Seeds popped in coconut oil, green chillies, tamarind, and lots of fresh coconut. Our flavours are smoky, spicy, earthy, and often served on banana leaves with an endless rice and pickles on the side. Perfect for a hot Melbourne summer.

Rogan Josh’s, Tandoors, Butter Chicken ... you'll find on the dinner table of our northern cousins. Expect North Indian food to be milder, with lots of dairy (ghee, cream, yoghurt) and tomato. Though don’t worry, we still cater for lower spice tolerance at Babajis.

Why do you eat with your fingers in the South?

Everyone’s welcome to eat with your fingers at Babajis. For us, eating with our fingers is connecting to the food, the land, our body and the moment. The texture of the rice, the crunch of the pappadum, the warmth of the curry, the crispness of a dosa – mix, scoop, and fold with care. It’s intuitive — an age-old ritual passed down through generations.

A little shy to try? That’s OK, we've got cutlery too.

What Kerala food really tastes like

We’re from a strip of green on India’s west coast, hugged by the sea on one side and misty mountains

on the other. The flavours reflect that - salty, spiced, sharp, fresh.

At Babaji’s, you’ll taste Kerala in:

• Our beef fry, dry-fried with coconut and pepper
• Fish curry, stewed in tamarind gravy
• Sambar, rasam, and coconut chutney served with dosa
• Our 13-dish sadya complete with pickles, payasam, and plenty of crunch

Want to know more about where it all began?

Read our story on what and where Kerala really is.

Keralan but plenty of love still for the North

We love a butter chicken as much as you do! So yes, we have a couple of North Indian dishes

to keep everyone happy. Butter chicken. Palak Paneer and everyone’s favourite ‘pani puri’.

See our whole menu here.

Never tried South Indian food before? We’re can’t wait to introduce you!’

And don’t worry, we’ll walk you through it. No judgement. No question too silly.

Find us in Belgrave or Warburton.

• Book a table
• Order takeaway
• See our menu
• Support our Pay It Forward meals
• Yes, we’re dog friendly