Sukhu and Ajit Kalra, owners of Bhoomi Modern Indian Grill, have expanded into the North Shore with their first full-service restaurant - Indus Progressive Indian Dining (617 Central Avenue, Highland Park). The concept officially opened in their hometown of Highland Park on June 7, 2024.
“Indus will introduce Chicagoland to progressive Indian cuisine that reimagines what modern Indian food should be, with a menu that will appeal to all palates - from Indian food aficionados to the uninitiated.” says Ajit Kalra, who was born in New Delhi, India, and is the son of culinary Indian giant Jiggs Kalra.
Indus is a progressive Indian dining concept that was inspired by The Indus Valley. The Indus people were the first to blend and combine spices for flavoring.
Sukhu and Ajit have been working for a year to create a menu that pays tribute to classic Indian cooking with options like biryani and curries, while introducing Indian fare such as Wagyu steaks adorned with varied Indian herbed compound butters and smoked brisket dry-rubbed with their blend of Indian fresh roasted spices. Indus will also offer a selection of wines and cocktails to compliment the flavors of their cuisine.
Indus is influenced by Ajit’s father, Jiggs Kalra, a chef, author and TV personality often referred to by the media as “the Czar of Indian cuisine” and “tastemaker to the Nation”. He was the first Asian to be inducted into the International Food and Beverage Gourmet Hall of Fame and served as an ambassador to Indian cuisine globally. He authored several cookbooks, and his restaurant was referred to as “his temple of new-age Indian cuisine” by the New York Times. This further inspired the Kalras to continue down Jiggs’ journey of proliferating Indian cuisine to the world. Unfortunately, Jiggs passed away in 2019, but his influence will live on through Indus and Bhoomi.
“Indus Progressive Indian Dining will not only offer an immersive experience of Indian food and drink, but an environment of purpose-driven, meaningful and positive impact on the community,” says Sukhu Kalra, who grew up in Chandigarh, India and applied her culinary knowledge from when she launched a food truck business in Chicago in 2012. Sukhu is passionate about social justice and ecological responsibility. She grew up with a farm to table, organic, pasture raised philosophy in her home, where her parents partnered with local farmers (even owned their own farm shares) to ensure access to fresh dairy, in-season produce, and choice cuts of meats with a focus on quality. That ingredient-driven philosophy drove Bhoomi, and now takes hold in sourcing and seasonal menu creation for Indus as well.
While leading the buildout for the new restaurant, Sukhu has also designed and styled the decor for Indus with murals, hand-crafted vases and table lamps reflective of ancient Indus Valley pottery, alongside custom-made tableware.
Sukhu and Ajit Kalra, owners of Bhoomi Modern Indian Grill, have expanded into the North Shore with their first full-service restaurant - Indus Progressive Indian Dining (617 Central Avenue, Highland Park). The concept officially opened in their hometown of Highland Park on June 7, 2024.
“Indus will introduce Chicagoland to progressive Indian cuisine that reimagines what modern Indian food should be, with a menu that will appeal to all palates - from Indian food aficionados to the uninitiated.” says Ajit Kalra, who was born in New Delhi, India, and is the son of culinary Indian giant Jiggs Kalra.
Indus is a progressive Indian dining concept that was inspired by The Indus Valley. The Indus people were the first to blend and combine spices for flavoring.
Sukhu and Ajit have been working for a year to create a menu that pays tribute to classic Indian cooking with options like biryani and curries, while introducing Indian fare such as Wagyu steaks adorned with varied Indian herbed compound butters and smoked brisket dry-rubbed with their blend of Indian fresh roasted spices. Indus will also offer a selection of wines and cocktails to compliment the flavors of their cuisine.
Indus is influenced by Ajit’s father, Jiggs Kalra, a chef, author and TV personality often referred to by the media as “the Czar of Indian cuisine” and “tastemaker to the Nation”. He was the first Asian to be inducted into the International Food and Beverage Gourmet Hall of Fame and served as an ambassador to Indian cuisine globally. He authored several cookbooks, and his restaurant was referred to as “his temple of new-age Indian cuisine” by the New York Times. This further inspired the Kalras to continue down Jiggs’ journey of proliferating Indian cuisine to the world. Unfortunately, Jiggs passed away in 2019, but his influence will live on through Indus and Bhoomi.
“Indus Progressive Indian Dining will not only offer an immersive experience of Indian food and drink, but an environment of purpose-driven, meaningful and positive impact on the community,” says Sukhu Kalra, who grew up in Chandigarh, India and applied her culinary knowledge from when she launched a food truck business in Chicago in 2012. Sukhu is passionate about social justice and ecological responsibility. She grew up with a farm to table, organic, pasture raised philosophy in her home, where her parents partnered with local farmers (even owned their own farm shares) to ensure access to fresh dairy, in-season produce, and choice cuts of meats with a focus on quality. That ingredient-driven philosophy drove Bhoomi, and now takes hold in sourcing and seasonal menu creation for Indus as well.
While leading the buildout for the new restaurant, Sukhu has also designed and styled the decor for Indus with murals, hand-crafted vases and table lamps reflective of ancient Indus Valley pottery, alongside custom-made tableware.
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