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A metal tray dived into sections of sambhar, vegetable curry, yogurt sauce, and doughnut-like medu vada.
Dosa South Indian Grill’s medu vada (savory lentil doughnuts).
Becca Dilley/Eater Twin Cities

13 Can’t-Miss South Asian Restaurants in the Twin Cities

From fast-casual Marathi cuisine to Sri Lankan coconut curries

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Dosa South Indian Grill’s medu vada (savory lentil doughnuts).
| Becca Dilley/Eater Twin Cities

Compared to metro areas known for their South Asian food (Chicago and Boston both leap to mind), it might seem, at first glance, like options are a little slim in the Twin Cities. But the truth is stranger (and happier) than that — the restaurants are there, though they’re strung across the greater metro area like an archipelago of spices, breads, meat, and fish. And not only are these restaurants numerous, they’re diverse. From South Indian dosas to rich northern curries to Sri Lankan seafood dishes, you can explore a fairly wide chunk of the subcontinent just by motoring up and down the metro’s highways — and with newly opened spots in Edina, Chanhassen, and Minneapolis, the scene gets richer by the day.

There really isn’t any geographic center to South Asian food in the Twin Cities. Most main drags have a restaurant or two, as do most suburbs. But put together, there are dozens of places dishing up rich, complex, and at times challenging food. It may take dozens (or hundreds?) of miles by car to tour it all, but there’s incredible eating to be done in the process. Here are 13 can’t-miss restaurants in the Twin Cities’ burgeoning South Asian food scene, from mainstays to new spots.

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Indian Masala

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This sprawling suburban restaurant’s extensive (and budget-friendly) lunch buffet serves ample amounts of reliable favorites. The restaurant’s tandoor chicken is a standout among its strong roster (which includes butter chicken, saag paneer, chicken biryani, pakora, and so forth) — each leg boasts a serious amount of char and spice-driven flavor. Its dinner menu offers some intriguing dishes including deep-fried chickpea-flour-coated fish, honey chicken, pesto and mint-laden naans, goat dishes, South Indian pongal (a traditional rice dish), dosas, biryanis, and more.

Bay Leaf Indian Cuisine

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With two suburban locations (in Eden Prairie and Eagan), Bay Leaf takes the “suburban Indian food is on fire” thesis to a new level. Its menu is sprawling (everything from North Indian tiffins and curries to South Indian dosas and parathas) and covers just about every conceivable base.  Lean on the breadth and depth of offerings to feed a diverse crowd, including vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free eaters. The restaurant’s multiple locations and vastness of menu make it a reliable stop in the west or south metro.

Aroma Indian Cuisine

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Aroma does strong renditions of South Indian favorites, including mega-super-giant-sized dosas that are as entertaining to look at as they are enjoyable to eat. The goat biryani truly does justice to the format by bringing remarkable layers of complexity, depth, and savory goodness. There are some surprising and enjoyable highlights sprinkled throughout the menu, too, including almost croissant-like flakey paratha and an okra curry that’s almost too rich to eat on its own (that is, of course, what the rice is for).

A round silver dish of curry beside a dish of rice and a basket with paratha.
Bloomington is a hotspot for Indian restaurants.
Becca Dilley/Eater Twin Cities

House of Curry

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The cuisine of Sri Lanka — the island country off the southeast tip of India — has a tropical bend, weaving coconut, fish, and fruits into its dishes. House of Curry’s pol roti, for example, has savory shredded coconut mixed into the dough. It’s a perfect complement to the fish coconut curry, which balances its creamy base with the fresh, acidic presence of tomato and lime, its flavors nodding to the Thai curries across the Bay of Bengal. Save room for watalappan, a tantalizing coconut custard served in sweet jaggery syrup.

