Pondicheri

Our Thanksgiving Takeaway menu is now LIVE!! 💻 Order a whole meal for yourself & your loved ones and let us worry about the cooking. We have turkey 🦃, lamb 🐑, saag paneer & stuffed eggplant 🍆 as entree choices and don't even get us started on all the dessert options... 🤤

Catering link is in bio and on Pondicheri.com 🌟

November 4th to November 10th, 2024 Specials

Monday, November 4th - Meatless Monday
Chickpea Chilla $18
We bring you a Bake Lab special, a fermented crepe stuffed with greens and a cashew sauce.

Tuesday, November 5th - Fried Chicken - $26
Heritage Chicken (three pieces) - brined & marinated in yogurt masala then fried in ghee in a crispy chickpea batter, accompanied by Pondi salad, dwaffle, herb dipping sauce & house pickles.

Wednesday, November 6th - Dosa Dreams
Tomato Dosa with Keema GF $20
Tomatoes are still in season so enjoy these local beauties embedded in a ghee seared dosa. A bit of goat keema on the side to enjoy alongside.

Thursday, November 7th - Traveling Thursday
Saag Omelet GF $16
Once again, we bring you the omelet from the Bake Lab via Punjab, where the saag is a native favorite. Tucked inside is a tomato masala and Amul cheese…

Friday, November 8th - Pickle Pizza
Smoked Eggplant Pizza $18
Smoked eggplant (or baingan bhartha) is one the best things on a pizza, especially if you are an eggplant lover like we are. Ours is topped with gruyere and sliced local tomatoes!

Saturday, November 9th until quantities last�
Vindaloo Ribs - $75

Sunday, November 10th – Araam Thali $24
A Sindhi Sunday classic: Dal & pakwan, channa dal topped with a spice crust & tamarind chutney with a crispy flecked bread. Add goat keema or butter chicken. (only available in-house)

Sunday, November 10th - Biryani
Shrimp Coconut Biryani GF (contains almonds) $25
A tangy shrimp pizza to tickle your palate – with almonds and currants…

🪔 HAPPY DIWALI!!! 🪔 The time is here to turn a new page, forgive old grievances and welcome the light 🌟 into our lives! Come share Diwali with us…we have a Diwali Thali which includes our 7-vegetable stew, dal, a paneer cutlet topped with beet raita (yum! 😋) or chicken kebab, potato🥔 cake, persimmon ras (which is pure persimmon puree from Lightsey Farms - no sugar added) & a laddu of your choice (brownie, sindhi, besan, chocolate peanut, chai pie or rose 🌹). Diwali is about indulgence - our menu has plenty of choices as well…this menu will last until Sunday! Happy Diwali…❤️

Houston Harvest - Coconut Mashed Potatoes 💜

Given that potatoes originated in Peru, it is no surprise that the story of mashed potatoes can be traced back to the early days of the Inca civilization over 4000 years ago. However, the silky, fluffy and creamy version we are used to eating these days was perfected by the French in the 1800s. I first encountered them in a restaurant in Canada in the early eighties and still remember the wonderous mouthfeel of those buttery mashed potatoes. A few decades later after experimenting with different iterations, my favorite remains sweet potatoes mashed with Idaho or golden yellow potatoes topped off with a wild variety of savory flavors. With one caveat, they must always have a tadka, a pop or a tempering of spices first. An age-old Indian technique, the pop could be applied to anything from soup to rice. You could also top mashed potatoes off with roasted vegetables, toasted nuts, seeds, cheese and herbs.

Here is a mashed potato recipe using the vibrant Japanese purple yam combined with the Idaho potatoes. The beauty of these potatoes is that they hold on to their brilliant purple color despite long cooking.

Find this recipe @ india1948.com OR in the Houston Chronicle food section! 📰✨

October 28th to November 3rd, 2024 Specials

Monday, October 28th - Meatless Monday
Roasted Sweet Potato GF $16
A charred and roasted sweet potato in a pool of cilantro sauce, mushrooms & pumpkin seeds!

Tuesday, October 29th - Fried Chicken - $26
Heritage Chicken (three pieces) - brined & marinated in yogurt masala then fried in ghee in a crispy chickpea batter, accompanied by Pondi salad, dwaffle, herb dipping sauce & house pickles.

