Many thanks to Memphis Tourism and I Love Memphis for sponsoring this post. We were given a gift card for our meal and compensated for this review.
We ordered take-out from Mayuri Indian Cuisine via their website and took the delicious dishes from East Memphis to the Justin Fox Burks Photo Studio in downtown Memphis to be able to capture the visual impact of these vegetable-packed, rich, spicy dishes. That long drive was torture. You know how it is these days with the aroma of favorite food wafting through the air as you wind your way to your destination!
The first thing you need to know is that we have a history. That’s right, we’ve followed Mayuri, Chef Krishna R. Chattu, and his family from their beginnings in the restaurant space in the Admiral Benbow Inn, which was located on Union Avenue in midtown Memphis, across the street from Methodist Hospital, nearly 20 years ago, to their current location out east on Quince near Kirby. Mayuri introduced us to Indian cuisine, and it’s continued to be our go-to spot. Over the years, Chef Krishna has even taught us the steps to create many of his star dishes. 
You may not know where to begin if you aren’t too familiar with Indian food. Okay, first: Samosas are universally loved for a good reason. Don’t skip them! To put it simply, samosas are potato, carrot, and sweet pea-stuffed pastry that’s fried and served with a sweet and sour tamarind dipping sauce.
If you want a deep cut that’s similar to a samosa, here’s the deal: we never, ever skip the Masala Dosa. It’s a huge, thin, crispy rice crepe with curried stuffing and a range of dipping sauces: spicy mint chutney, rich coconut chutney, savory eggplant chutney, and sambar, which is a sweet-and-sour vegetable soup. Tear into the giant Masala Dosa with your hands and dip away.
The Gobi Manchurian appears on the ‘Starters’ menu along with the Samosas. Imagine the best version of cauliflower hot wings with a curry twist. That’s it! It’s crispy cauliflower with curry leaves, onions, ginger, and hot peppers. It’s savory and the flavors are super concentrated and bold.
On the opposite end of the taste spectrum is Amy’s favorite dish, Vegetable Koorma. Described simply as “vegetables cooked with coconut and yogurt,” that’s the understatement of the year. It’s a rich, sweet, spicy stew. Imagine a coconut curry pot pie filling. That’s the best way to describe it to the uninitiated.
Your meals will come with rice and plain naan, which is traditional Indian flatbread. It’s like the best pizza crust you’ve ever had. It’s soft and crispy with charred edges. We always order extra garlic naan so that we have plenty on hand for leftovers, usually the next day’s breakfast.
Dessert is always Rice Kheer, with vermicelli noodles, tapioca pearls, nuts, dried fruit, and spices. If you’re a fan of pudding and pudding-esque desserts, this is for you.
Mayuri doesn’t serve wine or cocktails; however, there are plenty of other good beverages on the menu. The Mango Lassi and the Spicy Indian Tea are definitely worth trying.
Mayuri Indian Cuisine is open for takeout-only 7 days a week from 11:00am-2:30pm and 5:30pm-9:30 pm. The process these days works like this: Check out the menu on mayurimemphis.com and order and pay online. Once you arrive at the restaurant, call in to let them know you’re there, and your order will be brought outside all packed up, from what we’ve recently experienced and appreciated, and brought out on top of a rolling cart so you may pick it up at a safe distance.
Mayuri’s prices are affordable. For example, everything we describe here was about $45 plus tip. It was easily 4 servings. Each dish can be ordered mild, medium, or spicy on the site. Start with ‘mild’ and work your way up.
We owe our love and knowledge of Indian food to Mayuri and to Chef Krishna in particular. We plan on enjoying his amazing dishes for years to come.
Please join us in supporting Mayuri Indian Cuisine and our fabulous local restaurants in Memphis in any way you are able to this holiday season!
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