Located in a small building on a quiet street in the north of the city, Madam Chutney is the first Indian street food vendor in Munich, if not Bavaria, if not further afield.
Opened in November last year, 30-year-old owner Prateek Reen had hoped for a soft launch. As it was her first time working in a restaurant, let alone running one, she wanted to take her time and see how things developed. But it didn’t quite work out that way: As soon as the doors opened, word got out and a daily queue of people started to line up outside.
It’s clear why. The food is excellent and unlike anything else in the city. The menu includes fresh samosas, different varieties of chaat, homemade lassis and their signature kathi rolls (skewer-roasted kebabs wrapped in an egg-layered paratha bread). There is also a selection of curries.
Prateek moved to Munich in 2017 and was amazed to find that despite the large number of Indian restaurants, there were very few street-food style options available. “Street food in India is like a pretzel or a piece of cake in Germany,” she explains, “people just grab a samosa or chai when on the go.” And so a concept grew.
The entire Madam Chutney menu is based on family recipes. Prateek prepares most of the dishes herself, with the help of a team of onion choppers, spice grinders and dough rollers. Everything is made from scratch. The base for the tikka masala curry, for example, is made with crushed cashew nuts rather than cream, while all the chutneys and sauces are made with fresh ingredients.
As if cooking duty wasn’t enough, Prateek is also the friendly face that greets people at the door, takes orders and serves tables, not to mention being responsible for the logistics and bureaucracy involved in managing a restaurant. She also offers a catering service (although primarily for corporate events).
The restaurant is airy and casual, and far from your typical Indian restaurant. “I spend most of my time here so I wanted to create a space I feel at home in,” she explains. A painter herself, there is a story behind every picture or feature.
“The past year has been a steep learning curve,” she explains, “I still plan to make changes to the menu and the way things are run.” Seeing that guests keep coming back, she has already started adding new options to the menu, such as round pav breads served with vegetarian or lamb curry.
The only dish that might surprise traditionalists is the “Madam Chutney Special Chicken Nachos” with chicken tikka, masala sauce, chili and cheese. “This is just something I often make for quick dinner at home and thought I’d share – it’s delicious!” In our opinion, everything at Madam Chutney is delicious and we couldn’t recommend it more.
Address
Marchgrabenpl. 1, 80805 München
Opening times
Mon – Fri | 11.00 – 14.00
Sat | 11.30 -20.00
Sun | closed