Muddy Tiger- Indian Bistro

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Specializing in the Marathi cuisine of central-western India (including Mumbai), the contemporary, casual dining room of Muddy Tiger drills down into the snacky worlds of chaat and street food, serving up dishes with considerable textural complexity and brightness of flavor. The menu is focused, with a small section of chaat and street food augmented by a handful of rice bowls and wraps. The restaurant’s kheema pav (spiced ground lamb served on dinner rolls, loose meat sandwich-style) is remarkably rich and satisfying. A recent special vegetarian thali meal featured a wide variety of flavors and textures, including pillowy puri tailor-made for stuffing.

Dosa South Indian Grill

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A repurposed Long John Silver’s is home to one of the most reliably tasty South Indian spots in the greater metro area. Dosa South Indian Grill’s namesake dosa has a remarkably crispy exterior and a filling that’s the definition of savory elegance. Other dishes are pulled off with equal skill. The papdi chat, a happy symphony of textures and flavors, is a noteworthy standout. The bread selection has some enjoyable and hard-to-find choices, too, such as beignet-like bhatura and deep-fried poori.

A silver tray with a dosa and three kinds of sauce and vegetable curry.
A crispy dosa from Dosa South Indian Grill.
Becca Dilley/Eater Twin Cities

Godavari Indian Restaurant

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Godavari is a South Indian franchise that opened its first Minnesota location in Eden Prairie’s mall. There’s chole bhature and biryani on the menu, but the real stars are the South Indian dishes: spongy idly served with chutneys, crispy Bengaluru butter dosas, vada (deep-fried lentil doughnuts) dunked in sambar. Save room for sweet halwa and rasmalai.

Tandoor Restaurant

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The self-proclaimed oldest Indian restaurant in the state of Minnesota (hard to verify, but open since 1982 is no small accomplishment regardless), Tandoor has sophistication befitting its honored elder status. Remarkably good breads (the naans are easy enough to find, but don’t sleep on the elegant, puffy bhatura) are the gateway to this menu, but there’s much to discover. The chicken seek kababs are ravishingly moist, intensely flavored, and beautifully balanced, and the restaurant’s shahi korma has equal doses of comfort and depth. The crispy pakora is world-class, too. The restaurant’s dining room is warm and cozy, decked out with textiles and knicknacks.

Pieces of naan in a red basket with white paper.
Naan from Tandoor.
Becca Dilley/Eater Twin Cities

Thaliwala

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Thaliwala, a sister restaurant to Minneapolis’s MomoDosa and Gorkha Palace, has a fast-casual feel. “Thali,” of course, means “plate” — these meals are served on round silver trays, with small portions of daal, peppery mustard greens, curried vegetables, and zippy cucumber salad complementing the rich main dish (paneer or chicken tikka masala, sautéed okra, pork, or lamb vindaloo). They’re the ultimate balanced meal, as nourishing as they are tasty. A sweet bite of cardamon-laced kheer brings them full circle.

Namaste Cafe

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Namaste Café leans more to the Nepali border than the Indian one — this former Victorian home-turned cozy restaurant in Uptown is an excellent stop for curries, chaats, and cocktails. The whole menu here is organic: Start with light and crispy bhel puri or little flavor parcels of golgappa (a.k.a. pani puri, a.k.a puchka). The aloo bodi or Punjabi spinach paneer make for hearty vegetarian entrees. Take a seat on Namaste’s patio and sip a homemade chai.

CURRY CORNER Indian Eatery & Bar

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Curry Corner’s comfortable, near-downtown Minneapolis dining room is thoroughly modern and sleek, and its menu is a happy cross-over between depth of flavor and current trends. It offers a thoughtful cocktail menu (the Blurry Curry, with its blend of coconut rum, cream of coconut, curry spices, and simple syrup is a revelation). The spicy ferocity of its beef josh is enchantingly good. For fruit and nut-laden Peshwari naan, Curry Corner does some of the best in town.

