Chai Pani
Indian · Union Market District · 1325 5th St NE Ste A, Washington, DC 20002 · Union Market
Open until 2:30 PM
Menu
45 items · checked October 1, 2026
Chaat & Street Food9
Brightly flavored shareable nibblies served by street vendors all over India.
- 13Toasted puffed up puris stuffed with potato, red onion & cilantro, with sweet yogurt, tamarind & green chutneys & topped with sev (crunchy chickpea noodles). #onebite (vegetarian)
- 14Puri, puffed rice, boondi, corn poha (Indian corn flakes), sev (crunchy chickpea noodles), onion, cilantro, roasted peanuts, tamarind & green chutneys, bhel mix, pomegranate. A sweet, spicy, salty, tangy party in your mouth. (vegan)
- 14Roasted sweet potatoes, pomegranate, masala cashews, golden raisins, red onions, cilantro & corn poha; tossed with tamarind & green chutneys. (vegan, gluten-friendly)
- 15Our iconic kale fritter chaat with sweet yogurt, tamarind chutney, green chutney, grapes, melon seeds & green mango powder. (vegetarian, gluten-friendly)
- 13Julienned “okra fries” tossed with salt & seasoning, served with a lime wedge. Okra like you’ve never had it - one of our signature dishes. (vegan, gluten-friendly)
- 15Spicy potato fritters served on cholle (chickpea stew) topped with tamarind & green chutneys, sweetened yogurt & sev (crunchy chickpea noodles). (vegetarian)
- 15A hearty bowl of shredded green & red cabbage, carrots, scallions, & roasted cashews topped with toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, & sev (crunchy chickpea noodles), with a cumin-lime vinaigrette. (vegan, gluten-friendly)
- 13Crispy tater & tapioca tots seasoned with green chillies, curry leaves, cumin & ginger. Served with Maggi hot & sweet ketchup. (vegan, gluten-friendly)
- 18Indo-Chinese classic originating in the kitchens of the Hakka-Chinese community in Kolkata. Battered boneless chicken tossed with onions, bell peppers, curry leaves, in a ginger-chilli-soy sauce.
Pav4
Street sandwiches concocted to feed hungry workers outside the textile mills in Mumbai.
- 16The OG. Spiced potato dumplings fried in curried chickpea batter topped with mint & tamarind chutneys. Served on two griddled pav with fried chillies. (vegetarian)
- 16Spiced lamb hash simmered with tomatoes, ginger & aromatic spices. Garnished with onions & cilantro, green chutney, sweet yogurt & served on two toasted pav. The most awesome Sloppy Joe ever.
- 16Kashmiri Fried Chicken sandwich - chicken breast brined in buttermilk, mint & chilli on toasted, buttery pav with Maggi-mayo & sweet pickles.
- 17Spicy & tangy mixed vegetable hash served with toasted, buttery buns, chilies, onions, and cilantro. A street food classic created to feed the hungry mill-workers of Bombay. (vegetarian)
Sigri2
From the grill.
- 25Chargrilled paneer & green peppers marinated in red chilli, yogurt, fenugreek & garam masala. (vegetarian, gluten-friendly)
- 26Chargrilled beef sirloin marinated with green papaya, red chilli, yogurt, poppy seed & aromatic masalas. Served with tamarind-onion laccha & lime. (gluten-friendly)
Uttapam2
Savory South Indian fermented pancakes.
- 18Exotic mixed mushrooms, scallions, green chilli, ginger & curry leaf. Served with coconut chutney & ghee-podi. (vegetarian, gluten-friendly)
- 18Shredded cheese, onion, green chilli, ginger & curry leaf. Served with coconut chutney & ghee-podi. (vegetarian, gluten-friendly)
Specialties5
- 22Grilled chicken tikka in an oh-so-over-the-top tomato-cream-butter sauce with jaggery, roasted garam masala & aromatics. Served with jeera rice. (gluten-friendly)
- 25Fresh paneer (Indian farmer's cheese) in a decadent cashew-cream gravy with fenugreek, green peas & cardamom. Served with jeera rice. (vegetarian, gluten-friendly)
- 27Parsi shrimp curry from the Indo-Persian kitchens of Gujarat. Tangy & sweet with tamarind, jaggery, tomatoes & cilantro. Served with jeera rice. (gluten-friendly)
- 34Slow braised lamb shank in a village style blackened onion masala with green chilli, coriander & roasted coconut. Served with jeera rice. (gluten-friendly)
- 15Spicy Andhra homestyle yellow daal with tomato, green chilies, sesame oil & curry leaves. Served with jeera rice. (vegan, gluten-friendly)
Drinks8
- 7A thirst-quenching classic from the streets of Mumbai, bursting with fresh lime & the Perfect Pinch of Salt.
- 7Meherwan’s childhood favorite, made fresh daily with raspberries, sugar & fresh lime.
- 7Our very own Spicewalla Golden Milk blend, mixed with a touch of fresh lime & sweet pineapple.
- 7A picture of tangy and juicy excellence, complete with dates, fresh lime & jaggery.
- 7An explosion of savory Indian spice, brimming with toasted cumin, fresh ginger & lemon, and a sensible pinch of chilli peppers.
- 7Cool off, friend: Indian sweet mango blended to velvet smooth with yogurt & cracked cardamom.
- 5There’s always another pot brewing: Indian whole spices & black tea with fresh sweet milk & a touch of sugar.
- 5Our housemade chai, tweaked just enough to drink right on when served over ice.
Cocktails10
- 16The first class refresher. Gin infused with fresh lemongrass, served tall with Indian tonic & a hint of bergamot.
- 16Tequila, orange, & fresh lime meet tamarind, ginger & cumin. A touch of Spicewalla Chili Lime Salt makes it complete, Bhai!
- 16Our take on a Pimm’s Cup more at home at a cricket match than at Wimbledon. It’s the savory gin lemonade perfect for our food.
- 16All the flavors of our famous pani puri: vodka infused with green chillies, fresh ginger, cilantro, mint & cumin. With a touch of tamarind & a whisper of dry vermouth.
- 16Like a sunset over the plateaus of Maharashtra. Vodka shaken with herbal liqueur, Indian turmeric, sweet pineapple & fresh lime.
- 16Ekdam! The DC classic done right, with London dry gin, fresh lime & raspberry. Served tall with soda.
- 16The perfect cocktail to showcase the quirkiness of chaat masala, shaken with aged rums, fresh lime & grapefruit.
- 16Actually, it’s Meherwan’s favorite. Añejo tequila stirred with Campari, fresh lemon, rose & a hint of mezcal.
- 16A first rate update: a big cube stirred with Indian & rye whiskeys, jaggery & cardamom bitters.
- 16Our answer to the espresso martini: sweetened South-Indian kaapi (filter coffee with chicory) shaken with vodka & chai masala.
Sweet Interruptions5
- 7Condensed milk dumplings fried in pure ghee & soaked in rose-cardamom syrup.
- 11Bengali steamed yogurt custard with pistachios, raisins, & saffron. Served chilled.
- 10Thick carrot-based pudding with khoya, sugar, cardamom, & cashew. Served with rabdi (sweet, thickened cream).
- 8A frozen take on our house-made coconut chutney. Coconut sorbet infused with hints of ginger, curry leaf, & cumin. Topped with a chocolate shell. (vegan, gluten-friendly)
- 6Ask about available flavors.