What are Indians in Sweden looking for?
Many of those who responded to our request for recommendations on the Indians in Sweden Facebook page were adamant that only restaurants owned and operated by fellow expat Indians are truly authentic, complaining that too many places add the label ‘Indisk mat’ to their menus even when the food isn’t cooked by Indian hands.
Some complained of being sorely disappointed by some of their experiences eating supposedly Indian food in Swedish cities.
“All the curries taste the same as those from all the restaurants,” complains Rejin Balachandran of some of the bland fare on offer.
"Indian restaurants in Sweden are hyped and the flavors are modified and very mild," agreed Koushika Prasanna. "The quantity is comparatively less and overly priced. I personally feel other Schengen countries offer better authentic Indian food at a better price compared to those in Sweden.”
Another respondent, Ashutosh Kumar, wrote: “One thing which is really annoying is that most of the places uses “ready made frozen naan” and then heat them and serve. This breaks me to pieces.”
The places mentioned below are some of those which surely strive to change this opinion of expatriate Indians living in Sweden, and consequently other people who want to experience truly authentic Indian food.
Stockholm and Solna
One of the most-loved places for Indian food in Stockholm is Indian Street Food & Co, with outlets and food trucks in Stockholm and Solna. Visitors can’t stop raving about their menu.
Founded by chef Dheeraj Singh and his friend and entrepreneur Johan Parmar, the trucks and restaurants offer a wide variety of popular North Indian foods like Kathi Rolls, Samosas, Seekh Kebabs, and Papdi Chat (a personal favourite!), striving to create tasty dishes with locally sourced materials.
“They have a variety of authentic Indian food, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian”, says Stockholm resident Kamlesh Khullar, while Rajashekhar Somanchi also recommended it as “one of the best” places for authentic Indian food in the city.
When it comes to South Indian food, another resident, Santhosh Damodaran swears by Saravanaa Bhavan at Sankt Eriksgatan.
The chefs here not only offer an assortment of traditional South Indian dishes like dosas and uthappams with rasam (a spicy warming soup), sambhar, and delicious chutneys, but also have a broad menu serving other North Indian and South Indian delicacies.
Junie Skeppstedt recommends Shanti, a chain of Indian restaurants specialising in Bengali food. Junie echoes the sentiments of many others when backing her preference, saying, “some restaurants have fallen in standard I notice but I can still recommend this one.”
Shanti started out with the idea of providing Stockholmers with the experience of the real day-to-day food eaten by Indian people, but realised the naiveté of this shortly after opening Shanti Classic eleven years ago. Even though it took some time to win over Stockholmers, they now operate six different restaurants across the city, with people like Junie as regular patrons.
While Shanti Classic offers “normal, classic” Indian food like Palak Paneer, Malai Koftas and Chicken Do Pyaza, Gossip in Kungsholmen and Nytorget offer Bengali and Bangladeshi-style street food like Pakoras, Paratha Rolls, Bhelpuri and Kebabs.
Their other outlets, Touch of Bengal, Softcorner, and Ultimat have a similar menu, offering slightly different specialties depending on individual preferences. All in all, Shanti strives to provide a “non-Swedified” authentic experience of Bengali food for anyone who wants to try.
Gothenburg
“The owners are Indian and understand when we ask for more spicy or customised Masala”, says Vijnan Penmetsa of The Elephant, the run-away favourite among Indians in Gothenburg.
The restaurant offers a selection of the finest Punjabi-style vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies, winning seemingly universal praise.
“The paneer they make is amazing. While they have westernised the taste, ask the servers to make it "desi style", and you will be reminded of the restaurants back home. They have a nice "chapati" as well”, agrees Rajeev Sanjay Patil.
Another resident Kimmi Singh Sandhu praises the restaurant for having "the best flavours", and "a lot of items that you normally can't find in many Indian restaurants". She especially rates the "nice cocktails inspired from India and the appetisers.”
A definite must-visit, I think.
Patil gives an honourable mention to Himalaya on Olivedalsgatan. “While technically this is not Indian food, it is close enough," he jokes. "The momos here remind me of ones we have back in India. The main course dishes are not too spicy and just the right taste. This is my go-to place."
For lovers of dosas and idlis, The South Indian and Kollywood Food Cart are the frontrunners.
“The South Indian has the best spice levels for a South Indian,” says Janani Mani about the chain, which also has outlets in Stockholm, Helsingborg and Malmö.
As for Kollywood Food Cart, both Patil, and fellow resident Rejin Balachandran say their food “is close to what we used to eat in India.”
Skåne
In Southern Sweden, there are several good Indian food joints. Starting with Art of Spices, an award winning Malmö restaurant, which is highly regarded by residents Parag Sathe, Krithika Venkatesh and Vishi Sharma Nagar.
Krithika considers it “the best authentic Indian Restaurant in Malmö,” thanks to their broad range of North Indian street food, including vada pav, papdi chat, and pani puri.
Parag says he recommends these places because they are owned and operated by Indians, which adds to their authenticity.
Some other notable mentions in Malmö are Kontrast and its sister restaurant Ghee by the Sea, Urban Turban and Curry on Wheels.
Rohit Singh, an Indian in Malmö, said Kontrast was "a great idea to visit", with it "mostly representing Punjabi food". The local branch of the South Indian aside, Malmö seems to be lacking in South Indian or Bengali options.
Helsingborg resident Rita Vithlani speaks highly of Mehak-e-India, owned and operated by Rajesh Malpani, who started this enterprise to fulfil the demands of rich and flavourful North Indian food in Helsingborg.
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