Annapurna Simply Vegetarian: What’s Vegetarian Editorial Review

Annapurna Simply Vegetarian is a family-run Indian restaurant on Devon Avenue in Chicago, and every dish on its menu is meatless. It calls itself Chicago’s oldest vegetarian restaurant and says it opened in 1982, before Devon Avenue became known as Little India. A second Annapurna operates in Hoffman Estates, so this profile covers the brand, with the Devon Avenue restaurant as the example. The menu uses ghee, paneer, yogurt, and cheese, which makes it vegetarian rather than vegan.

The Devon Avenue menu runs long. Snacks start at the Aloo Tikki Plate ($2.99 for two pieces) and the Samosa Plate ($3.95), and both come with cilantro and tamarind chutneys. The chaat section is the biggest draw. Samosa Chat costs $10.95, with smashed samosas under chickpeas, yogurt, sev, and chutneys. Papri Chat runs $9.95, Dahi Sev Puri $10.95, and Raj Kachori Chat $10.95. You can also order Live Pani Puri, six pieces for $7.49, filled to order. Chole Bhature ($12.95) pairs spiced chickpeas with two pieces of fried bread, and the restaurant says it makes the bhatura with all-purpose flour and yogurt.

South Indian food gets its own section, with sambhar, coconut chutney, and tomato-onion chutney on the side. The Masala Dosa costs $11.99 and wraps a rice and lentil crepe around spiced potatoes and onions. Pricier versions include the Mysore Masala Dosa ($13.99), the Paneer Masala Dosa ($13.99), and the Chef Special Dosa ($15.99), which fills the crepe with onion, paneer, cheese, potato masala, and garlic chutney. Idli Sambhar and Vada Sambhar cost $8.49 each. Uttapams run $10.99 to $11.49. The kitchen cooks the Ghee Roast Dosa in ghee, so vegans should skip that dosa and the cheese dosas.

For a full meal, order the Special Gujarati Thali ($16.99). You get two daily vegetables, a dal or kadhi, rice, three puri or roti, raita, papad, pickle, a sweet, and a snack. The vegetable list covers Aloo Gobi, Bhindi Masala, Chana Masala, Daal Makhani, Baingan Bharta, Malai Kofta, and Matar Paneer, and prices start at $8.99. Platters pair one, two, or three vegetables with rice, bread, pickle, and salad for $8.99 to $12.99. Weekday specials on the site rotate through Daal Dhokri on Monday, Moong Bhaji on Wednesday, Daal Fry on Thursday, and Khichdi Kadhi on Friday.

Jain diners have options. The menu offers a Jain Bhel Puri without onion, garlic, or potatoes, and a Peas Uttapam labeled for Jain diets. Parathas come stuffed with potato, fenugreek, radish, onion, or paneer, and each arrives with chana masala, raita, and salad. Fries, a veggie burger, and Vada Pav fill out the casual side of the menu.

Here is the kitchen situation for vegans. No meat or fish enters the building, and that makes the kitchen safe for lacto-vegetarians. But dairy sits on many dishes, from the yogurt in the chaat to the paneer and the ghee, and the menu doesn’t mark vegan items. If you eat vegan, ask which chutneys, breads, and curries skip dairy before you order.

The Devon Avenue restaurant opens at 11 am and closes at 9 pm Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. It closes at 10 pm on Friday and Saturday, and it stays shut on Tuesday. The address is 2600 W. Devon Ave. and the phone is (773) 764-1858. The Hoffman Estates restaurant sits at 721 W Golf Rd and takes calls at (847) 278-0760. Both locations take online orders for pickup and delivery, and the brand runs a catering service for weddings and corporate events.

The items we checked run from $2.99 to $16.99. Arrive hungry, order a chaat and a dosa, and share both.