Two orange curry dishes next to a silver dish of rice on the table.
Curry Corner opened recently in the former Ginger Hop space.
Becca Dilley/Eater Twin Cities

Spice & Tonic - Indian Cuisine & Bar

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Spice and Tonic specializes in North Indian cuisine. Start with crispy veggie pakora as an appetizer, and pair sumptuous Peshwari naan (stuffed with a mash of sun-dried coconut, cashews, raisins, and cardamom) with murgh makhani — a.k.a. butter chicken, a rich tomato gravy dish that originated in the Indian capital city of New Delhi. Even better, Spice and Tonic has a full cocktail menu and a patio.

Himalayan Restaurant

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Himalayan Restaurant on Lake Street delves into India, Nepalese, and Tibetan cuisine, and does it all exceptionally well. The creamy chicken tikka masala is excellent here, as are the kothe — steamed momos that are pan-fried and served with a savory tomato-cilantro chutney. On the side, savor the dense, flakey layers of a fresh-made aloo paratha, or extra buttery naan, and save room for desserts like kheer and mango pudding.

Indian Masala

This sprawling suburban restaurant’s extensive (and budget-friendly) lunch buffet serves ample amounts of reliable favorites. The restaurant’s tandoor chicken is a standout among its strong roster (which includes butter chicken, saag paneer, chicken biryani, pakora, and so forth) — each leg boasts a serious amount of char and spice-driven flavor. Its dinner menu offers some intriguing dishes including deep-fried chickpea-flour-coated fish, honey chicken, pesto and mint-laden naans, goat dishes, South Indian pongal (a traditional rice dish), dosas, biryanis, and more.

Bay Leaf Indian Cuisine

With two suburban locations (in Eden Prairie and Eagan), Bay Leaf takes the “suburban Indian food is on fire” thesis to a new level. Its menu is sprawling (everything from North Indian tiffins and curries to South Indian dosas and parathas) and covers just about every conceivable base.  Lean on the breadth and depth of offerings to feed a diverse crowd, including vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free eaters. The restaurant’s multiple locations and vastness of menu make it a reliable stop in the west or south metro.

Aroma Indian Cuisine

Aroma does strong renditions of South Indian favorites, including mega-super-giant-sized dosas that are as entertaining to look at as they are enjoyable to eat. The goat biryani truly does justice to the format by bringing remarkable layers of complexity, depth, and savory goodness. There are some surprising and enjoyable highlights sprinkled throughout the menu, too, including almost croissant-like flakey paratha and an okra curry that’s almost too rich to eat on its own (that is, of course, what the rice is for).

A round silver dish of curry beside a dish of rice and a basket with paratha.
Bloomington is a hotspot for Indian restaurants.
Becca Dilley/Eater Twin Cities

House of Curry

The cuisine of Sri Lanka — the island country off the southeast tip of India — has a tropical bend, weaving coconut, fish, and fruits into its dishes. House of Curry’s pol roti, for example, has savory shredded coconut mixed into the dough. It’s a perfect complement to the fish coconut curry, which balances its creamy base with the fresh, acidic presence of tomato and lime, its flavors nodding to the Thai curries across the Bay of Bengal. Save room for watalappan, a tantalizing coconut custard served in sweet jaggery syrup.

Muddy Tiger- Indian Bistro

Specializing in the Marathi cuisine of central-western India (including Mumbai), the contemporary, casual dining room of Muddy Tiger drills down into the snacky worlds of chaat and street food, serving up dishes with considerable textural complexity and brightness of flavor. The menu is focused, with a small section of chaat and street food augmented by a handful of rice bowls and wraps. The restaurant’s kheema pav (spiced ground lamb served on dinner rolls, loose meat sandwich-style) is remarkably rich and satisfying. A recent special vegetarian thali meal featured a wide variety of flavors and textures, including pillowy puri tailor-made for stuffing.

Dosa South Indian Grill

A repurposed Long John Silver’s is home to one of the most reliably tasty South Indian spots in the greater metro area. Dosa South Indian Grill’s namesake dosa has a remarkably crispy exterior and a filling that’s the definition of savory elegance. Other dishes are pulled off with equal skill. The papdi chat, a happy symphony of textures and flavors, is a noteworthy standout. The bread selection has some enjoyable and hard-to-find choices, too, such as beignet-like bhatura and deep-fried poori.

