Parathaas

A few words from Parathaas

First Look: Richmond's Northern Indian Restaurant Parathaas Started as a Uni Supper Club
Two students became fast friends cooking late-night study meals together. At their new restaurant, you'll find hearty dal; tandoor-baked roti, naan and kulcha; and "the Indian version of a Mojito".

What makes good northern Indian food? Parathaas co-owners Ash Ahlawat and Dhaval Nimkar say the key is desi ghee, a clarified butter used in place of other cooking oils.

"It's authenticity. Once you taste food that's made with ghee, you can absolutely say it's authentically made. It's like what your grandmother used to make," Ahlawat tells Broadsheet.

Ahlawat and Nimkar met at Deakin University in 2018, where they became fast friends after cooking late-night study meals together. It was a perfect match: Ahlawat is good with curries, and Nimkar does roti and other Indian breads. Soon, they began hosting supper clubs for ten or more friends (who would all pitch in to cover food costs) in the shared kitchen at their student accommodation.

Unsurprisingly, paratha is the star here. Wholemeal dough is tossed with ghee in a hot tawa (flat griddle) until golden brown. The result is a pancake-like flatbread with a crispy exterior and buttery soft interior, served plain or with fillings like minced potato, cottage cheese and cauliflower. There's also lachha paratha, a flakier version with more intricate layers and folds.

Ahlawat also makes samosas, momo dumplings and vegan nuggets made of soya chaap. Mains include affordable thali sets, hearty dal makhani (lentil and red kidney bean curry) and butter chicken; a tandoor-baked flatbreads including roti, naan and kulcha (soft, disc-shaped bread). Ahlawat recommends the amritsari kulcha thali, a set comprising a spiced paneer and potato stuffed kulcha, chickpea curry, and onion and pickle condiments.

There are four spice levels (and no judgement) here. But if you need to cool down, try the lemon masala soda, a fizzy concoction that Ahlawat describes as "the Indian version of a Mojito".
For dessert, the gajar ka halwa is a bestseller. It's hot, has the consistency of pudding, and is made in-house with grated carrots, dried fruit, milk, saffron and cardamom. The halwa takes hours to make and batches are small, so it's worth starting with your sweets.

To Ahlawat, new and returning customers from suburbs like Werribee and Officer are testament to the flavours at Parathaas. "That's the Indian hub, those restaurants. And if they are coming out of those suburbs to try Indian food that their friends are saying is better, I'm happy with that."

Parathaas
18/20 Bridge Road, Richmond
0449 944 333

Hours:
Thur to Mon 10am–11pm
Tue & Wed 4pm–11pm

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@parathaas.richmond