A B O U T   C H A I    P A N I

Introducing the fun, fresh, & lighter side of Indian food to downtown Asheville! Chai Pani features a combination of Chaat (Indian savory street food), Thali (Indian small plates & comfort food) & Tandoori (flavorful char-grilled meats & breads) served in a casual, easy & affordable setting with an emphasis on fresh, local and natural ingredients.

WHAT IS INDIAN STREET FOOD?

Chai Pani literally means “tea & water”. It’s one of the most commonly used phrases in India when referring to a snack or a “little something”. A classic example would be friends deciding to go out for “chai-pani” – basically referring to a quick, affordable bite to eat along with the ubiquitous cup of chai.

It’s also common when giving someone a token amount of money (a tip for example), to refer to it as money for “chai-pani”.

Given the nature of the Indian bureaucratic system, it is jokingly said that “tips” for chai-pani single handedly keeps the Indian Government running smoothly.

Chai Pani offers a fun place to enjoy a wider spectrum of casual and affordable Indian food than what is available with traditional Indian restaurant fare. The mouth watering menu is family friendly with plenty of choices for kids. Chai Pani is dedicated to sourcing as much as possible from our local farms, utilizing the abundance of fresh ingredients found in our lovely mountains. A significant portion of the menu is vegan & gluten-free and emphasizes our commitment to natural & local foods, high quality ingredient and environmentally friendly business practices.

Some of the most delicious fast food to take root worldwide is chaat, brightly flavored, multi-textured snacks originally served by street vendors in northern India. Chaat is as fast and cheap as any American fast food, but it's made often without meat or deep-frying, so it has the added appeal of being good for you. But the real reason to seek it out is that it's flat-out delicious. Chaat has a small palate of flavors and ingredients to work from—crunchy, crispy, sour, sweet, spicy—but it's interesting to see how they are mixed into different combinations. Most chaat is a blend of some kind of crispy starch (wheat flour, garbanzo bean flour) or soft dumplings made from lentil or garbanzo batter combined with potatoes, garbanzo beans and sometimes sprouted beans. Spicy and sweet sauces—typically a green mint and/or cilantro sauce and a tamarind and/or date sauce—as well as yogurt are the classic accompaniments.

A thali is a selection of different Indian dishes, usually served in small bowls on a round tray with contents varying from one regional cuisine to another. It’s the Indian equivalent of home-cooked comfort food. A thali is structured as a complete meal and eating one is like taking a crash course in the diversity of Indian cuisines as each region has its own distinct spice palette.