Elevated Indian food is having a moment. Try these 4 exceptional dishes

Indian restaurants are having a moment here and around the country. And it’s not your typical, casual counter-service spots catching the attention of Valley diners. Recently, the spotlight has turned to upscale versions that feature stylish dining rooms, creative cocktails and chefs who can not only lean into tradition but also aren’t afraid to break it.

The local momentum started when a fast-casual restaurateur and grocery store owner looked around and saw a noticeable absence from the city’s top restaurant lists. Madhavi Reddy realized there wasn’t one Indian restaurant among those rankings. She also heard laments from her customers who wanted a special occasion spot in addition to their neighborhood joints.

In 2022, she launched the elegant Indian restaurant Feringhee with chef Sujar Sarkar near Chandler Fashion Center. She transformed the rustic, homey spot into a dinner destination with peacock-blue paint and saffron-gold banquettes. Sarkar and the original head chef, Karan Mittal, crafted a menu that blended familiar Indian dishes with modern, sometimes molecular, techniques and unexpected ingredients like edamame and avocado.

By the end of the year, their Indian restaurant had been added to those top restaurant lists.

“I really wanted to put Phoenix on the map for fine dining,” Reddy says.

Four years later, a wave of elevated Indian spots has flooded Phoenix. Some lean into tradition while others bring in techniques and ingredients from other cuisines. Each eatery is a little different, but its chefs and owners share a reverence for their homeland’s cuisine and a dogged desire to introduce it to Valley customers.

Here’s what you should try when you visit these Valley Indian restaurants. 

Dal Bukhara at Bahaara Indian Kitchen

9920 S. Rural Road, #A105, Tempe
Chef and Bahaara Indian Kitchen owner Jiten Sibal started his culinary career at the revered Delhi resort restaurant Bukhara. In Tempe, Sibal and his kitchen team dutifully slow-cook lentils with tomatoes, ginger and garlic, just as he learned at Bukhara. The silky stewed pulses are finished with a luxurious touch of cream and butter. Order it with the restaurant’s aromatic, spice-studded biryani. $21

Tender Jack Kosha at Nadu

21001 N. Tatum Blvd., #40-1360
Though the north Phoenix outpost of Nadu features meaty, charcoal-grilled kebabs, one of the restaurant’s more delicious and unique dishes is made with jackfruit. The tropical fruit is a convincing stand-in for braised meat. Chef Pujan Sarkar uses his grandmother’s recipe for Nadu’s Tender Jack Kosha. Floral jackfruit and earthy potatoes are slow-cooked with onions, ginger and a zingy mustard-oil masala gravy to craft this vibrant Bengali curry. $22

Meen Pollichathu at Indibar

6208 N. Scottsdale Road, Paradise Valley
Several dishes at Indibar nod to Executive Chef Nigel Lobo’s roots on India’s western coast. Among those is the aromatic Meen Pollichathu, a South Indian spice-marinated branzino wrapped in a banana leaf and cooked on a plancha. Unwrap this little parcel on your plate to reveal a ruddy red fish filet finished with a pour of yellow curry. The Kerala-style dish has spice, but it doesn’t overwhelm the tender fish, which is fragrant with curry leaf. $36

Pista Kulfi at Feringhee

3491 W. Frye Road, Chandler
After customers enjoy a whimsical meal at the modern Indian restaurant Feringhee, the joy continues with dessert. Try Feringhee’s kulfi, a nostalgic handheld frozen treat. Its weekend lunch version, pictured, is flavored and encrusted with pistachio, while its dinner version is laced with saffron and topped with candied rose petals. $8-9