Chai Pani is a fast food restaurant based in North Carolina, famous for its Indian cuisine. Check below for the Chai Pani menu with prices.
It’s been a while since an Indian restaurant popped up on our list. Indian street foods always tend to be much cheaper than others.
They mostly focus on strong flavors like spicy, tangy, salty, and even sweet. Pani Puri, for example, is India’s best street food and might rival Tacos in some ways.
Anyway, for now, let’s check the Chai Pani menu and prices. Get enlightened by the inexpensive food lineup of Indian origin.
Chai Pani Menu With Prices
Chaat & Street Food
| Aloo Tiki Chaat | $11.99 |
| Bhel Puri | $9.99 |
| Kale Pakoras | $10.99 |
| Green Mango Chaat | $10.99 |
| Chicken Pakoras | $12.99 |
| Matchstick Okra Fries | $12.49 |
Sandwiches
| Vada Pav | $11.99 |
| Chicken Kathi Roll | $12.99 |
| Panner Tikka Roll | $13.99 |
| Sloppy Jai | $12.99 |
| Pav Bhaji | $13.99 |
| Crispy Masala Fish Roll | $13.99 |
Uttapam
| Mixed Vegetable Uttapam | $14.99 |
| Tomato & Cheese Uttapam | $14.99 |
Salads
| Desi Chicken Salad | $14.99 |
| Desi Salad | $10.99 |
| Desi Panner Salad | $14.99 |
To-Go Curry & Rice
| To–Go Butter Chicken & Rice | $14.99 |
| To – Go Chole & Rice (Vegan) | $13.99 |
| To–Go Khemma & Rice | $14.99 |
| To–Go Saag Paneer & Rice | $14.99 |
| To–Go Daal & Rice | $9.99 |
Breads
| Naan | $3.49 |
| Paratha | $2.99 |
| Papadum | $1.99 |
Extras
| Saag Panner | $7.99 |
| Daal | $6.99 |
| Raita | $0.50 |
| Khemma | $9.99 |
| Side Yogurt | $0.50 |
| Pickled Mango | $0.50 |
| Side Of Diced Chilies | $0.50 |
| Naan | $3.49 |
| Basmati Rice | $2.99 |
| Paratha | $2.49 |
| Butter Chicken | $7.99 |
| Large Sweet Yogurt | $2.99 |
| Masala Slaw | $0.99 |
| Sambar | $6.99 |
| Green Chutney | $0.50 |
| Cholle | $6.99 |
| Large Raita | $3.49 |
| Coconut Chutney | $0.50 |
| Tamarind | $0.50 |
Desserts
| Gulab Jamun | $6.99 |
| Parle – G | $1.49 |
Kids Menu
| Kids Cheese Paratha | $499 |
| Kids Rice & Kathi Chicken | $7.99 |
| Kids Tomato And Cheese Uttapam | $6.99 |
| Kids Rice & Daal | $5.99 |
| Kids Veggie Uttapam | $6.99 |
Disclaimer: We do our best to keep our menu prices up-to-date, but they may not always reflect the latest changes or vary between different eatery locations. We recommend contacting the eatery location you plan to visit for the most current pricing info.
Chai Pani History
Chef Meherwan Irani, along with his wife Molly, opened the first Chai Pani stall in Asheville, North Carolina.
It happened quite recently, in 2009. Our chef, Irani, grew up in an Indian place called Ahmednagar, Maharashtra.
He saw, experienced, and learned everything about Indian street food thanks to his surroundings.
When he finally became a certified chef, he decided to share the excellence of Indian street food with his colleagues and friends.
Surprisingly, they loved it—more like they got addicted to its unique taste that American dishes lack.
With a review like this, how can anyone resist the urge to do more? Well, Irani couldn’t, so he immediately opened an Indian-style vendor and named it Chai Pani.
Chai means tea, and Pani means water in Hindi, the national language of India. It’s a usual morning routine that most Indians follow.
It’s more like a pre-breakfast where they enjoy a cup of tea, a small amount of water, and a plate of Salty Snacks.
But Chef took it to the next level by including street foods in its routine, which gave birth to Chai Pani. Tea, water, snacks, and a little more!
Chai Pani has won two major awards for its unique uptake of street foods. The first one happened in 2021, and The New York Times crowned Chai Pani as one of America’s favorite restaurants.
After 13 years of operation, in 2022, the Asheville branch was again awarded Outstanding Restaurant by the World Famous James Beard Foundation.
Even after 15 years of operation, Chai Pani managed to stand up to the tight competition the American Fast Food Market has and also reign supreme thanks to the ways of Indian cuisine.
Chai Pani Review
You must have a lot of questions regarding the Chai Pani menu or prices. After all, every single dish could sound weird to you.
It’s because they are listed in Hindi, at least. Don’t worry; we will try to make it a bit easier for you.
Let’s start with steamed potato dahi puri. It’s a simple uptake of pani puri, which usually includes rubbed tamarin mixed with water, salt, and spices.
But here, that liquid part is replaced by yogurt or curd. But everything else remains the same, like the mashed potatoes with onions.
The Crunchy Puffed Flours are filled with the above two ingredients: tamarind chutneys or sauce, cilantro, and crunchy chickpea noodles at the top.
You’ll get 4-5 of these on one plate, and the best way to enjoy them is by eating each flour in one bite! Yup, you heard it right.
It may be tricky at first, especially for those who can’t stretch their mouths too well, but if you can, then eat it in one go.
Force it in your mouth, then chow down all the ingredients at once. That way, you’ll mix everything in your pocket grinder, developing the final flavors that this dish intends.
Next up was a contender for burritos, and it’s called Chicken Kathi Roll. Think of it like a wrap but with Indian-style cooked meat and a lot of herbs.
The main protein was grilled boneless chicken marinated in yogurt, lemon, North Indian spices, and Kashmiri chili.
Then that cooked meal was wrapped in an egg-washed roti or tortilla with Desi slaw, cilantro, green chutney, and onions.
It comes with a side dish called Raita, a white dipping sauce made with yogurt, herbs, and fruits. It’s sweet by nature with a bit of a tangy flavor.
Final Thoughts
As you can already guess by now, Indian dishes will mostly focus on strong flavors, just like Mexican fast food.
Which is a good thing, and believe me, the end result is much greater than we thought. These dishes are home-cooked every day; each ingredient is hand-picked and contains no artificial additives.
And yeah, the most popular dishes are vegan specials. Vada Pau, for example, can’t add meat to it, nor can Dahi Puri.
But protein options are still there if you need to; either way, it’s a done deal. And this much is certain: no one is going home with an empty stomach anytime soon!
In short, Chai Pani passes with flying colors, and we’ll recommend everything to try it out even once; it’s a journey worth taking, that’s for sure.
To know more about Chai Pani, visit their official website.
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