Freia's guide to Indian food in NY

Part 1: Cheap Eats

This is an extremely biased, non exhaustive guide to Indian Food in New York. 

I love Indian food. I moved to New York ten years ago from Mumbai and have spent the last decade trying to find my favorite Indian places in New York. Every week, I get a text from a friend asking me a question about Indian restaurants in New York, so I decided to write down everything I have eaten and loved in the last decade. 

I believe that Indian Food is experiencing something of a golden age in New York right now, accelerated post pandemic. If I’ve missed a place you love, definitely let me know because I’m always looking to try new places. 

Taste is subjective. It’s hard to give or take recommendations for food because it is so personal. I always get a bit nervous when someone asks me where to eat and actually goes where I tell them to. So just for some context — I love spice, I’m not squirmish with unusual cuts of meat, I’m also equally happy eating a completely vegetarian meal which I have done at most if not all of these spots and I am slightly biased towards coastal and South Indian food. This list includes a few places from other parts of the subcontinent, but focuses mostly on India.

I am not a food writer so I want to take a sec and plug a couple of my favorites,

The LO Times

by

ryan sutton

,

Tap Is Fine

by

Khushbu Shah

and Tammi Teclamariam at Grub Street.

I split this list into 2 parts, by price. The first one is Cheap Eats, < $15 a meal. The next is < $40 and $40 and above. Like and subscribe for more, etc. The next one will be whenever I feel like.

This list is mostly focused on Manhattan (and a bit on Brooklyn). Eventually, I’ll post my Jersey City & Jackson Heights recs.

$ (<15 a meal) 

• Thelewala (Greenwich Village) – Thelewala is probably my single most visited restaurant in all of New York. I started going here as a college student experiencing my first time away from home in my first winter on my first salary at my on campus job. I could get a spicy Lamb Chapli Roll and a hot chai for $10 which was the perfect fix for a quick lunch on a cold day. Over the last decade it has continued to be a favorite, and the lamb chapli remains my preferred order though I’ve enjoyed almost everything I’ve ever tried there.
  Order: Lamb Chapli Roll, Achari Paneer Roll
  

• NY Dosa cart (Washington Square Park) - almost certainly my first dosa in New York, the Dosa cart at Washington Square Park is always fresh, spicy, and worth the occasional wait in line. It helps to go right before or after the NYU lunch rush, though if you go after they usually run out of a few things. This cart was a balm in college, and though I don’t go as often anymore, I’m always delighted by how good it is when I do. Plus, Thiru has the sweetest Instagram and I recommend following.
  Order:  Masala Dosa

• Rowdy Rooster (East Village)  - a fast casual offering from the budding Unapologetic Foods empire (more on this soon), Rowdy Rooster serves Indian fried chicken and other popular snacks/street foods. The 5 spice levels are not to be taken lightly, but the flavors are extremely satisfying too. Comparable to Nashville Hot Chicken, Rowdy combines Indian flavors with fried chicken, something I grew up eating at home. I personally go for the Level 3, I’ve tried the 4 but it’s too spicy for me to enjoy.
  Order: Lil Rowdy, Vada Pav

  

  Big Rowdy & Chili Chicken at Rowdy Rooster.

• Punjabi Deli (East Village) - Punjabi Deli is an iconic and beloved East Village institution with simple, homestyle Punjabi food that fills the soul. They have a rotating selection of vegetarian options as well as some snacks and grocery items. When I’m in the neighborhood I like to stop in and get chai. Note, it’s cash only.
  Order: Chana Masala, Masala Chai
  

• Brooklyn Curry Project Nimbus Downtown Brooklyn) - Speaking of Dosas, Every Saturday morning from 10am to 2pm, a Bangalore couple serves hot dosas for a long line of homesick South Indians. The simple menu of Dosas (Plain, Masala or cheese) are made to order and completely worth the wait.

  Order: Masala Dosa

  

  Masala Dosa at Brooklyn Curry Project

• Desi Stop & Deli (East Village) - I first heard about Desi Stop in Eater, which highlighted their $5 Samosa burger. I was intrigued, and soon a friend who lives nearby started going every few days. When I finally made it there, the burger did not disappoint. The deli also offers Indian snacks and sweets.
  Order: Samosa burger

• Kolachi (East Village) Kolachi is a new Pakistani roll spot in the East Village with a very simple menu. They serve Rolls (Chicken, Beef or Plant Based) and Fries (Spicy, served with Maple Syrup). The Paratha rolls were fresh and excellent, and the fries with maple syrup were a revelation. They’re open till midnight, and I’m looking forward to going after a night out in the East Village.
  Order: Any roll, but fries are a must.

• Madras Dosa Co (Midtown, various) - Madras Dosa Co is the fast casual Indian spot of my dreams. The Dosa is crispy, the Idli is Soft, the Vadas are freshly fried and even the Bombay Sandwiches are incredible. My only wish is for them to have one location in lower manhattan, but I have a feeling it’s a matter of time.

  

  Paneer Sandwich at Madras Dosa Co

  

  The Idli at Madras Dosa Co

  In Memoriam

  Since I wrote this, a few of these places have closed. Keeping them here for posterity. Consider this an obituary.

• [RIP, as of May 2025 it appears to be closed :(] Honest Indian Kitchen (Greenwich Village) - Honest is kind of a hidden (in plain sight) gem. It’s simultaneously extremely popular among the Indian people I know, but relatively unknown to everyone else. On two separate occasions I have run into people I grew up with in Mumbai at this restaurant. The NYC location is the latest in a chain that spans India, the US and several other countries. Honest’s forté are two relatively elusive subsets of Indian food in the US – Chaat and Indian Chinese. The quality, consistency and portion sizes at Honest make it an ideal spot for anything, especially an impromptu group meal. It’s never too busy, the service is quick and they serve Indian drinks like Frooti and Thums Up. It’s vegetarian and I’ve never felt the lack of meat on the menu.
  Order: Sandwiches, Dahi Puri, Pav Bhaji

Pani Puri, Pav Bhaji & Sandwich at Honest

• [RIP] Shingara (Kensington, Brooklyn) - I recently went to Shingara in Little Bangladesh for the first time and it completely blew my mind. It might be my favorite meal of 2023. The shop is tiny, the menu is limited and the food is incredible. It’s perhaps the only time I’ve ever had fuchka (or pani puri) with fresh puri, fried to order.

  Order: Fuchka, Chicken Samosa

  

  Doi Fuchka

  Part 2 is here —