Exotic Places To Eat, Shop, And Explore In Los Angeles' Little India

Did you know – Culture Trip now does bookable, small-group trips? Pick from authentic, immersive Epic Trips, compact and action-packed Mini Trips and sparkling, expansive Sailing Trips.

Nestled inside the India Village – which looks like two small conjoined coliseums – is an irresistible over-the-counter ice cream shop. Saffron Spot was opened by Smita Vasant, the president and founder of Neemo Enterprises. She figured out how to amalgamate Eastern flavors, essences, and textures into a creamy scoop of sheer delight. So, for those who are tired of the same old flavors, be daring! Try some flavors that have never existed in the West before: saffron (flower threads), rose, cashew, cardamom, lychee, mango, khulfi (creamy Indian sweet) with pistachio and almonds, chikoo (tropical fruit), or rajbhog (orange cheese ball).

At this ‘pioneering’ restaurant on Pioneer Boulevard – established in 1985 – the menu of Jay Bharat includes enticing main dishes such as dhosas (crepes) and parathas (flatbreads) that can be stuffed or served with potatoes, vegetables, spices, chutney, or masala. Yogesh Morari, a Hindu vegetarian and the son of a Gujarati immigrant, recounts how his parents emigrated from India and opened this restaurant in the 1980s. At that time in Artesia, there were only two or three Indian shops, with one bakery and a pharmacy. Now, the family has a full line of popular catering traditions, yet they are still using recipes from their rural village of Kothambi. The restaurant’s name is noteworthy: ‘Jay,’ a special family member, and ‘Bharat,’ meaning India in Sanskrit.

Sit in a cushioned booth and sample sweets such as jelebis (deep-fried batter soaked in sugar) or the heavenly rasmalai dessert – cheese balls cooked in syrup and dunked in cream with cardamom and pistachios. Barfi is made of ingredients such as condensed milk, sugar, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, or almonds. According to Yogesh Morari, all the barfi and halwa sweets are made of condensed buffalo milk (khoya) from Ponta village in India. Also, enjoy some samosas (filled pastries), puries (unleavened deep-fried bread served with curry), and paneer dishes (fresh cheese). Special drinks such as mango lassi (a yogurt drink) and aromatic chai (tea) are popular at Standard Sweets and Spices.

Bombay Spices was opened in 1984 by a Punjabi (Sikh) entrepreneur, Surjit K. Batr. Forced to leave Uganda because of Idi Amin’s expulsion of Asians, she came to America via England. Later her husband, Bhupinder Singh Batr, arrived and they worked together. Bhupinder provided and tied turbans for Disney, and now his daughter-in-law, Jasvir Batr goes to India and brings back bangles (metal bracelets), hand-made wall hangings, wedding turbans, table runners, garlands, spices, and many cultural items. The family members welcome questions about religious figurines, the uses of the puja prayer plates, burning vessels, and offerings to the gods for puja worship.

Time for grocery shopping? Pick up one of the many varieties of basmati rice, canned pickles, gram flour snacks, dal (lentils), masala chai (spicy tea), spice powders, sweet chutneys or rice flour. Or how about herbal hair oil, medicinal herbs, ointments, teas, or henna powder? The Pioneer Cash and Carry has grocery carts and many frozen food cases. Alternatively, the Surati Cash and Carry and Ambala Cash and Carry establishments are a little more traditional – with the pungent aromas of spices wafting through the grocery store. Miscellaneous Indian wares, toys, and religious figurines are abundantly stacked up like the traditional bustling market places of India itself.

Try the amazing pani puri – potato and garbanzo beans and water encased in a spherical deep fried case. It must be swallowed in one bite! ‘Pani’ means water and ‘puri’ means fried bread. The Rasbhog vegetarian buffet is run by a Punjabi (Sikh) family. Savor and sample some tasty vegetarian dishes such as vegetable biryani (saffron spicy rice), pakoras (deep fried battered vegetable), gobi matter ( cooked spicy cauliflower), karela (bitter melon), chana masala (curried garbanzo beans), tori (cabbage), and saag (puréed spinach and mustard greens). At the Udapi Palace, indulge and try a South Indian vegetarian thali – a large round plate with mini bowls of rice, vegetable curry, pickles, yogurt, dal (lentils) and roti (wholemeal flat bread) and papadum (a wafer-thin spicy cracker).

Listen for Bollywood hit songs being blasted out the door of a tiny shop in the middle of a strip mall, and bravely step inside. Be whisked away to India. Gaze at the myriad of: carrom game boards, musical instruments (tabla drums, harmoniums, sitars, and flutes), bindhis (forehead decorations), incense sticks, Indian slippers, and jewelry. There might be discount music CDs for 99 cents or DVDs of Indian films. Hear the local customers asking to rent the latest Shah Rukh Khan film or requesting packages of colored powder to throw at each other during the Holi festival.

Drive about two miles north of Little India on Pioneer Boulevard to the city of Norwalk, and on the left side there are two Hindu temples – Shree Swaminarayan Temple and Sanatan Dharma Temple. Ask questions about the world’s oldest religion or possibly see statues of Hindu gods, and observe how offerings, prayers, and rituals are performed. Some Hindu statues of revered goddesses and gods inside the temples are: Ganesha (the good luck elephant-headed god), Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth), Rhada Krishna (the embodiment of love), and Shiva (for strength and meditation). It is customary to remove footwear before entering.