Wednesday, October 30th - Dosa Dreams
Bombay Benny GF $20
We bring you a Bake Lab house favorite – Dwaffle topped with a bhaji inspired by the pav bhaji of Mumbai, and that topped with 2 poached eggs and a pickled hollandaise sauce.

Thursday, October 31st to Sunday, November 3rd
Diwali Thali Veg $28 OR Non-Veg $35
Celebrate Diwali with us! The Diwali Thali includes 7-Vegetable Stew, Garden Paratha, Persimmon Ras and your choice of Paneer Cutlet & Besan Laddu (veg) OR Chicken Kebab & Brownie Laddu (non-veg).

Saturday, November 2nd until quantities last
Vindaloo Ribs - $75

Sunday, November 3rd – Araam Thali $24
A Sindhi Sunday classic: Dal & pakwan, channa dal topped with a spice crust & tamarind chutney with a crispy flecked bread. Add goat keema or butter chicken. (only available in-house)

It's 💖 at Pondicheri! A few years ago, pre-covid, we used to encourage all our Indian clients (or even the daring Westerners) to come wearing saris on Sundays. A sari, the 6-yard elegant strip of gorgeous textile that is draped over a woman’s body is after all the national dress of India and is still worn by most women in the country. So, ladies, pull those saris out of the closet, dust them up, iron them & wear them to Pondicheri on Sundays!

Yes, you can get a shortbread cookie on the house 🤩 if you walk in wearing a sari, but you really want to wear a sari because Sunday is the perfect leisure no-work kind of day to wear something luxurious…and nothing beats a sari when it comes to luxury! ✨

Rangoon Noodles - a Burmese dish straight from my ❤️ heart and never fails to excite me! Tangy, spicy, a touch of sweet with the pomegranate juice…It is now ON our Bake Lab menu but we are featuring it TODAY as our special downstairs for Traveling Thursday.
I have never been to 🌏 Myanmar/Burma but a good friend would make this for me occasionally before my restaurant days and I would eat until I got sick, I loved it sooooo much! The sauce 😘 is made with caramelized onions, ginger and a chickpea roux. It’s naturally vegan and gluten free but yes, you can always add chicken! Takes me back to those days….YUM ~ Anita.

Thinking about Diwali next week? We sure are! Celebrate by joining us at our Bake Lab for a sit down dinner cooked by Anita OR by dropping in and enjoying a Diwali Thali special OR indulge in a laddu box (we can ship these nationwide too). Cheers to light over dark & good over evil! 🪔

Find more info @ pondicheri.com 🌟

October 21st to October 27th, 2024 Specials

Monday, October 21st - Meatless Monday
Pumpkin Squash Sabzi with Paratha (contains ghee) $18
Local squash sauteed with pumpkin, caramelized onions, ginger & chile, comes with a garden paratha.

Tuesday, October 22nd - Fried Chicken - $26
Heritage Chicken (three pieces) - brined & marinated in yogurt masala then fried in ghee in a crispy chickpea batter, accompanied by Pondi salad, dwaffle, herb dipping sauce & house pickles.

Wednesday, October 23rd - Dosa Dreams
Mushroom Dosa GF V $20
A crispy dosa lined with pumpkin and a minced mushroom masala. Maitake, shiitake, morel and criminis. Topped with a fresh herb & ginger salad!

Thursday, October 24th - Traveling Thursday
Burmese Noodles GF V (option to add chicken) $20
A crowd pleaser curry. Rice noodles slow cooked in a chickpea, onion & ginger sauce. Get the plant exclusive one with mushrooms or add chicken!

Friday, October 25th - Pickle Pizza
Pumpkin Pizza $18
Pumpkin puree on the pizza with bits of onion, serrano and ginger. Topped with a sharp gruyere cheese, this pizza is like no other!

Sunday, October 27th – Araam Thali $24
A Sindhi Sunday classic: Dal & pakwan, channa dal topped with a spice crust & tamarind chutney with a crispy flecked bread. Add goat keema or butter chicken. (only available in-house)

Sunday, October 27th - Biryani
Pumpkin Paneer Biryani GF (contains pistachios) $24
A touch of sweet with the pumpkin and a touch of creamy and savory with the paneer. Basmati rice, caramelized onions, ginger and herbs to round things off.

