Photo by Jes Nijjer
BORN IN northwest India’s Jalandhar, Punjab, Japhi Singh grew up interested in bodybuilding and sports, particularly kabaddi, a popular style of wrestling played in teams. Kabaddi took him to Tauranga, New Zealand, but eventually, the pursuit took its toll. “I got hit on my nose, my teeth, my thumbs,” he says with a wistful smile.
So Singh pivoted to the Kiwi restaurant game, opening a fish and chips shop in the lakeside town of Rotorua. After he married his wife, Rajwinder, he moved to the U.S. to work as a truck driver and eventually settled in Greenwood. All the while, he longed for the food of his homeland, which has a rich agricultural heritage and is known for dishes such as paneer tikka (a dense cheese grilled with spices) and aloo paratha (a fluffy, potato-stuffed flatbread).
Those traditional dishes, as well as creamy shakes and falooda, are on the menu at Sabzi Mandi & Tadka, Singh’s market and restaurant. The operation opened in Greenwood this May with a menu of vegetarian Punjabi cuisine, a selection of quality produce, and shelves stocked with North Indian kitchen goods and staples.
Singh has already built a loyal customer base with daily TikTok videos that have generated hundreds of thousands of likes. The socially active businessman also sponsors local sports teams, donates food to local charities and hospitals, and spends his off hours volunteering with the World Sikh Parliament.
“Whatever you do, make your stamp,” Singh says. “I want to represent my culture and respect everyone who comes to me for a meal.”
894 U.S. Highway 31 N., Greenwood, 317-300-1233
