By: Yogith Logananthan
Austin Spice The History of Indian Restaurants In Austin
I
ndian food might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of ethnic food in the U.S, or Austin, in particular, which is better known for its amazing taco trucks, Tex-Mex restaurants and barbecue. Although, Indian cuisine has been influencing what you eat for longer than you know, some staples of the American spice cabinet made their way here from India as early as the 1950’s! Since then, Indian restaurants have been slowly creeping up on their competition, and now, it’s finally their turn in the spotlight. Within the last few decades, the number of Indian restaurants in Austin has grown drastically; in the 1980’s Indian food was impossible to find, but now you can find an Indian restaurant anywhere in Austin in less than 15 minutes. Although, as more Indian restaurants open up, it gets harder to stay unique because of Americanization. Also a decade ago, it was difficult to see an Indian restaurant with a To-Go model, but now it’s everywhere; things like this are what keep Indian restaurants afloat, and for this, my sources thank the pandemic. Hariharan Gopal is the founder of Nala’s; located on Parmer Lane and Highway 290. Founded in 2018, Nala’s specifically features Indian dishes like curries (a spicy gravy combined with a variety of ingredients), biryani’s (flavorful rice layered Indian delicacy) and samosas (fried dough with potato & chickpea filling).
Around ATX | Summer Ezine 2021 | 8
Above is a photo of Hariharan Gopal, he is a founder of Nala’s. Photo by Yogith Loganathan.
“Covid-19 really did some damage in the beginning because people started worrying about dining inside the restaurant,” Gopal said. “The good part is that number one, the government-assisted [they gave restaurants loans] and number two, the To-Go model became more developed; this was helpful