It’s the greatest time of year: PUMPKIN CHAI PIE IS BACK! 😍 The chai pie you know & love with a layer of pumpkin on top of our delicious chai custard. It’s creamy, delicious & totally decadent. 🤤 Available by the slice at the Bake Lab or place your catering order for a whole pie in time for Thanksgiving on Pondicheri.com 🌟

It’s a sad time 😞 out in the world - too much death and destruction. It’s hard to fathom what people 🌍 are going through from Ukraine to Sudan to Israel/Palestine, sitting in the comfort of our lives here in American cities. What we can do is send them love and empathy. To get my mind off the news, I did a deep dive into Palestinian food and from Reem Kassis’s book The Palestinian Table, emerged this amazing Sesame 🐟 Fish recipe. Sesame and yogurt seasoned with ginger and garlic make up this absolutely delicious sauce…finger 🤗 licking good. Come get some today! ~ with love, Anita.

October 14th to October 20th, 2024 Specials

Monday, October 14th - Meatless Monday
Local Warm Grilled Salad GF V $16
The squash, peppers and eggplants harvested yesterday in tomorrow’s salad! With watercress, radicchio, apple and garbanzo beans…

Tuesday, October 15th - Fried Chicken - $26
Heritage Chicken (three pieces) - brined & marinated in yogurt masala then fried in ghee in a crispy chickpea batter, accompanied by Pondi salad, dwaffle, herb dipping sauce & house pickles.

Wednesday, October 16th - Dosa Dreams
Pepper & Carrot Utthapum with Beet Soup GF V $18
Eat your rainbow with this utthapum. Skinny little carrots still coming up from Animal Farm…

Thursday, October 17th - Traveling Thursday
Sesame Fish $32
This is my favorite recipe of the week! Sesame, yogurt and ginger sauce over fish. Adapted from Reem Kassis’s The Palestinian Table cookbook…

Friday, October 18th - Pickle Pizza
Goat & Charred Pepper Pizza $20
Slow cooked local goat keema over a crispy naan, gruyere, charred local peppers and fresh herbs…

Sunday, October 20th – Araam Thali $24
A Sindhi Sunday classic: Dal & pakwan, channa dal topped with a spice crust & tamarind chutney with a crispy flecked bread. Add goat keema or butter chicken. (only available in-house)

Sunday, October 20th - Biryani
Chicken Biryani GF (contains almonds) $24
Comfort food to round off the week! Chicken, caramelized onions, garbanzo beans, currants and warming spices…

Chikoo, also called sapote in South America is a fruit to relish and cherish. With a taste 😘 that is a cross between the pear and a date, the Chikoo Cheesecake is luscious and creamy. Only available in the fall & winter at the Bake Lab - come get a slice today! 🌟

It's almost Diwali! 🪔❣️ That means you can order a Diwali Dabba for your loved ones (or for yourself) to celebrate - we have a small dabba that comes with 7 laddus & a large dabba that comes with 14 laddus. These are available for purchase on Pondicheri.com for local pick up OR on india1948.com for nationwide shipping! 😋

And if you're looking to spend Diwali at Pondi, why not join us for our Diwali Dinner on Friday, November 1st? Expect an elaborate dinner with celebratory joyous foods ranging from street foods all the way to rich curries. Tickets available @ pondicheri.com - space is limited so book soon! 🌟

October 7th to October 13th, 2024 Specials

We have no specials this week due to our Fall Menu Launch! We encourage you to come in and try any of our delicious new menu items.

The only specials that will be available as usual are the following:

Tuesday, October 8th - Fried Chicken - $26

Heritage Chicken (three pieces) - brined & marinated in yogurt masala then fried in ghee in a crispy chickpea batter, accompanied by Pondi salad, dwaffle, herb dipping sauce & house pickles.

Sunday, October 13th – Araam Thali $24

A Sindhi Sunday Classic: dal & pakwan, channa dal topped with a spice crust & tamarind chutney with a crispy spice flecked bread. Add goat keema or butter chicken. (only available in-house)

If you ask us, doughnuts & chai are the perfect way to start your day. Come try our new Cardamom Sugar Doughnuts and Rose Cream Doughnuts - guaranteed to become your new morning faves! 🥰 All weekend long, only at the Bake Lab. ✨

We've taken a pause on our weekly specials due to our fall menu rollout BUT our Tuesday Fried Chicken 🍗 special is still going strong. Brined, marinated in yogurt masala & then fried in ghee in a crispy chickpea batter - it doesn't get any better (or tastier) than this. Come in today! 😋

September 30th to October 6th, 2024 Specials

We have no specials this week due to our Fall Menu Launch! We encourage you to come in and try any of our delicious new menu items.

