Finally, Greenville has an Indian food food truck.

Curry Leaf, which specializes in mostly southern and northern Indian, and nearly exclusively vegan and vegetarian cuisine, hit the streets in September, and is slowly rolling out a regular service schedule, and answering a long-uttered call from the Upstate’s hungry lot.

Curry Leaf’s origins can be traced to a little passion and a little nostalgia. Passion for cooking and nostalgia for the food owners Sampath Narayanan and Lakshmi Madabushi ate growing up. With their truck, they are bringing flavors and dishes from their native India to Greenville in a casual, approachable and authentic way.

“When somebody says Indian food, they just think chicken tikka masala, but there are hundreds and hundreds of Indian options,” says Narayanan, who’s day job is in software development and web design. “And when people think vegetarian they think just salad. Indian food is all about flavor.”

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Madabushi, who is the chef and primary owner of Curry Leaf, found a love for cooking and for creativity soon after she and Narayanan got married in 2003. Slowly, her kitchen experimenting became more frequent. Narayanan, a self-described “foodie,” was a welcome guinea pig and so the couple’s early relationship is marked by wonderful experimenting and growing in the kitchen.

While Madabushi earned a master’s degree in management, she decided to switch paths to pursue a culinary career. She worked in some kitchens in India, and in the United states, including at Spice, in Greenville.

Over the years, Madabushi developed her skills, but also her want for a greater variety of Indian food choices in Greenville. While she and Narayanan had lived in Greenville since 2003, they often traveled to Charlotte and Atlanta to get the Indian dishes they loved. These are the dishes that Curry Leaf is bringing to the table.

“The thing that we are looking for, they never serve,” Narayanan says. “So, our food truck will be the answer to that.”

Initially, the couple looked at opening a brick and mortar restaurant, but the prices of properties were too high, Narayanan says. They met Suzanne Marbert and Vaughn Ownbey at Old Mill Kitchen & Commissary, who suggested a food truck.

Curry Leaf currently uses Old Mill Commissary and Kitchen for all its food prep. The truck serves Friday through Saturday as well as Sunday at the Radha Indian Grocers parking lot, at 9 Hendrix Drive, Greenville, and also at local businesses and office parks on weekdays. Owners also are in talks with local breweries and are also hoping to service Clemson as well.

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The menu varies day to day but is mainly focused on Southern Indian and some Northern Indian cuisine, along with street food, with a heavy focus on organic and preservative free ingredients. The food truck also serves lesser known Indo-Chinese dishes, those influenced by the intersection of Indian and Chinese culture.

Expect to see dishes like samosa chaat (a traditional fried seasoned vegetable turnover with chutney and often yogurt sauce) and bhel puri (puffed rice and vegetables with a tamarind sauce) and pav bahaji (traditional savory and spiced vegetable curry served with crisp bread).

In addition, Madabushi also has created an authentic beverage and desert menu, including items like lassis and milkshakes made with ingredients like dates and custard apple.

Narayanan and the couple’s two children have been well-fed over the years, Narayanan said.

“In 17 years, I have hardly ever eaten outside,” he says with a laugh.

Curry Leaf’s prices range from $3 to $8. The food truck also offers catering and is just rolling out special deliveries as well. For orders of 10 or more, Curry Leaf will deliver to an office or business. Orders must be made at least a day before. For more, call 864-451-0267, or visit http://mycurryleaf.com.