If we told you there was an Indian menu incorporating eastern European ferments, splashed with a piece of Sydney’s buzzing café culture, minus the coffee - would you give it a go?
This Bondi eatery is a probiotic-themed, 100% gluten-free and vegan-friendly café, bringing wholesome and affordable southern Indian-style eats into the spotlight.
Exhibit A: their most popular Masala and Indian Falafel dosa wraps, filled with Indian-spiced potatoes, apple slices and curry kraut.
For the past three years, this 40sqm canteen has been putting on quite the spectacle and that is largely due to the hospitality and vibrant menu run by mother-daughter duo Nalini and Vidya Raman with the support of friend Harry Lubitz.
Masala Wrap: Indian spiced potatoes, apple slices, curry kraut, coriander with mint coriander sauce and chilli date tamarind sauce. Indian Falafel Wrap: Indian falafels, tabouli, probiotic hummus, za'atar kraut with dill tahini sauce. Source: Nalini's Wholesome Street Food
Everything we do is a real labour of love.
Coming from a stressful corporate background and battling her own health complications and digestive issues, Vidya sought a sea change and wanted to get her health back on track. “For a long time I was in a whirlwind – seeing doctors, GPs, specialists, endocrinologist and gastroenterologist and I was being passed along to test after test and it was after I reinvited more probiotic foods and vegetables back into my diet that I began to see a major shift with my digestive system and my health,” she tells SBS.
This was enough to reignite her passion for wholesome food and so, Vidya took charge of her southern Indian heritage and embraced Ayurveda principles. “For me, Nalini’s represented a lifestyle shift and just like me, I knew there would be other people out there who might be on the lookout for a change in their diet and this was a massive opportunity," she explains. Vidya's mother is a sensational cook and this marked the beginning of a fantastic business venture that explores the relationship between food and health, in particular, gut health, based on Ayurveda.
All their dishes are made on premises each and every day and tap into rich Indian home-style dishes. The only things they buy are the raw ingredient themselves - rice, lentils and spices – and they try to steer clear of using heavily processed foods as much as possible - even going as far as to make their own chickpea tofu, as well. “Basically, it’s mum and me who run and manage the kitchen and it’s really like you’re coming over for lunch and dinner at our house and everything we do here [at Nalini's] is a real labour of love,” says Vidya who herself, eats at Nalini’s every day and really takes pride in what she and her mother have crafted.
Pairing the compatible foods according to Ayurveda practice according to the seasons and with the correct combination of spices is the easiest way to describe what is Nalini’s is all about.
Everything that is prepared at Nalini’s is based on the six taste principles of Ayurveda - sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent – and the belief that if you eat a meal that combines all the six tastes than you will eat a well-nourished, balanced and satisfying meal. “Ayurveda focuses on the right combinations and pairings of spices and food inline with your gut and body.” And no, an Ayurvedic diet doesn’t simply mean eating only boiled rice, steamed vegetables and green salads, it’s based on specific practices that can be applied to any type of cuisine. The main principle is Agni: meaning “fire”. Agni is connected to the enzymes and the ability and capacity to break down and digest our foods. 
“Pairing the compatible foods according to Ayurveda practice according to the seasons and with the correct combination of spices is the easiest way to describe what is Nalini’s is all about. The whole premise of Ayurveda is that each body is different, all of us are all inherently different and there is no one-size-diet that fits all,” says Vidya.
Indian falafels from Nalini's Wholesome Street Food eatery. Source: Nalini's Wholesome Street Food
Fennel, cumin, coriander and mustard seeds, clove, nutmeg and star anise are a few of the spices they incorporate on a daily basis. And these are all said to increase and maintain ‘digestive fire’.
What we want is for people to understand we are more than just an Indian restaurant and that there's a passion and principle system behind what we do.
“We initially didn’t want to push the “Ayurvedic restaurant” angle because many people didn’t necessarily know what it was. What we wanted was to introduce and share with the community the nourishing foods that we eat every day with our customers and let the food speak for itself,” says Vidya. One thing the pair have absolutely appreciated is their warm reception and their customer base, so much so, it’s actually surprised them as many of their best customers aren’t actually vegan or those practising Ayurvedic – on the contrary, they’re local tradies and hefty meat eaters.
“What we want is for people to understand we are more than just an Indian restaurant and that there is a passion and a principle system behind what we do,” says Vidya. But regardless if you know anything Ayurveda or not, one thing’s for sure, Nalini’s is all about delivering a big bang in the flavour department.
Alongside their dosa wraps, you can enjoy their Indian falafel salad bowls, warming soups, creamy porridge and their Ayurvedic thali consisting of a selection of curry, rice, and spiced vegetables.
And they also have a nutrient-packed drinks menu from probiotic smoothies – featuring cacao and banana as well as apple pie – to their Masala chai and their signature Ayurvedic turmeric latte perfect for that 3pm slump, minus the caffeine though. These drinks are packed full of spices and for a natural herbaceous kick, which is going to give you a slower-release of energy, but still, keeps you calm and focused.
And yes, their menu still embraces dessert and you can dive into their sweet potato mousse as well as a selection of dairy-free, refined sugar-free and gluten-free ice creams based on their very own house-made cashew butter and sweetened with rice milk. With several flavours on rotation, keep your eyes peeled for halva and their turmeric mylk chocolate.
And in case you haven't made the connection, they're also the masterminds behind Australia’s first cashew butter-based vegan ice cream pop-up and this week they've just opened their third venture with their brand-new sister location to Nalini’s Wholesome Street Food, but in Waverley.
“What we want to do at our second Nalini’s location is really celebrate the actual philosophy behind Ayurveda and teach people about what we do while also educating them on how to adapt this food and principles at home,” says Vidya. Stay tuned as they launch their cooking classes and workshops once they’ve fully settled into the neighbourhood, which we’re predicting won’t be that long.
Mon-Sat 8am - 9pm
1/1 Newland St, Bondi Junction, NSW 2022
263 Bronte Road, Waverley, NSW 2024
