Sankranti Indian Kitchen may be new on the dining scene, but the practices of cooking and eating healthy Indian cuisine date back a long time. Owner and restaurateur Srinivasa “Nimms” Nimmagadda has crafted a menu brimming with flavorful benefits, thanks to key spices and ingredients.

Sankranti's dishes are prepared with traditional spices and techniques using ingredients sourced to align with Ayurvedic health. Ayurveda is a natural system of medicine that suggests health benefits through Indian spices such as cloves, ginger and turmeric.

“We put together a menu that encompasses the practices of healthy eating,” says Nimmagadda. “We use ghee and turmeric in all the dishes, as well as many other spices. Together, they combine to create the best health benefits for our customers.”

Ghee, a rich source of antioxidants and vitamins, is stirred into dishes that are carefully simmered with a multitude of spices. Other flavorful ingredients used at Sankranti include:

• Cloves: A pillar of Indian food, cloves are dried flower buds from the clove tree and one of the main components of garam masala.

  • Health benefits: Cloves are considered to enhance circulation, digestion and metabolism and help counter stomach disorders.

• Ginger: Ubiquitous in Indian cuisine, ginger has a sharp, fresh flavor and is used in pickles, chutneys, curry pastes and powders.

  • Health benefits: Ginger aids in digestion, enhances appetites, pacifies stomach problems and maintains joint and respiratory system health.

• Cumin: Adds warm, nutty flavors to dishes and provides an earthy tone to soups, daals and curries.

  • Health benefits: Cumin aids in balancing the three doshas (components that make up all universal life forces), aids digestion and helps flush toxins out of the body.

• Turmeric: This spice is mildly bitter and has a peppery-like mustard and ginger flavor.

  • Health benefits: Turmeric is said to help detoxify the liver, balance cholesterol levels, promote a healthy response to allergens, stimulate digestion, boost immunity and enhance the complexion.

• Cardamom: Essential in making masala chai, cardamom is one of many spices used in the garam masala spice mix.

  • Health benefits: Known as a tridoshic (balances the three doshas), cardamom is an excellent digestive aid.

• Saffron: Has a distinctively pungent, honey-like flavor and aroma.

  • Health benefits: It helps in the assimilation of nutrients, tissue formation and in flushing out toxins.

• Cinnamon: An aromatic herb used to flavor rich rice and vegetable dishes.

  • Health benefits: Used in Ayurvedic herbal preparations to enhance the bioavailability of other herbs.  

Guests can experience this healthy, flavorful cuisine for themselves at Sankranti Indian Kitchen. The varied menu includes curry bowls, kathi rolls, salads and samosas, plus homemade mango lassis and rose milk, all inspired by both the northern and southern regions of India. Protein options include tikka chicken, paneer (cheese), mango chicken and chana (chickpeas).

Sankranti Indian Kitchen is located at 237 Perimeter Center Parkway NE, Suite #H-56 in Dunwoody and is open for lunch and dinner, Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday 12-8 p.m. For more information, visit sankranti.com.