A silver tray with a dosa and three kinds of sauce and vegetable curry.
A crispy dosa from Dosa South Indian Grill.
Becca Dilley/Eater Twin Cities

Godavari Indian Restaurant

Godavari is a South Indian franchise that opened its first Minnesota location in Eden Prairie’s mall. There’s chole bhature and biryani on the menu, but the real stars are the South Indian dishes: spongy idly served with chutneys, crispy Bengaluru butter dosas, vada (deep-fried lentil doughnuts) dunked in sambar. Save room for sweet halwa and rasmalai.

Tandoor Restaurant

The self-proclaimed oldest Indian restaurant in the state of Minnesota (hard to verify, but open since 1982 is no small accomplishment regardless), Tandoor has sophistication befitting its honored elder status. Remarkably good breads (the naans are easy enough to find, but don’t sleep on the elegant, puffy bhatura) are the gateway to this menu, but there’s much to discover. The chicken seek kababs are ravishingly moist, intensely flavored, and beautifully balanced, and the restaurant’s shahi korma has equal doses of comfort and depth. The crispy pakora is world-class, too. The restaurant’s dining room is warm and cozy, decked out with textiles and knicknacks.

Pieces of naan in a red basket with white paper.
Naan from Tandoor.
Becca Dilley/Eater Twin Cities

Thaliwala

Thaliwala, a sister restaurant to Minneapolis’s MomoDosa and Gorkha Palace, has a fast-casual feel. “Thali,” of course, means “plate” — these meals are served on round silver trays, with small portions of daal, peppery mustard greens, curried vegetables, and zippy cucumber salad complementing the rich main dish (paneer or chicken tikka masala, sautéed okra, pork, or lamb vindaloo). They’re the ultimate balanced meal, as nourishing as they are tasty. A sweet bite of cardamon-laced kheer brings them full circle.

Namaste Cafe

Namaste Café leans more to the Nepali border than the Indian one — this former Victorian home-turned cozy restaurant in Uptown is an excellent stop for curries, chaats, and cocktails. The whole menu here is organic: Start with light and crispy bhel puri or little flavor parcels of golgappa (a.k.a. pani puri, a.k.a puchka). The aloo bodi or Punjabi spinach paneer make for hearty vegetarian entrees. Take a seat on Namaste’s patio and sip a homemade chai.

CURRY CORNER Indian Eatery & Bar

Curry Corner’s comfortable, near-downtown Minneapolis dining room is thoroughly modern and sleek, and its menu is a happy cross-over between depth of flavor and current trends. It offers a thoughtful cocktail menu (the Blurry Curry, with its blend of coconut rum, cream of coconut, curry spices, and simple syrup is a revelation). The spicy ferocity of its beef josh is enchantingly good. For fruit and nut-laden Peshwari naan, Curry Corner does some of the best in town.

Two orange curry dishes next to a silver dish of rice on the table.
Curry Corner opened recently in the former Ginger Hop space.
Becca Dilley/Eater Twin Cities

Spice & Tonic - Indian Cuisine & Bar

Spice and Tonic specializes in North Indian cuisine. Start with crispy veggie pakora as an appetizer, and pair sumptuous Peshwari naan (stuffed with a mash of sun-dried coconut, cashews, raisins, and cardamom) with murgh makhani — a.k.a. butter chicken, a rich tomato gravy dish that originated in the Indian capital city of New Delhi. Even better, Spice and Tonic has a full cocktail menu and a patio.

Himalayan Restaurant

Himalayan Restaurant on Lake Street delves into India, Nepalese, and Tibetan cuisine, and does it all exceptionally well. The creamy chicken tikka masala is excellent here, as are the kothe — steamed momos that are pan-fried and served with a savory tomato-cilantro chutney. On the side, savor the dense, flakey layers of a fresh-made aloo paratha, or extra buttery naan, and save room for desserts like kheer and mango pudding.

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