Winning combination Curry Up puts Mexican spin on Indian cuisine By: Gabrielle Piché Posted: 7:00 PM CST Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023

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If you blend Indian and Mexican cuisine, it will come out… as Canadian fast food?

That’s what Curry Up Indian Kitchen is all about.

“Ours is a little different from a typical Indian restaurant,” said Daljit Ahluwalia, co-owner of Curry Up Indian Kitchen.

Picture a Subway-style lane where you order toppings for a sandwich, except the menu doesn’t offer sandwiches — it has burritos, tacos, bowls and quesadillas with an Indian twist.

A taco might hold paneer tikka masala; a burrito bowl could be filled with falafel or chickpeas and basmati rice.

“We really like Chipotle,” said Rakhi Ahluwalia, Daljit’s wife and business partner.

The American chain, which sells Mexican food, inspired the Ahluwalias. They’d chow down during trips and wonder if they could blend traditional Indian grub with the southern cuisine, Rakhi said.

“A tortilla is a perfect thing for Indian stuffing,” noted Daljit.

The two entrepreneurs immigrated to Winnipeg from India in 2001. In 2009, they opened a coffee shop in Thunder Bay, Ont.

Meantime, they experimented with food at home.

“Like a burrito — we made an Indian burrito,” Daljit said. “We liked it. Then we asked our friends to try it. They also liked it.

“We thought, ‘Maybe this will work.’”

Daljit served in India’s army for 15 years, ending in 2000, he said.

“Like a burrito — we made an Indian burrito. We liked it. Then we asked our friends to try it. They also liked it.”–Daljit Ahluwalia

During his time as a major, he would plan menus for the army’s mess halls and organize food supplies.

He and Rakhi travelled across India with the military, sampling meals from various regions.

“I don’t know, but maybe from there I got this (love for menu creation),” Daljit said, adding the restaurant is “a passion” for him and his wife.

The couple ended their coffee shop venture. They opened Goodlife Foods Co., a Subway-style Indian/Mexican eatery, at the end of 2018.

Things were picking up steam in Thunder Bay when the pandemic struck, Daljit said.

“Initially we thought, ‘We’re not going to be able to survive,’” he said. “Then suddenly… it boomed.”

The company was built for take-out.

“It came as kind of a godsend that our business took off,” Daljit said.

“(Daljit is) still so much in the food passion, and me too. Every other day, we come up with a new recipe.”–Rakhi Ahluwalia

He and Rakhi would work 12-hour shifts daily, Rakhi said. In addition to running the shop, the couple would constantly revise their menu.

“(Daljit is) still so much in the food passion, and me too,” Rakhi said. “Every other day, we come up with a new recipe.”

Customers began asking why Goodlife Foods Co. wasn’t selling traditional Indian food. So, Curry Up Indian Kitchen was born.

It began as delivery only, Daljit said.

Staff would produce curries, kebabs and chaat in Goodlife Foods Co.’s kitchen, which were shipped out. It was basically the same food, just presented differently, Daljit said.

Demand grew and led to a shift to a sit-down restaurant.

The Ahluwalias’ 26-year-old son wanted to open a Winnipeg location. So, the family launched Curry Up Indian Kitchen at 101 Regent Ave. West last May — a dine-in restaurant, where customers can order from two menus (Curry Up and Goodlife Foods).

“They’re saying it’s a little bit exhausting,” Daljit said with a laugh.

The strip mall at the corner of Grant Avenue and Kenaston Boulevard will be Curry Up Indian Kitchen’s second Winnipeg location.

This one will be fast-food-oriented with few tables.

The family has offers from customers who want to be franchisees, they said.

“We do not compromise with the quality,” Rakhi said, adding she’s open to franchising if it’s a good fit.

After all, “this business is my life,” she stated.

She suffered an aneurysm last summer, shortly after Curry Up Indian Kitchen launched in Winnipeg, but she was desperate to return to the business, she said.

She’s stepped back from cooking and focuses more on home-based operations.

Bharti Bhargav looks to Rakhi as a mentor.

“I want to have my own business,” said the 22-year-old, who immigrated from India last year.

Bhargav serves at Curry Up Indian Kitchen full time and works another job. The company provides “opportunities to learn about everything,” she said.

The Grant Avenue location didn’t have a set opening date as of Monday, though the owners hope to open mid-February.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com