Indus Progressive Indian is marking its second anniversary in Highland Park with the launch of Indus 2.0, a new menu that places a greater emphasis on shared plates while retaining a selection of the restaurant’s full-size entrées. Husband-and-wife team Ajit and Sukhu Kalra opened Indus at 617 Central Ave. in summer 2024, focusing on modern interpretations of Indian cuisine, scratch-made dishes and regional spices and techniques.
The Kalras, longtime Highland Park residents, previously introduced their cooking through Bhoomi Modern Indian Grill, which opened at Chicago’s former Urbanspace food hall in September 2021. They initially planned a second fine-dining concept in Lincoln Park but shifted those plans following the July 2022 Highland Park Fourth of July parade shooting, choosing instead to open in downtown Highland Park. Ajit is the son of the late Jiggs Kalra, the Indian restaurateur, food writer and television personality. Since opening, Indus has been named Best Suburban Restaurant in the Chicago Tribune’s 2024 Readers’ Choice Food Awards and has received recognition from Eater Chicago.
The Indus 2.0 menu expands the restaurant’s selection of smaller dishes intended for sharing. New additions include eggplant chutney, Lamb Keema pao, halibut in citrus butter, crispy tangy Bhel, duck kebabs with balsamic reduction, chargrilled lamb chops with herb chimmichutney and pork belly vindaloo that is cured for seven days, hickory-smoked for 12 hours and braised in a sauce fermented for three days. Full-size dishes remain available, including the 20-hour smoked masala brisket; dough-sealed biryanis with vegetables, pasture-raised chicken or grass-fed goat; Executive Chef Vetri’s coastal fish curry; and vegan coconut curry. Mamma’s cholle, based on a chickpea recipe from Sukhu’s mother and served with crispy poori, also remains on the menu.
The beverage program continues to feature Indian spirits, housemade syrups and extracts in cocktails including the Kokum Mezcal, Indian Bird and Dirty Chai Martini, along with made-from-scratch zero-proof drinks. The wine list ranges from Indus’ exclusive McArthur Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc from Central Otago, New Zealand, to Old and New World selections, with a Coravin reserve program offering limited-production wines by the glass.
"When we opened Indus two years ago, this wasn't just a restaurant to us; it was our way of bringing something good back to a community we love, at a moment when it needed it," said Ajit Kalra, co-owner of Indus Progressive Indian. "Everything we do here is about honoring food as an experience, not just a meal. This new menu is an invitation to slow down, share the table with the people you love, and discover even more of what Indian cuisine can be."
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Indus Progressive Indian is marking its second anniversary in Highland Park with the launch of Indus 2.0, a new menu that places a greater emphasis on shared plates while retaining a selection of the restaurant’s full-size entrées. Husband-and-wife team Ajit and Sukhu Kalra opened Indus at 617 Central Ave. in summer 2024, focusing on modern interpretations of Indian cuisine, scratch-made dishes and regional spices and techniques.
The Kalras, longtime Highland Park residents, previously introduced their cooking through Bhoomi Modern Indian Grill, which opened at Chicago’s former Urbanspace food hall in September 2021. They initially planned a second fine-dining concept in Lincoln Park but shifted those plans following the July 2022 Highland Park Fourth of July parade shooting, choosing instead to open in downtown Highland Park. Ajit is the son of the late Jiggs Kalra, the Indian restaurateur, food writer and television personality. Since opening, Indus has been named Best Suburban Restaurant in the Chicago Tribune’s 2024 Readers’ Choice Food Awards and has received recognition from Eater Chicago.
The Indus 2.0 menu expands the restaurant’s selection of smaller dishes intended for sharing. New additions include eggplant chutney, Lamb Keema pao, halibut in citrus butter, crispy tangy Bhel, duck kebabs with balsamic reduction, chargrilled lamb chops with herb chimmichutney and pork belly vindaloo that is cured for seven days, hickory-smoked for 12 hours and braised in a sauce fermented for three days. Full-size dishes remain available, including the 20-hour smoked masala brisket; dough-sealed biryanis with vegetables, pasture-raised chicken or grass-fed goat; Executive Chef Vetri’s coastal fish curry; and vegan coconut curry. Mamma’s cholle, based on a chickpea recipe from Sukhu’s mother and served with crispy poori, also remains on the menu.
The beverage program continues to feature Indian spirits, housemade syrups and extracts in cocktails including the Kokum Mezcal, Indian Bird and Dirty Chai Martini, along with made-from-scratch zero-proof drinks. The wine list ranges from Indus’ exclusive McArthur Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc from Central Otago, New Zealand, to Old and New World selections, with a Coravin reserve program offering limited-production wines by the glass.
"When we opened Indus two years ago, this wasn't just a restaurant to us; it was our way of bringing something good back to a community we love, at a moment when it needed it," said Ajit Kalra, co-owner of Indus Progressive Indian. "Everything we do here is about honoring food as an experience, not just a meal. This new menu is an invitation to slow down, share the table with the people you love, and discover even more of what Indian cuisine can be."
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Location
617 Central Avenue, Highland Park, IL
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