Indian-style veggie delights

Samantha Osaduke
Contributor
When you first walk into Annapurna, you feel as though you’ve entered a calm and relaxing space.
The only sound in the cell phone-free space is the water fountain; a soft blue and green mural of a temple and Hindu deity statues takes up the wall.
Although Annapurna is generally quiet, it’s always filled with diners; after you seat yourself, you’re greeted by a server wearing a sari.
When ordering something to drink, I would highly recommend the regular lassi or the masala chai. A lassi is a flavoured yogurt drink with rose water, cardamom and sugar. They also have a mango lassi if you’re craving something sweeter. The masala chai has sweet spices in a milk and tea mixture, but you can sweeten it even more with some honey.
They’ve also got seasonal drinks; in the summer, that includes delicious watermelon juice.
Annapurna is a vegetarian restaurant, and their dishes are full of flavour. Their sambar, lentil dhal and vegetables is an ideal starter dish; it comes in a warm cup or bowl, ideal for a cold winter’s day.
Another great starter is their falafel plate: the large is a mere $5, and it can easily be split between two people at lunch.
One of my favourite appetizers is the bonda: deep fried, gingery potato and vegetable balls in a chick pea batter with coconut chutney. The chutney is delicious on its own, and balances the spiciness of the ginger in the potato.
I would highly recommend adding any of the light and crispy puri – that’s a soft and puffy deep-fried bread – to your meal for only $1.25.
To finish off your meal, Annapurna offers unique desserts sure to please your appetite and your wallet. For something small, I highly recommend the carob ball for $1.75. These taste great are are pretty healthy, too, since they’re made of peanut butter, honey, carob powder, coconut, raisins, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds and are non-dairy.
Alternatively, you could try the maple hemp ice. You will be pleasantly surprised by the sweet maple, which accentuates the hemp’s nuttiness. The texture is unlike that of traditional ice cream, and the flavour is similarly indescribable – it’s a must-have at Annapurna.
If you are looking to try Indian vegetarian food, Annapurna is the ideal place. Best of all, it’s a place where any student can get a delicious and healthy meal on any budget – even their desserts.
The servers are friendly and the atmosphere is very relaxed; the food is consistently good, and the daily specials allow you to try something different every time. You won’t be disappointed.