Indian and South Asian groceries near Palo Alto

The Peninsula and South Bay are home to a large South Asian community and Palo Alto is part of it. Many families here cook dal, sabzi and roti several nights a week and stock up before Diwali, Eid and Navratri. Mainstream supermarkets carry basmati rice and a few spices, but for 20-pound bags of atta, a dozen kinds of lentils, fresh curry leaves, methi and tindora, shoppers head south on El Camino Real.

Inside Palo Alto, our directory lists one international grocery with an Indian section, Real Produce near California Avenue. Since one store does not make a full guide, this page widens to nearby Sunnyvale and Santa Clara and says where each store is. We checked every store on its own website or locations page, or in our verified directory, in late October and early November 2026. One chain's website looks out of date. We flag it below. Hours change on festival days, so check before a big shop.

Stores at a glance

In Palo Alto: Real Produce International Market

Real Produce International Market is a family-owned grocery at 501 Oxford Avenue, a block from the California Avenue business district. It is not an Indian store as such. Its aisles cover Middle Eastern, European, Eastern European and Indian foods, with grains, spices, dried fruit, nuts, sweets and a frozen section. That mix makes it the most useful stop in town when you need cumin seed, chana dal or a bag of basmati and do not want to drive.

The produce section is the core of the store, with local, seasonal, organic and imported fruit and vegetables. Dates get special attention. The meat counter is all halal, with chicken, beef and lamb cut to order. An in-store kitchen called Real Mediterranean Kitchen sells falafel, kebabs and shawarma. Its menu also lists tandoori chicken and samosas. The market says free underground parking is available. It takes online orders through ChowNow. Our California Avenue guide covers the surrounding streets.

Patel Brothers, Santa Clara

Patel Brothers is a national Indian grocery chain with stores in many states. Its locations page lists one California store, at 2039 El Camino Real in Santa Clara, open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday, with holiday hours that may vary. The chain's site highlights fresh produce, fresh rotis and chapatis, household items and a Fresh Kitchen section. The store also takes online orders. It is the most reliable big Indian grocery run from Palo Alto, about 20 to 30 minutes away by car.

New India Bazar, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara

New India Bazar is a family-owned chain that sells Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan groceries. Its website says it has served the Bay Area since 1992 and accepts EBT cards and SNAP benefits at every location. The two stores closest to Palo Alto are:

• Sunnyvale (Mary Ave.): 1340 South Mary Avenue, 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. every day.
• Santa Clara: 2213 El Camino Real, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.

The chain also lists stores in Milpitas, San Jose, Fremont, Dublin and Pleasanton. Its site promotes fresh produce every day and a wide range of spices, with a weekly sale that runs Friday through Monday. It also links to online ordering. One caution: the website shows no 2025 or 2026 date. Its secure address also showed an expired certificate when we checked in late October 2026. The store list may still be right, but call the store before you drive. Our Sunnyvale guide has more on the area.

What to buy where

Building a South Asian pantry

If you are setting up a kitchen in a new apartment, a first trip can feel overwhelming. Start with the basics and add as you cook:

1. Grains and flour. Basmati rice and a bag of whole wheat atta. Smaller bags keep better if you cook only a few times a week.
2. Lentils and beans. Toor dal, moong dal, masoor dal, chana dal and a bag of chickpeas or rajma.
3. Whole spices. Cumin, mustard seed, coriander seed, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves.
4. Ground spices. Turmeric, red chili powder, coriander and garam masala. Buy small packs and replace them every few months.
5. Cooking fats. Ghee and a neutral oil.
6. Pickles and chutneys. A jar of mango or lime pickle goes a long way.

Fresh ginger, garlic, green chilies and cilantro are easy to find at any Palo Alto supermarket and at the weekend farmers markets.

Festival shopping through the year

Indian grocery stores follow the festival calendar. The busiest weeks are easy to predict. In the autumn, Navratri and Diwali bring the biggest crowds of the year. Stores stock sweet boxes, dry fruit gift packs, diyas, rangoli colors and puja supplies. Lines for mithai can be long on the weekend before Diwali. Shop a week or two early for dry goods and leave only fresh sweets for the last few days.

Ramadan and the two Eids bring demand for dates, vermicelli for sheer khurma, halal meat and fried snacks. Real Produce's large date selection is useful here. In spring, Holi and Ugadi bring their own seasonal foods. Summer is mango season, when stores sell Indian and Pakistani mangoes by the box when imports are available. Pongal and Makar Sankranti in January call for jaggery, sesame and new-crop rice.

Exact festival dates shift each year with the lunar calendar. Store weekly ads usually announce festival stock a couple of weeks ahead.

Tips for a grocery run

• Go early. Fresh vegetables and rotis are best in the morning, before weekend crowds.
• Combine stops. Patel Brothers and New India Bazar's Santa Clara store are both listed on El Camino Real in Santa Clara. Call New India Bazar first, then plan one trip for both.
• No car? Most of these stores are hard to reach by transit with heavy bags. Visitors on a long stay can compare rental cars for a weekend stock-up.
• Check the date. Spices lose flavor fast. Look at packing dates on ground spices and buy the freshest stock.
• Ask about frozen goods. Frozen parathas, samosas and vegetables save time on weeknights.

For restaurants serving Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese food in town, see our Indian food guide and our page on Nepalese and Himalayan food. For halal restaurants, see our halal food guide.

Frequently asked questions