Fast-Casual Indian Eateries on the Rise

Gone are the days of buffet-style, nondescript, heavy Indian dining—the 2020s have added sandwiches, rolls, chaats, and a plethora of Indian food ‘on the go.’

It’s an average Tuesday morning. I roll out of bed, open Instagram, and am met with the voice of Amanda Gibson, pastry chef and newly minted food influencer here in Indianapolis. She’s added a new video to her array of cuisines that she’s trying, and this time she’s visiting Incredible India in Fishers. 

At first glance, it looks like any other Indian restaurant that’s occupied Indiana over the last three decades: chafing dishes brimming with nondescript, orange-tinted gravies, glistening triangles of naan, and syrupy gulab jamuns floating around. But watch for a moment longer, and then Amanda mentions the crispy fried dough stuffed with ingredients that is panipuri.

One of many Indian chaats, or street food items, panipuri sustained me during many a late night while I was living in India, and I can’t help but smile as she pours the spiced water, or jaljeera, into the crispy puri shell, popping it in her mouth for an utterly satisfying single-bite experience. The indian buffet, it seems, is transforming into something with more diverse offerings. Alongside thin, piped jilebis, Gibson claims she’s found her new favorite Indian dish.

This isn’t the first time Indian cuisine has gone fast-casual here in America—not at all. In fact, it was almost a decade ago that Eater reported on the movement, singling out eateries such as New York’s Inday and the Kati Roll Company, which were carving a new fast-casual space amidst curry houses and upscale, fine dining Indian restaurants. In Indianapolis, the now-closed Tandoor and Tikka introduced Indian street food to IUPUI students on a budget and craving a hit of spice.

It’s hard to ignore the draw of street food. After all, who could miss the likes of San Francisco’s Curry Up Now, founded by husband-and-wife duo Akash and Rana Kapoor, which began as a food truck and now has over 12 brick-and-mortars around the country? The concept even landed them on Fast Casual’s 2023 Top 100 Movers and Shakers list. Or Washington D.C.’s Rasa, which specializes in Chef-Curated Bowls, Plates, and Burritos, with choose-your-own-adventure style selections.

This trend hasn’t bypassed Indiana, either. While the past two decades saw Indianapolis embracing Indian food in the form of Amber Indian and Shalimar Restaurant, olden-style Bollywood music of our parents’ childhoods filling the entryways as we picked up stainless steel plates to load up with paneer in all its forms, a luscious butter chicken, a lamb korma, and naans piled high, COVID changed it all—truly? For the better. For in its place are truly authentic Indian street food eateries—ones that remind me of living in India as an overworked, over-excited 20-something, tasting freedom for the first time.

The first to catch on was possibly Happiee Sandhu, owner of Chai & Kathi Roll Lounge. Rather than play off of what Indianapolis residents already knew about Indian food, perhaps associating it with something heavy, indulgent, and even unapproachable, Sandhu decided to present the classics that feed people on the streets of big Indian cities like Mumbai and Delhi: kathi rolls, or India’s answer to the burrito, feature prominently on their menu, filled with succulent protein and the crunch of pickled red onions and the acidic punch of a squeeze of lime.You can’t leave Sandhu’s spot without trying a grilled sandwich that goes beyond the bounds of what Americans know as a sandwich to offer a multisensory experience altogether. Opening up on the heels of COVID, these eateries have lasted and even have established themselves as venues for young Indians to hang out: Walk into Chai & Kathi Roll Lounge in Castleton and you’re greeted by a billiards table, a fully functioning bar, and an environment that’s meant for a good time. 

Of course, where success goes, the crowd will follow. Drive down 82nd Street and there is no dearth of Indian eateries. Looking for authentic Gujarati snacks, a killer Indo-Chinese chili paneer, and piping hot pav bhaji? Look no further than Hari Foods, an unassuming, cafeteria-style eatery whose food eclipses that of its neighbor, fine-dining spot 1947 Indian Eatery. Eating there is a lesson in textural balance, as is any chaat experience. Crunchy papdi crackers get topped with heaps of chickpea gravy, crunchy fresh vegetables, doused in spicy and sweet chutneys, and cooled down with a sweet, strained yogurt called dahi. Order a diverse table of chaats and your meal is taken care of, with something to satisfy every diner.

Venture a little farther toward the now-rather-deserted Castleton Mall and you’ll run into Indianapolis’ two newest street-style Indian joints: Jay Bhavani Vadapav and Honest Restaurant. Both imports straight from the streets of India, they push the bounds that other chains play within. You can’t leave Jay Bhavani without trying a vada pav, Mumbai’s iconic street food—might we suggest the butter vadapav, if you’re feeling truly indulgent?—or a maska bun, a deceptively simple combination of white bread, butter, and some sort of sweet condiment that practically sings. Follow it up with Honest’s over-the-top creations, such as the Baahubali or Kattappa sandwich—South Indian movie lovers will love these—or a Dabangg Dosa. 

And it doesn’t end there. While you’re in the Castleton area, you might as well swing by Patel Brothers, Indians’ go-to grocery store that, believe it or not, sells fresh samosas to snack on while you shop. Head back west and you’ll cross Desi Chowrastha, a menu that offers everything—Cheesecake Factory–style. It’s the place to taste chole poori, a Delhi classic with the most addictive chickpea gravy on that side of I-465, followed by a South Indian–style biryani.

Next stop: the newly opened Satvik Bhavan. Nestled just south of 465 on Michigan Road, their food is approachable, healthy, and still fun. Sit down to a crisp dosa or pillowy idlis, both singing with the sour punch of fermentation, accompanied by a perfectly fried vadai and rounded out with a sambar, or lentil stew, that rivals my mother’s. Vegans in the city, take note. 

Of course, not every eatery is 100% vegetarian. Take Eggholic on 86th Street and Ditch Road, an eggs-plosive eatery that’s caught the eyes of even Indianapolis Monthly with its heaping lava pulav and stuffed anda—or egg—sandwiches.

Whether or not we saw it coming, Indianapolis is—and has been—ready for Indian food to go mainstream. More importantly, the city is embracing it as its own, something easily available and as approachable as, say, a quesadilla, a burger, or a bowl of pasta. 

So next time you’re looking for a bite on the go, why not head into Castleton Square and grab yourself a plate of chaat? Sweet, spicy, savory, and sinful—it delivers on all fronts.