Happy Diwali, the festival of lights! One of the most popular festivals in Indian culture can be celebrated right here in Texas with traditional foods like crispy samosas and kheer, an Indian rice pudding with nuts, raisins, and a hint of cinnamon, cardamom, and rosewater. Find Tanji’s favorite local Indian spots below!
James Beard Award-nominated chef Anita Jaisinghani, owner of Pondicheri, found culinary fortune and fame in Houston with her unique style of Indian street food. (The Fenugreek Fish and pomegranate pani poori should not be missed.) If you want to pop in for a quick bite, enjoy pastries and other cafe offerings at the Bake Lab located directly above the restaurant!
The heart of downtown Austin has one of the oldest buildings in the city that’s believed to be haunted—and home to some of the best Indian food in the state, too! The Clay Pit is a modern Indian restaurant with everyone’s favorites Chicken Tikka Masala and unexpected twists like calamari with creamy garlic cilantro sauce and fresh mussels simmered in an aromatic garlic and red wine curry. Don’t miss the award-winning wine list and full bar with mango, ginger and cayenne house-infused vodkas.
Explore the far-away flavors of India at Houston’s Kiran’s! A clever mix of modern techniques and traditional ways of cooking, Chef Kiran Verma’s style makes her one of the pioneers of Indian cooking in the city. Naan is a quintessential part of the Indian food culture, and the bread at Kiran’s is all fresh-baked to order and stuffed with ingredients like goat cheese, rosemary, almonds, cashews, pistachio and rose syrup.
There’s a new fast-casual spot perfect for any cravings on the go. With eight locations across the Lone Star State, Tarka Indian Kitchen is authentic Indian food made fresh and fast! Try the creamy chicken tikka masala with tomato curry, fresh herbs and toasty spices. Even if you’ve never tried Indian Food before, one bite of just about anything at Tarka will make you an instant convert!
This isn’t your typical Indian spot! MKT BAR in downtown Houston is known for its clever culinary mashups that draw on flavors from around the world. We love their Indian-inflected pot pie with a curried vegetarian filling and flaky crust. Phoenicia Foods, the international market where MKT BAR is located, also has a variety of specialty ingredients like curry mix, tandoori naan and frozen samosas so you can throw your own Diwali feast at home.
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