Five Chutneys is a vegetarian Indian restaurant on Azimio Street in Arusha, serving dishes that follow Jain dietary principles — no root vegetables, garlic or onions. The kitchen works with lentils, legumes, rice and dairy, using spices like fennel, clove and cumin instead of prohibited ingredients. You will find dosas (rice crepes), parathas (stuffed flatbreads) and dishes like gatte ki sabzi (gram flour dumplings in tomato curry) on the menu. The restaurant makes its chutneys in-house, with flavors that change by the day.

The Jain approach means avoiding ingredients that require uprooting plants, so potatoes, carrots and onions are omitted entirely. Instead, the kitchen uses seasonal produce like pumpkin, spinach and tropical fruits. Dishes adapt local Tanzanian ingredients — cassava appears boiled with spiced lentils, and plantains are sautéed or dried into crisps. Meals are freshly prepared rather than fermented or preserved.

The dining room is simple and functional, with tables set for individual meals rather than elaborate service. The location near Rushda Supermarket and Soko Kuu makes it accessible for lunch breaks in central Arusha. While the menu is entirely vegetarian, it is not exclusively Jain — dishes like samosas and cheese parathas cater to broader vegetarian tastes while keeping separate preparation for Jain-compliant meals.