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I have lived in and around Philadelphia for a very long time. During this time I have had my fair share of Indian food (I am Indian origin!!). In my view the Indian food scene in Philadelphia is not one would expect considering Philly is known for its world class restaurants. Places near Philadelphia like Norristown, King of Prussia, Malvern, Paoli and Exton have much better Indian restaurants.
What is Indian cuisine?
There are about 1.3 billion people in India. That is approximately 4 times the population of the United States or the European Union. Just like Europe has French, Italian or Spanish cuisine, India also has a vast number of cuisines. Some of the well known ones are Mughlai, Kashmiri, Bengali, Punjabi, Goan, Tamil and Bihari.
According some of the experts, there are more than 31 cuisines in India. The term “Regional Cuisines” is used to describe them (It is somewhat like saying that the French Cuisine is a regional Cuisine of Western Europe!). Most of these “Regions” have more population than many countries in Europe and most of the Regional Cuisines have variations amongst themselves. It is very complex like everything else concerning India!!
What many people in the United States consider as Indian food is mostly what is considered in India as Mughlai Cuisine. Mughlai Cuisine is a mix of North Indian Cuisine and that of Iran (Persia) and Central Asia. Mughlai Cuisine is very popular among Indians today. Mughlai Cuisine also appeals to people who live in countries that are situated close to India like Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
One of the most famous dishes from India is the Biryani (Biriyani as it is known in South India). It is part of the Mughlai cuisine (every region of India has its own version of the Biryani). The word Biryani is Persian in origin.
It is interesting to note that many “Indian Restaurants” in the US are not owned by Indians, but people from surrounding countries. They market their restaurants as Indian restaurants because the number of Indians in the US are generally larger than citizens of other countries that I listed.
Best Indian Restaurants in Rittenhouse Square.
If you are not familiar with the area please read my articles on the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood and the popular Saturday Farmers’ Market.
Masala Kitchen: Masala Kitchen represents a new trend among Indian restaurants in Philly. The focus is on Kati Rolls (Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian) and a few platters. The menu overall is small. However, this means you do not have variety. The Kati Roll is an Indian street food that is popular in some parts of North India and West Bengal. At Masala Kitchen I normally order the Beef Kati Roll and Chicken Biryani.
Indeblue Restaurant: Indeblue is technically not in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood, but it is only two blocks from Broad Street (It is relatively close to Washington Square as well). Their cuisine is for the most part Mughlai Cuisine with a few exceptions (Moilee, Madras Chicken and the Sea Bass). Indeblue is known for its cocktails. I like the Mumbai Mirch. Indeblue is also one of the few Indian restaurants in the City where I like to sit down and eat.
Blue by the way is India’s color. The Indian national cricket team, which is the pride and joy of Indians all over the world, is referred to as the “Men in Blue”.
Veda: Veda is such a great name for an Indian restaurant. The Vedas are very ancient Indian scripture. There are 4 Vedas. The most ancient Veda is the Rig Veda (1500 BCE). There is some debate among scholars about the origins of the Rig Veda. Is it “Indian” in origin or was it scripture produced by the Indo-Europeans as they slowly migrated from Central Asia to the Indian Subcontinent about 3000 years ago.
In terms of setting and atmosphere, Veda is the best Indian restaurant in Philadelphia. The bar (Balcony Bar) is a very nice place to hangout during summer. The food is a modern take on traditional Indian Cuisine. I am from the South Indian state of Kerala. Even in the Southern parts of India there are strong influences of Mughlai cuisine that is different from the Mughlai cuisine of the north. In Kerala we call it the Malabar Cuisine. You should try the Malabar Fish Curry (the coast of Kerala is also known as the Malabar coast).
There is a trilateral Naval exercise held between the navies of the United States, India and Japan. It was first held in 1992. It is known as Exercise Malabar.
Amma’s: There are many languages spoken in India. Most of them fall under two major categories, Indo-European and Dravidian. English is an Indo-European language and many Indian languages, including Hindi and Sanskrit are Indo-European languages. But most people in South India speak languages that are Dravidian, including Tamil and my mother tongue Malayalam. Amma means Mother in Dravidian languages (typically most North Indians (most of whom speak Indo-European languages), use the word Ma for Mother (similar to Mom in English)).
Amma is the most different Indian restaurant in Philadelphia. They have the usual Mughlai dishes and also dishes from South India, particularly from the State of Tamil Nadu (Tamil is the mother of the Dravidian languages spoken in South India). Tamil is also the oldest continually spoken language of India. I am very proud to say that I can speak Tamil (Tamil is approximately 1800 years older than English)!
Try their South Indian soups. Soups are not common in India. These “soups” in many cases are dishes that we have over rice or chappathi. If you go there during lunch time, you will notice that most people will be having the “South Indian Non-Veg Meal”. It is a classic! Also, check out dishes in the “Chettinad” category. Chettinad is very well known region in Tamil Nadu that has its own cuisine. Finish the meal off with a Madras Filter Coffee, served exactly the way it is served in a village canteen in Tamil Nadu.
Ateethi: Ateethi is small Indian restaurant on Samson street (Ateethi is next to a very nice thrift/vintage shop known as the Circa Gallery). Their menu has all the typical Indian food that you will find in a Indian restaurant that serves Mughlai cuisine. In addition they also have South Indian food alike Chettinad Chicken, Shrimp Molee and appetizers like Samosa. The quality of the food they serve is good and menu has more options than Masala Kitchen.
Ateethi also has bowls which is not very common in Indian restaurants. You can order Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb Masala or Chicken curry in a bowl with rice and vegetables.
They have a few “South Indian Specialty” dishes. They are most different types of Dosas and Uttapam. South Indians would consider these as part of the breakfast menu. I would like to point out that the Ateethi website does not show their updated menu.
Which is your favorite Indian restaurant in Philadelphia?
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