Chindimani Indian Restaurant: Popular hawker chain with fluffy pratas & super tender chicken with large portions

Indian food is one of my favourite cuisines. From fluffy and crispy prata dishes to flavourful plates of briyani, I can’t get enough. As a lifelong resident of Khatib, I’ve always passed by Chindimani Indian Restaurant, but never got around to trying it until recently.

Despite having the word “restaurant” in its name, Chindimani Indian Restaurant is actually a stall in a coffeeshop in Khatib Central. The eatery has a few outlets in Singapore, including areas like Serangoon, Hougang and Bishan.

The stall can be easily spotted from its vibrant yellow and green signboard, with flower garlands hanging in front of it. With offerings ranging from assorted pratas to mee goreng and roti john, we were spoilt for choice!

What I tried at Chindimani Indian Restaurant

We first dug into Chindimani Indian Restaurant’s Chicken Murtabak (S$7.50). Unlike most other murtabak, which is served whole on a large plate, the stall had already pre-cut the murtabak into 4 triangular slices.

I was a little disappointed at how meagre the fillings were — the layers were significantly thinner than other Indian stalls I’ve dined at.

I liked how fluffy the eggs within were, and I found that they blended well with the crunchy onions and tender chicken within, though I would have liked for there to be more fillings.

The curry sauce served on the side had a nice kick to it. It helped to elevate the flavours of the murtabak nicely.

This dish could have been improved if it was a little more generous with the amount of fillings within its layers.

The Egg Cheese Prata (S$3) wasn’t super mindblowing either — we received a fluffy, rectangular-shaped prata wrapped around an egg and some cheese.

I must commend the extremely soft texture of the Egg Cheese Prata — the egg had a slightly jiggly consistency, while the cheese was tender and a bit stretchy.

The prata itself wasn’t very crispy — it leaned more towards the softer side, yet wasn’t doughy or dense. If you are someone who enjoys pillowy, fluffy pratas over the crispier kinds, this is for you!

My favourite dish at Chindimani Indian Restaurant was the Chicken Briyani (S$6). The plate came loaded with briyani rice, a huge curry chicken leg and a side of pickled vegetables. There had been a piece of crispy papadum served together with the dish, but unfortunately, the strong winds from the fans in the coffeeshop blew it away — RIP papadum!

The curry chicken was absolutely divine. The flesh was supremely tender and tore apart so easily from the bone. The curry sauce that it was drenched it was also rich and thick, perfectly complementing the chicken.

The briyani rice was well-cooked with a fluffy consistency. I liked how the dish came with achar as the tartness and slight sourness of the pickled vegetables helped to elevate the flavours of the dish, especially adding a bit of piquancy to the more neutral-tasting rice.

I wasn’t as impressed with Chindimani Indian Restaurant’s Nasi Goreng (S$4.50), unfortunately. The dish came with a heaping pile of fried rice topped with a fried egg and a piece of cucumber.

The fried egg had been cooked beautifully, as the yolk was slightly runny, giving the rice a pop of creaminess. However, the rice itself was a tad bland, despite its vibrant orange hue. Though there was a mixture of assorted vegetables cooked with the rice, it wasn’t enough to salvage it.

Perhaps Chindimani Indian Restaurant’s Nasi Goreng could have used a bit more ingredients to spruce it up, as I felt that it was lacking in the taste department. Maybe adding on a piece of chicken would do the trick. Its saving grace was undoubtedly its generous portions, so if you don’t mind nasi goreng that is a bit less intense in flavours, this dish may be up your alley.

Final thoughts

The dishes at Chindimani Indian Restaurant were all pretty satisfying, albeit nothing mind-blowing or super exceptional. I especially enjoyed how large the portions of the food were, given how affordable each dish was.

Do give their Chicken Briyani a go, as I found that to be the most outstanding dish. Lovers of fluffy prata should dine here too — personally, I prefer crispier pratas, but I definitely commend how airy and light their version is!

Expected damage: S$1.30 – S$8 per pax

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