The name most associated with locho, the deliberately under-set gram-flour batter that exists almost nowhere outside Surat. Served hot in a steel dish and buried in butter, sev, raw onion and spice powders, it is eaten with a spoon rather than by hand. Multiple outlets across Surat, all fast and cheap.
Locho is Surat's one truly local dish and the story behind it is that it began as a mistake: a batch of khaman batter that failed to set properly was served anyway, and the soft, spoonable result caught on. The word itself means something like a botch. Jani Locho and Khaman House is the name most closely associated with popularising it, operating several outlets across Surat including Adajan, Nanpura and the L.P. Savani area. The dish arrives in a steel bowl, steaming, and is then worked over at the counter: a slab of butter melted in, a heavy dusting of sev, chopped raw onion, coriander, green chutney and a shake of red chilli and masala powders. It is eaten with a spoon, soft and savoury and considerably richer than it looks, and versions with cheese have become standard on the menu. Alongside it the counter sells raswala khaman, the Surti take on khaman soaked in a thin spiced liquid, plus regular khaman, sev khamani and the usual farsan. Prices are minimal at roughly INR 70-130 per plate (~$0.75-1.35), so two people eat well for under INR 350 (~$3.65). Service is quick-service counter style with basic seating, and the operation turns over constantly through the afternoon and evening. Locho is an afternoon and evening food in Surat rather than a breakfast item, and it does not travel, so it has to be eaten where it is made.
| Price | $ |
|---|---|
| Hours | Daily roughly 9AM-10PM |
| Reservations | Not accepted; counter service |
| Address | Ground Floor, Chandralok Complex, 4, Navyug College Road, Near Petrol Pump, Adajan, Surat, Gujarat 395009 |
Signature dishes
- Surti locho with butter and sev
- Cheese locho
- Raswala khaman
- Khaman and sev khamani
Good to know
- Known for
- Surti farsan; known for locho finished with butter and sev
Location
Ground Floor, Chandralok Complex, 4, Navyug College Road, Near Petrol Pump, Adajan, Surat, Gujarat 395009
21.1925, 72.7945 View on map
Highlights
- The best-known name for locho, a dish found essentially only in Surat
- Finished at the counter with butter, sev, onion, chutney and spice powders
- Raswala khaman, the Surti liquid-soaked variant, alongside regular khaman
- Several outlets across Surat including Adajan, Nanpura and L.P. Savani
Tips for visiting
- Order plain locho before trying the cheese version to taste the dish as intended
- Eat it immediately and on site; locho does not travel or keep
- Afternoon and evening are the locho hours in Surat, not breakfast
- Add raswala khaman to the order for the second distinctively Surti item on the counter
When to visit
Afternoon or early evening, when the steamers are running continuously and batches are freshest.
Accessibility
The outlets are street-level quick-service shops with level entry and limited casual seating; counters are high and the shops become crowded at peak evening hours, which restricts wheelchair manoeuvring.
Frequently asked questions
What is locho?
A Surat dish of gram-flour batter steamed deliberately soft so it never sets, served hot in a bowl with melted butter, sev, raw onion, chutney and spice powders, and eaten with a spoon.
How is it different from khaman?
Khaman is steamed until firm and cut into squares. Locho uses similar batter but is intentionally left loose and spoonable, then dressed heavily at the counter.
What does it cost?
Roughly INR 70-130 per plate (~$0.75-1.35), with two people eating well for under INR 350 (~$3.65).
Can I find locho outside Surat?
Rarely. It is a Surat speciality that travels poorly and is served fresh from the steamer, so it is best eaten in the city itself.