixed with rice and assorted vegetables), and Kadhi (a soup with yogurt and spiced chickpea flour).

Don’t even think about skipping dessert here. There’s homemade Indian ice cream and Gulab Jamun (waffle balls in sugar & rose syrup). We savored a hefty portion of Cardamom ice cream and drank endless cups of Masala Chai, a soothing Indian tea cooked with cardamom, ginger & milk.

We were thinking about Ganesha, the Hindu god of success, as we made out exit.  Looking back at the packed room of happy diners it was easy to believe that Mr. Shah’s prayers to the god had definitely been answered.