I recently visited Desi Galli at Avenue B and Tenth Street–this is a second location as they have already caused a big commotion at their Curry Hill spot. They have many classic Indian dishes but they bring the best of the Punjabi/gastropub movement that is so popular in London right to the East Village. (Some people also compare their cuisine to “Indian Street Food” but there are a lot of similarities.)
Desi Galli has the most divine Kathi Rolls–the Chicken Korma Kathi Roll blew my mind simply because the chicken was so juicy, the tomato sauce so savory and the spicy mint cilantro chutney on the side delectably fresh!
I have ever had and are the first NYC restaurant to do a Tikka Massala Poutine. This is the best of two worlds on one plate, and needless to say is super rich. The Tikka Massala sauce is especially vibrant and spicy and the potatoes are fried in a mild veggie oil so they do not compete with the sauce. This is an incredible dish for late night munchies and you might get a few colorful dreams after imbibing something so rich!
I had one of the heavenly Mango Lassis while waiting for my final dish, the Vegetable Biryani. The rice was so fluffy and the portion huge. I get a big kick out of the giant rice cooker int he center of Desi Galli. My dining partner, blogger Gail Worley, and I were trying to decide if that think held 40 or 50 cups of rice, LOL, but it cooks their wonderful basmati rice to perfection! There are wonderful large chunks of veggies including lots of pepper in the biryani and I definitely would go back for it. If you want to learn more about Desi Galli, simply visit www.desigallinyc.com. Their address is 172 Avenue B between 10th and 11th Streets.
Reservations are not necessary and they have many spectacular looking curries I have yet to try–I got too full from what I ordered on my first visit to Desi Galli but will be back soon to try at least three curries of the curries! This casual eatery has been getting 4 1/2 out of 5 stars on Yelp!–and rightfully so!
