New Van Nuys Banana Leaf’s Opening Dish Surprise!

(Gerry Furth-Sides, Van Nuys photos by Sri Sambangi) Dosas and Chicken Dum Biryani define Southern Indian food. New Van Nuys Banana Leaf combines them into one spectacular dish! The newest Banana Leaf Outpost is at 6159 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91401,  (310) 735-3242. It’s new surprise dish combines two of the most authentic, popular and opposite Indian favorites!

The chef starts with a dosa, a form of firm crepe prepared on top of the stove and usually filled can be other worldly long.

Dum biryani is so tricky to prepare that when it is done properly, fans are fierce about them. Each region in Indian believes it makes the best although Hyderabad has the strongest reputation. Marinated ingredients are layered with rice. The pot is sealed and the ingredients simmer on the stove, often overnight, unseen until the minute it is finished. “dum biryani.”

The Hyderabad style means unbroken long grain basmati rice with seasoned, marinated chicken or Halal goat or egg and slow-cooked for hours. Only a talented, experienced chef knows when it is perfectly done.

These dishes are fit for royalty — just ask the RRR oscar-winning crew who ate them during their stay in LA! Other new dishes on the menu are pizza samosas; tikka masala French fries; egg bonda and Southern style egg omelettes. Check out the menu at //bananaleafexpressvunnuys.clorder.com/ordermenu.aspx

We start with a beautiful, paper-thin sheets of crisp, lightly browned dosa and the fermented long-grain rice batter. The creamy white “dough” for the three dosa taught was made from urad dal (green lentils  and long-grain white rice in equal parts , soaked in water and finely ground in an enormous stainless steer grinder with more water to make a heavy cream like batter. Sweet onions are sprinkled on top.

How are these wonderful dosas made? First one cup of dough is placed on the heated griddle, gently and quickly spread into a huge oval. The shaping and smoothing continues until the Paper Dosa is dry on top and golden on the bottom. Pure heaven.

Banana Leaf’s authentic Southern Indian regional dishes are exclusive to LA.  All meat is halal.  All protein is organic. All dishes are prepared from scratch with fresh ingredients and seasonal home-grown herbs. 

Sri and flagship Banana Leaf are already an integral part of the close-knit “Little India” community on this stretch of Venice Boulevard, known for serving the finest Southern regional Indian food in LA.  Following the charitable Hindu philosophy of adithi, five full meals are offered daily in Culver City to customers unable to pay.  

Sri’s innate cooking skills and high-tech expertise are augmented by his experience with close to 1000 chefs and restaurant owners Southern California in the past ten years.   As the founder-owner of Clorder, Inc, he designed a white label ethnic restaurant branding platform that also acted as restaurant liaison with wholesale delivery systems

Banana Leaf Restaurant’s full-service and drop-off catering division has expanded the menus of authentic Southern Indian regional dishes throughout Los Angeles County and Orange County. 

Banana Leaf can cater parties, ranging from informal rehearsal breakfast boxes to formal Sweet Sixteen Birthday Parties.  From 10 to 1000 guests have been served, sit-down or buffet style sit-down. It can also provide American and Indian tableware, decorations, informal or classic entertainment, location sites, plus still and video photography  (www.bananaleafla.com/menu). 

Multiple Kitchens Units in Culver City, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Pasadena and Alhambra prepare entire orders or contribute their own specialties.  There, experienced chefs can create menus of authentic homey or ceremonial dishes for religious and national holidays and special occasion parties, such as birthdays and weddings.

The flagship Culver City store kitchen always creates its signature biryanis.  These are offered in 12 varieties plus the recently added Mandi Biryani platters.  These generous sharing platters for four people are also available daily ($44 for food.) 

Banana Leaf celebrates five locations all over the Los Angeles area. Look for the logo at:

Flagship Banana Leaf,, Culver City 10408 Venice Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232, (310) 838-2130

Banana Leaf, DTLA, 701 W Cesar E Chavez Ave, Suite 107, Los Angeles, CA 90012,(213) 372 5590

Banana Leaf Outpost, 2302 Artesia Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278, (424) 247-9710

Banana Leaf Express, 2309 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405, (310) 310-2258

Coming soon: the Torrance location!