South Asian Food on Devon

-Grubbing in Chicago
Five of a Kind: New Openings on Devon

South Asian food has absolutely exploded in Chicago over the last 5 years. I see it on a daily basis as I keep track of restaurant openings all over the city. I would venture to guess that one of every three or four openings in the Chicagoland area right now are South Asian in one form or the other. I would also venture to guess that two out of every three of these new South Asian restaurants are in the suburbs - both the Naperville and Schaumburg areas in particular. Interestingly enough Devon avenue or what some call "Little India" is only now starting to welcome all of these new spots to the block. Devon Avenue has been the center of South Asian food and culture in Chicago starting back in the mid 60's when the first wave of immigration from South Asia came with the passage of the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965. By the mid 70's Patel Brothers had opened their first grocery store and the stretch of Devon from California Avenue on the western edge to Damen Avenue on the east was fast on it's way to becoming the hub of South Asian culture in the Chicagoland area. Todays post takes us to five South Asian eateries that have opened on Devon in the last year or so. 

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Curry Kitchen

Our first stop is a bit outside of the action in the Forest Glen neighborhood where Curry Kitchen opened at 5304 W. Devon late last year. Curry Kitchen labels itself an "Indian and Nepali" restaurant which is fairly common. Typically these spots are ran by Nepalese people who feel like they have to include Indian food in the description as it's a bit more known than Nepali food is. That said I stopped in here specially for the momo which are Nepali dumplings. I've mentioned this before but for whatever reason it's hard to find beef momo in the Chicagoland area. The first time I tried momo it was with beef and it worked so well with the spicing which is cumin heavy and if you go to Nepali restaurants in areas with large Nepalese communities like New York City and Toronto - beef momo is always an option. But not in Chicago where it's always chicken or veggie and pork every now and then. Curry Kitchen doesn't have beef momo but they do have goat momo which also works much better than chicken. They serve their goat momo steamed or sautéed in chili sauce and you cant go wrong either way but I do prefer them to be steamed with the addictively spicy chutneys on the side. 

Goat Momo at Curry Kitchen
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Afghan House

Our next stop is 3.5 miles east where the "Little India" area starts to take shape. Afghan House opened at 2948 W. Devon in the beginning of the year and it's been quite busy the two times I've visited. On my first visit they were so busy that they were out of both the items I wanted to try so I had to come back for them another day. As the name implies they're serving food from Afghanistan including Chapli Kebab - a favorite of yours truly. These minced meat patties are commonly enjoyed in Pakistan and Afghanistan where it's known for its distinct shape, they're named after the Pashto word "chaprikh" which means "flat". The guy in front remembered me when I returned and offered me a hearty bowl of chicken soup to start before putting in my order for the chapli kebab which are made with beef here. These were a bit chunkier than most chapli kebabs I've tried but they were also well spiced like most chapli kebabs I've tried. They come served on a huge piece of Afghani naan which is baked down the block. Not the best I've had but London is far so these did their job and hit the spot. I plan on returning for their Afghani Burger which is actually a wrap with spicy sausages and fries.

Chapli Kebab at Afghan House
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Kabbab Inn

Alongside this sudden surge of Indian cuisine has come the rise of Hyderabadi food too. Kabbab Inn is a new Hyderabadi spot at 2510 W. Devon. Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and Hyderabadi cuisine is a vibrant mix of Mughal, Turkish, and Andhra Pradesh food traditions. Hyderabad is very well known for its aromatic biryanis and Kabbab Inn is said to have a good one but biryani can be very hit or miss so I decided to try a dish I've never had before - the Parda Kabab. As far as I can tell this is a newish viral dish that seems to be very popular in Hyderabad right now as there's not much info online in terms of reading material but there are lots of videos with it on Instagram and TikTok. From what I could gather Parda Kabab is also known as Iranian Kabab and it's made by wrapping mutton Seekh kabab in roti with different sauces and cheese. The term "parda" can refer to a veil or curtain, suggesting the wrapping aspect of the kabab. I have no others to compare this with but it was something I could see being popular in the after hours with the younger crowd as it's loaded with cheese and served with different chutneys for dipping. 

Parda Kabab at Kabbab Inn
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Hot N' Spicy Chicago

Even though it's called Little India there's just as many Pakistani options on Devon. I recently visited Hot N' Spicy Chicago, a Karachi-style street food spot at 2307 W. Devon. Their paratha rolls are a popular Karachi street food made up of a crispy flatbread wrapped around meat, vegetables, and sauces. But online reviews of Hot N' Spicy Chicago are mixed, suggesting an inconsistent kitchen. I initially hesitated to try this place due to its emptiness, but eventually went in on a Monday night, only to find myself alone for 30 minutes, waiting for a lukewarm beef roll. It seemed like they weren't expecting customers and I suspect I was served a previously frozen product but at least the fries were hot. Would I go back? Yeah but it's going to take someone I know and trust telling me to do so. 

Karachi Roll at Hot N' Spicy Chicago
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Mintza South Indian & Kerala Cuisine

Last stop takes us to 2245 W Devon where Mintza, a South Indian and Kerala Restaurant, opened a few months back. One of the cool things about the boom in Indian food is that there's alot more regionally focused Indian spots that are opening. Indian food is very regional but only recently has that regionality started to appear on the menus of Indian restaurants. Mintza is the latest Kerala focused restaurant to open in the Chicagoland area. Kerala is a state on India's tropical Malabar Coast with nearly 600KM of Arabian Sea shoreline. It's known for its palm-lined beaches, a network of canals, and it's eclectic cuisine which includes lots of coconut, seafood, and beef which give the region a distinct flavor profile. There was a time when the only Kerala style food you could find in Chicago was at little independent Indian grocery stores where they sold pre-made food to go. But fast forward five years and we have a handful of Keralan food options with Mintza being the first Keralan spot on Devon. Beef is extremely popular in Keralan food due to a substantially sized Christian population. You'll find a few different beef dishes on the menu at Mintza including a delicious beef curry best eaten with a couple of buttery Kerala Parotta - the popular layered Indian flatbread originating from the Malabar region of Kerala is hand made by the friendly older lady that both runs both the front and the back of the house. I haven't been able to gather a group to try the other Kerala specialties like Fish Pollichathu and Beef Dry Fry but I plan on fully digging into the menu when I do. 

Beef Curry and Parotta at Mintza
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See ya next time @chibbqking