The only specials that will be available as usual are the following:

Tuesday, October 1st - Fried Chicken - $26

Heritage Chicken (three pieces) - brined & marinated in yogurt masala then fried in ghee in a crispy chickpea batter, accompanied by Pondi salad, dwaffle, herb dipping sauce & house pickles.

Sunday, October 6th – Araam Thali $24

A Sindhi Sunday Classic: dal & pakwan, channa dal topped with a spice crust & tamarind chutney with a crispy spice flecked bread. Add goat keema or butter chicken. (only available in-house)

Our fall/winter menu has launched and yes, it has been fueled by local produce, seasonality and all the wonderful creative foods I ate this summer but also, it is a menu that pulls from so many factions of 🇮🇳. A menu inspired by the notion of Gastrodiplomacy. Parts of the world may be descending into chaos and conflict but food can always, always bring people together. Especially delicious food! We cooks and chefs can only dream of a utopian world with less conflict, less hate, more love 💞, lots of good food 😘 and countless hugs. - Anita

Feeding my family is a 💞 privilege I do not take lightly. So when the youngest, newest and dare I say, cutest in our family, 🦁 Lion, started getting some teeth, I immediately thought vegetables. A bright verdant 🍃 saag came to mind. With melting warm butter…I made it and he smacked it down! And in his honor and for all the kids we feed, we now have a Lion 👑 King Menu. Yes, it has Butter Saag and Naan and many other things.

Bring your kids in to Pondicheri and give it a try…From our family to yours with love ~ Anita

The rumors are true...our Fall 🍂 menu rolled out this week and Cabbage Momos are now downstairs! These yummy Nepali dumplings are the perfect appetizer or light snack and 100% vegan. 🌱 Come try them today!

September 23rd to September 29th, 2024 Specials

We have no specials this week due to our Fall Menu Launch! We encourage you to come in and try any of our delicious new menu items.

The only specials that will be available as usual are the following:

Tuesday, September 24th - Fried Chicken - $26

Heritage Chicken (three pieces) - brined & marinated in yogurt masala then fried in ghee in a crispy chickpea batter, accompanied by Pondi salad, dwaffle, herb dipping sauce & house pickles.

Sunday, September 29th – Araam Thali $24

A Sindhi Sunday Classic: dal & pakwan, channa dal topped with a spice crust & tamarind chutney with a crispy spice flecked bread. Add goat keema or butter chicken. (only available in-house)

Inspired by our irresistable crackballs and topped with the same, this chocolatey cake is a celebration waiting to happen! Bournvita cake, layered with mixed nut milk fudge, crackballs & buttercream.

The egg 🍳 dosa has had a long, long journey for about 10 years at Pondicheri - it’s been a work of improvisation and sometimes free hand art! Over almost 10 years, here is a simple egg dosa - yes, it has cheese and herbs but none of the other fixings! Today's special, for the purist in your life…this is a great breakfast dosa!

September 16th to September 22nd, 2024 Specials

Monday, September 16th - Meatless Monday
Dahi Poori $12
Old school street favorite chaat, crispy pooris, chaat sauces, green mango, radishes, onions, herbs & sev!

Tuesday, September 17th - Fried Chicken - $26
Heritage Chicken (three pieces) - brined & marinated in yogurt masala then fried in ghee in a crispy chickpea batter, accompanied by Pondi salad, dwaffle, herb dipping sauce & house pickles.

Wednesday, September 18th - Dosa Dreams
Egg Dosa GF $14
A refined version of the original egg dosa! Two eggs, a touch of cheese on a crispy fermented dosa!

Thursday, September 19th - Traveling Thursday
Shrimp Kosambari Chaat GF $18
Braised shrimp, coconut, carrots, cabbage, garbanzo beans, lime & herbs…

Friday, September 20th - Pickle Pizza
Green Masala Tomato Pizza $16
A last fling with green masala and tomatoes as they exit our menu in less than two weeks…

Sunday, September 22nd – Araam Thali $24
Market curry, sindhi dal, fresh paneer paratha & sindhi laddu. Add lamb keema or butter chicken. (only available in-house)

Sunday, September 22nd - Biryani
Desi Sabzi Biryani GF V $20
A hearty biryani with caramelized onions, coconut, guar (a variety of green beans), tindora (tiny squash) and fresh herbs…roasted beet salad.