Discover the handmade noodle shop we can’t stop talking about on

ï BEST S ï NEW RESTAURANT Salve M ji’s Str t Osteria Kitchen

WRITTEN BY MARY ANDINO | PHOTOS BY MABEL SUEN STORY AND PHOTOS BY MABEL SUEN

Although Maaji’s Street Kitchen is Heena Chopra’s fi rst culinary endeavor, she’s no stranger to the industry. Maaji’s chef-owner cut her teeth in the business by waiting tables for nearly 19 years before taking the leap to roll out her own passion project. Now, each comforting dish she prepares and serves to guests showcases her deep dedication to genuine hospitality.

The New Delhi native immigrated to the United States in 2003, and she’s been working in the food industry and introducing Indian cuisine to friends and colleagues ever since. Her fi rst exposure to the world of food, however, came from her maaji, or mother, who is one of her main inspirations and the restaurant’s namesake. Chopra learned to cook at her mom’s side by helping out in the kitchen from a young age, picking cilantro leaves and blending the family’s masala chai.

Now, as a maaji herself, Chopra cooks the traditional meals she grew up with for her own children – but with a nutritious twist. Chopra’s health-forward take on Northern Indian classics includes organic ingredients, the use of sunfl ower or olive oil instead of bu er and lighter cooking techniques, such as air-frying. With Maaji’s Street Kitchen, she enthusiastically shares her wholesome homestyle cooking with anyone willing to try it. At her St. Ann storefront, Chopra off ers a menu of main dishes, sides, roll-ups and bowls, drinks and desserts. Each item bursts with bright, clean fl avors teeming with balanced spices. An aromatic chicken curry, for instance, features shredded chicken, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric and a proprietary house-roasted garam masala blend.

Dal masala, another signature dish, is made with two varieties of lentils, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chile, turmeric and lemon juice. Each main is available as a bowl or rolled up in a light and fl aky paratha. The same fl atbread is available rolled up with Nutella and dusted with powdered sugar as Maaji’s Sweet Rolls – a dessert Chopra also o en enjoys with her kids, Jayda and Connor.

When she originally conceptualized Maaji’s, Chopra envisioned serving up her vibrant fare out of a food truck. Due to the pandemic and a number of other factors, she se led comfortably into a small storefront instead. Going forward, she aims to continue serving nourishing Indian fare made with love all over the St. Louis area.

Maaji’s Street Kitchen, 3324 N. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Ann, Missouri, 314-395-7173, maajisstreetkitchen.com MUST-TRY MENU ITEM: Ro -ups Chopra developed her roll-ups, which are presented like an open-faced taco, to be the perfect fl avor-packed, on-the-go meal. They feature a paratha base topped with your choice of any main or combo of two, such as gobhi masala and matar paneer, with basmati rice, tomatoes, cucumber, onion and fresh chutney.