Malai Indian Cuisine takes over Tropez space in downtown St. Pete

The owners of the taste of Punjab restaurant in largo will open an indian restaurant in st. pete with an extension menu with traditional plates | St. Pete rising

The family behind the popular Taste of Punjab Indian restaurant in Largo has expanded to downtown St. Petersburg with a new restaurant serving traditional Indian dishes.

A few days ago, owners Rajinder Singh (also head chef) and Inderjit Kaur quietly opened Malai Indian Cuisine at 437 Central Avenue. The space was formerly home to Tropez which closed earlier this year.

“We love Largo, but we have so many customers asking us to bring our Indian food to St. Pete and this is the perfect space,” the owners said to St. Pete Rising.

Chicken Tikki Kebab marinated in spices, skewered, and cooked in a tandoor | Taste of Punjab

While Singh owns Paste of Punjab with another partner, Malai Indian Cuisine is a separate business that Punjab independently owns and is not considered a sister restaurant.

Named after malai, a type of heavy cream used in Indian cooking, Malai Indian Cuisine carries a similar menu to Taste of Punjab with popular dishes like butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, and more.

Although not currently available, Malai will eventually add a buffet.

The appetizer menu, which is split between vegetarian and non-vegetarian offerings, features a variety of Indian street food items like samosas, chaats, and pakoras.

Unique to the St. Pete location are the Chili Chicken Wings and Gobi Manchurian, which is breaded cauliflower that’s been fried and tossed in a chili garlic sauce.

Malai also has a menu of ten types of Tandoor bread, a type of flatbread that's a staple of South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines, such as Chicken Tikki Naan stuffed with homemade cottage cheese and Peshavari Naan, which is filled with a blend of cashews, raisins, coconut, and cherries.

A variety of dishes from Taste of Punjab in Largo | Taste of Punjab

The main plates include traditional dishes such as biryani, which is a seasoned and spiced mixed rice dish with meat (chicken, goat, lamb, beef, and shrimp), and different curry entrees made with korma (a creamy cashew sauce), tikka masala (a tomato sauce with bell peppers and onions), and vindaloo (a spicy curry sauce).

The majority of entrees are priced between $15 to $20.

Diners looking for something sweet after their meal can indulge in one of Malai's desserts such as the traditional gulab jamun, which are spongey milk balls soaked in warm sweet syrup and garnished with coconut, or mango and pistachio-favored kulfi “ice cream.”

The bar serves beer and wine and authentic non-alcoholic Indian drinks like masala chai, a beverage made by brewing black tea with fragrant spices, sugar, and milk; and mango lassi, a sweet chilled mango-flavored yogurt drink.