Meet Chef Pradyut Bansal of Chaatwala, April’s Up NXT Resident
Chef Pradyut Bansal of Chaatwala brings his Indian street food concept to Up NXT at BearLeek in RiNo every Sunday this April.
Chaatwala began as a way for Chef Bansal to reconnect with home. When he couldn’t find the dishes he grew up loving in India, he began teaching himself to cook them. Eventually, he left his job as a software engineer to launch Chaatwala as a pop-up at local farmers markets, sharing the recipes he missed most while building community through food.
Despite never working in a professional kitchen before starting the business, Chef Bansal quickly built a loyal following through nostalgic dishes inspired by Indian street food traditions. At the heart of his cooking is a commitment to authenticity and flavor, with ingredients prepared from scratch to recreate the tastes he remembers from childhood.
Chef Bansal’s signature Masala Dosa featured on his menu during his Up NXT residency at BearLeek in the RiNo Art District.
One dish especially close to his heart is masala dosa, a fermented crepe made from rice and lentils. The batter is soaked, ground, and fermented before being spread thin across a hot pan in a delicate balance of heat, water, and oil. The technique was passed down through his grandmother, who taught him that cooking is as much about intuition as it is about recipes.
“There’s no right or wrong way,” Chef Bansal said. “You make it the way you want to eat it.” For him, that means plenty of flavorful chutney. “My dosa is a vehicle for the chutney.”
For his Up NXT residency, Chef Bansal plans to showcase the diversity of Indian cuisine through evolving menus inspired by regional specialties and personal favorites. His goal is to invite diners to explore the depth and variety of Indian food beyond the dishes most commonly seen in Colorado.
Chaatwala also offers an educational experience for diners unfamiliar with Indian cuisine. “I encourage everyone to say what they order,” Chef Bansal said. “You might not say it perfectly, and that’s okay, but saying it out loud helps you remember what you had and enjoyed.”
Through Chaatwala, Chef Bansal shares the joy and nostalgia of Indian street food while introducing diners to the rich flavors and traditions of his culture.
Reservations for Chef Bansal’s April residency at BearLeek are now available. Reserve your table today.
