Hold on a minute missy, and put that bottom lip away. Why travel halfway across of the globe for a bit of curry on the tongue, when right here in Chicago we are blessed to have a little bit (okay, a lot a bit) of India concentrated on the northside of the city, on west Devon Avenue. Take a wander west of Western Avenue, down Devon Avenue, and you will feel as if you were transported to a Mumbai shopping district: restaurants representing all regions of India, snack & sweets shops (can you say Annapurna? yum), sari shops, Bollywood rental shops, eyebrow threading shops, but I digress. I am supposed to focus on markets dedicated to food. right? Well, no need to succumb to the big box, spendy supermarket, right in the middle of this strip of Devon Avenue are two of my favorite markets, and only a few doors from each other: Fresh Farms and Patel Brothers.

Start at Patel Brothers and wow, one foot in the door and your nostrils are greeted by the heady scent of spices. Corriander, tumeric, cumin, fennel, cardamom, ginger...I could go on but trust me, everything you will need to create your own masala or curry. And cheap, cheap, cheap. That is the wonderful thing about both Patel Brothers and Fresh Farms, your dollar goes oh so much further than it does at Whole Foods, Dominicks, or Jewel.

And since an Indian meal is not complete without rice (in southern India), or breads (in northern regions of India), you will be able to find not only rice, but a huge assortment of lentils (who knew there where so many varieties), grains, and flours to try your hand at homemade naan, puris and chapattis. Not that ambitious? Fresh and frozen breads can be had at Patel Brothers. One could get lost for awhile here, perusing the barrels of snack mixes, the pickle station, the ready-made food stuffs, and I am not even going to mention the rosewater ice cream, h-e-a-v-e-n.

Now, Patel Brothers does have a produce section, but may I suggest, once you are done stocking up on dry goods, and spices for the Indian feast you are going to make (I have inspired you right?), head a few yards west to Fresh Farms for super fresh and delicious, and super inexpensive produce. Your standard fruits and veg, and then things you are so not going to find at your local chain grocery store, bitter melon for instance. Fresh Farms definitely caters to the Indian community, but they don't stop there. Food products from South Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East are to be had. Hard to drag myself from the olive and feta bar. Oh, then there is the assortment of Greek sweets...getting even harder to be virtuous, and stick to resolutions here. But wait, just when I am about to cave, right in the front of the store is a fresh juice bar. Phew, just in time to get me back on a healthy track.

The vibe in this neck of the city is energizing, and never more so than on the weekends. Remember, patience is a virtue when looking/waiting for parking. May I suggest, if you have the opportunity to get up to Devon Avenue during the week do so, and you will find the parking situation much less stressful. No matter what, once you get all your goods for Indian cooking home, all the stress of the hunt will waft away in simmering spices.