Restaurants and chefs in Chicago are highlighting lesser-known regional cuisines and creatively incorporating global influences to broaden conceptions of what Indian food can be.
Playlist South Asian
South Asian
The Tropical Food of Southern India Finds Its Way to Wintry Chicago as a Number of Restaurants Spotlight Kerala
Daniel HautzingerA wave of restaurants is helping showcase the diversity of Indian cuisine in Chicago, particularly spotlighting the coconut-based, seafood- and beef-heavy cuisine of the southern state of Kerala.
Chicago's Thattu Hosts a Hands-on South Indian Feast Celebrating the Harvest
Daniel HautzingerOnam is a harvest festival traditionally celebrated with a vegetarian feast known as sadya in the south Indian state of Kerala. Avondale's Thattu serves Keralite food, and hosts a sadya. “People are not aware of the diversity of Indian cuisine,” says the owner.
What Does it Take to Egg-spand a Restaurant Franchise? The Owners of a Schaumburg-Based “Eggetarian” Indian Chain Explain
Daniel HautzingerTwo cousins opened the first Eggholic, a restaurant featuring a distinctive style of Indian food focusing on eggs, in Schaumburg in 2018. By the end of this year, there will be 28 Eggholics across the country. How did they do it?
The Chicago Chef Trying to Reinvent Indian Food—and Serving a Rare Halal Tasting Menu
Daniel Hautzinger“God bless the pioneers of the Indian community who brought Indian food [to the United States], but we’ve gotten settled into this greatest hits world,” says Zubair Mohajir, the chef behind the buzzy Wicker Park restaurant Wazwan.
"Everybody is Welcome": The Sikh Practice of Langar, a Free Meal Where Everyone is Equal
Daniel HautzingerAfter any service at a Sikh gurdwara, or temple, the free meal of langar is served. Anybody is welcome, and all of the work for the meal is voluntary, an expression of selfless service. Learn about langar and try a recipe commonly served for it.
Indian Spiced Lime Soda for Holi from Cookbook Author Anupy Singla
Daniel HautzingerChicago cookbook author and food entrepreneur Anupy Singla shares a recipe for a refreshing drink to celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of colors that takes place around the beginning of spring. "I like to have options of natural sodas and drinks that everyone can partake in," she says.
Cardamom and Ginger Truffles from Chocolat Uzma Sharif
Daniel HautzingerUzma Sharif likes to infuse her South Asian culture into the chocolates she sells at her Pilsen shop and the Michigan Avenue Starbucks Reserve Roastery. That's true of this easy cardamom and ginger truffle recipe, perfect for Valentine's Day.
