EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Pasoans who enjoy trying new things can get an authentic taste of India at the Curry Bowl in Northwest El Paso.
Suman Sirimulla, co-owner of the Curry Bowl, who was born and raised in India, says when he first came to El Paso, he noticed that there weren’t that many Indian food options, which inspired him to open up the Curry Bowl to share that culture and cuisine with the community.
“I wanted to bring that here and have the whole community experience those flavors,” Sirimulla said.
Sirimulla says the business initially opened up last year in May in Downtown El Paso, but they ended up moving to a bigger space last month in West El Paso.
“We were able to fortunately find this place. This is a good place because we have a playing area outside, so we wanted to serve the families so that they can come in and enjoy the food, enjoy the atmosphere, and enjoy their evenings,” Sirimulla said.
The Curry Bowl serves fresh authentic Indian cuisine and offers vegetarian and vegan options.
Sirimulla says their large menu includes authentic dishes such as chicken tikka masala, veg ball manchurian, and goat fry pulao, with some dishes having a modern twist. The restaurant also offers appetizers, curries, rice options, and protein options such as chicken, fish, shrimp, and goat meat. The meat is also Halal-certified, which caters to the Muslim community.
Sirimulla says the food is made to order and includes freshly ground spices, which adds to the flavor of the food.
“We take pride in making the food fresh,” Sirimulla said.
Sirimulla adds that some of the bread (naan) and some of the chicken dishes are cooked in a clay oven (tandoor), which gives the food a unique flavor.
The Curry Bowl follows a lot of practices and traditions, including the use of the clay oven and grinding fresh spices, to give food that authentic, rich flavor.
The Curry Bowl also offers desserts such as ice cream, lassi, which is a yogurt-based beverage, non-alcoholic, and alcoholic beverages.
Aside from the authentic food, the Curry Bowl also offers a modern decor that displays Indian culture.
“In villages, we used to have these kinds of chairs. So when Indian people come in, it reminds them of the old days,” Sirimulla said.
Sirimulla says he co-owns the business with Rahul Raparla, the head chef.
Raparla is from India, has over 20 years of experience in making authentic Indian cuisine, and is a “food artist,” Sirimulla shared.
Sirimulla says he was previously a professor at UTEP’s pharmacy school and focused on COVID-19 research.
He’s currently working in drug discovery research with another organization and adds that the restaurant is more of a hobby for him.
Sirimulla says the business has received a great response and adds that a lot of people are thankful for it.
“It’s been a great response here once we moved here. Here, we have a lot of families, so it’s been a great support from the community. They’re really showing up in large numbers, so we’re having a great response,” Sirimulla said.
Sirimulla says the Curry Bowl, located at 7470 Cimarron Market Ave., Building 15, Suite 300, has two sessions — lunch and dinner.
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for dinner on weekdays.
On the weekends, the restaurant offers a longer dinner session from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. They are open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the weekends, too.
The Curry Bowl is closed on Mondays.
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