Indian cuisine is rightly famous for its diversity and subtle use of spices, grains, vegetables and fruits. It includes a variety of regional cuisines, which all feature a wide assortment of dishes and reflects the vibrancy of Indian culture.
But there is no need to travel far to try authentic Indian dishes — Kyiv’s Indian restaurants have it all. Butter chicken, samosas, chicken tikka masala, and lassi drinks can easily be found in the Ukrainian capital.
The Kyiv Post has picked out some of the best restaurants in Kyiv serving Indian cuisine.
New Bombay Palace
New Bombay Palace is a hot spot. Opened in 2001, the restaurant offers hot and spicy Indian food prepared by Indian chefs. The restaurant serves dal makhani — black lentils cooked with tomatoes and cream, savory gulab jamuns, as well as mutton seekh kebab, or minced mutton cooked on skewers with Indian spices.
This eatery also offers tandoori chicken, pork and fish along with vegetarian dishes, which include spicy vegetable soup, vegetable curry and lentil with garlic and peas.
Prices: Vegetable soup – Hr 169, mutton seekh kebab – Hr 259, dal haryali – Hr 239
New Bombay Palace. 33A Druzhby Narodiv Blvd. 12 p. m. — 11 p. m. +38044 285 9999
Rangoli
Rangoli is a pricier restaurant that serves traditional dishes. The restaurant is located at Kyiv’s busy Shovkovychna Street. The bright neon signs with the restaurant’s name attract the busy street’s passersby to warm up in its cozy halls and enjoy some spicy Indian dishes.
Rangoli serves appetizers like samosa, chili paneer, fried chicken, salmon and seafood. It also offers chicken and lamb dishes and soups with lobster, mango or prawns. There is a great choice of vegetarian dishes on Rangoli’s menu, including malai kofta, fried paneer balls with a nut cream sauce, or dum aloo, baby potatoes in a spicy tomato-onion sauce.
The restaurant is also famous for its chicken curry — chicken simmered in a delicious coconut milk-based sauce with onions, tomatoes and cashew nuts. It also offers nine types of bread and naan cooked in a tandoor, a traditional clay oven that gives food a smoky flavor, all for Hr 35–85 (about $1–3).
Also on the menu are some non-Indian dishes like Caesar salad or salads with avocado or chicken. And Rangoli’s dessert menu tempts with cakes and sweets filled with passion fruits, mangoes, bananas and coconuts.
Prices: fish masala — Hr 595, tandoori fish tikka — Hr 495, chicken malai tikka — Hr 350, rangoli seafood — Hr 795
Rangoli. 32/34 Shovkoyichna St. Mon-Sun — 11 a. m. — 11 p. m. +38096 993 3999
Himalaya
Kyiv’s oldest Indian restaurant Himalaya (opened in 1997) offers authentic Indian dishes and drinks. Named after the famous mountain range, it is a “must-visit” place.
Himalaya is located not far from downtown, on Velyka Vasylkivska Street. The wide halls of the restaurant are decorated with wooden carvings and paintings of traditional famous Indian sights, while traditional music plays in the background.
The menu is divided into several categories including appetizers, salads, main courses, vegetarian dishes, soups, side dishes and desserts. Appetizers include tandoori chicken or fish and chicken tikka and paneer tikka — chicken fillet or paneer cheese marinated in a garlic-ginger paste and Indian spices and then roasted in a tandoor.
Himalaya’s menu includes dishes with chicken or lamb to please meat lovers. The eatery serves kebabs with chicken or lamb and famous butter chicken — chicken marinated in yogurt, spices and lemon juice, cooked in a tandoor and then served with a butter curry sauce — as well as mutton dopyaaza, lamb meat with onions and spicy gravy.
Vegetarian dishes include traditional Indian samosas — a fried pastry made with a savory filling of spiced potatoes and nuts, fried paneer with vegetables and more. All the dishes can be washed down with the traditional yogurt-based drink called lassi. One can choose between mango, banana, sweet or salty lassi flavors.
Prices: butter chicken — Hr 215, chicken tikka masala — Hr 215, samosa — Hr 88, tandoori fish — 248, mango lassi — Hr 72
Himalaya. 80 Velyka Vasylkivska St. Mon-Sun — 11 a. m. — 11 p. m. +38044 289 2345
A waiter serves Indian food to the customers of the Rangoli restaurant on Jan. 21, 2020, in Kyiv. (Oleg Petrasiuk)
Balu
Balu is a cozy cafe that serves delicious Indian cuisine, has reasonable prices and modern interior design.
This place is recommended for those who want to try Indian dishes for the first time. On its menu, Balu has 10 types of salads and appetizers, including chickpea salad with tomatoes and cucumbers served with oil and lemon juice, and fish pakora, pieces of salmon stir-fried with chickpeas and Indian spices.
The dishes include fish curry, butter seafood, butterfish or prawns, seafood curry, butter prawns and more. Balu also offers three types of dishes with chicken: traditional chicken curry, butter chicken and chicken saagwala — chicken cooked with spinach sauce.
Balu features one of India’s most popular sweets gulab jamun — sweet milky-dough balls deep-fried in sugar syrup. It also offers alcoholic cocktails and hard liquor.
Balu is perfect for any occasion: a romantic dinner, lunch with colleagues or a family dinner.
Prices: chicken curry — Hr 138, butter chicken — Hr 138, butter seafood — Hr 195, palak paneer — Hr 138, mango lassi — Hr 75
Balu. 27 Velyka Zhytomyrska St. Mon-Sun — 11 a. m. — 11 p. m. +38096 052 0755
The Kitchen 21
The Kitchen 21 is the opposite of traditional Indian cafes — it is a quiet place with stylish, minimalist interior design and a warm atmosphere that offers a modern twist on Indian cuisine.
On the menu, one can find appetizers like chaat or dosa and two types of traditional Indian soups: tadka dal, lentil soup with cumin, mustard, ginger and garlic; and dal makhani, a soup with red beans and butter.
They also offer four vegetarian main courses and nine non-vegetarian ones which include grilled lamb, fish curry, Mumbai ka butter chicken and chicken korma.
Guests can try its special breakfast offer, which includes Continental, English, Ukrainian and Peruvian for Hr 300 (nearly $12), or order some toast, eggs or croissants.
Their dessert menu lists gulab jamun, chili and lemon chocolate mousse and gajar ka halva, which is carrot halva with salted caramel and three types of milk. The venue also serves Masala chai, which is a popular Indian tea beverage made by brewing black tea with a mixture of aromatic Indian spices and herbs.
Prices: samosa — Hr 79, dal makhani — Hr 179, achari paneer tikka — Hr 189, paper dosa — Hr 159, masala tea — Hr 120, mango lassi — Hr 99
The Kitchen 21. 21 Sahaidachnoho St. Mon-Sun — 7:30 a. m. — 11:30 p. m. +38067 326 8186
