"Adding it to the rotation," I said of my first visit to Masala Wala, too many months ago. Elsewhere, I mentioned "fresh, tasty food (at) reasonable prices." And then, as so often, I failed to return.
So I was happy, if slightly embarrassed, to accept a recent invitation to tour the menu as a guest of Satyen Mazumdar and his son Roni.
(Courtesy the restaurant: Facebook)
Roni explained the significance of the coin. It's a reminder of the coins he used to collect as a kid to spend with his friends on the snacks sold in the street by "masala walas"--and the menu in this small, bright dining room focuses precisely on street food.
For example, the dahi puri--crisp pastry shells containing potato and chickpeas, but also a burst of refreshing, almost liquid yogurt. These need to be eaten like soup dumplings: with care, and in one bite.
Another street-side riff, the samosa chaat could hardly resemble a samosa less. In fact, there's a samosa shell involved, but it contains no filling; rather, it's buried below a shower of mildly spiced chickpeas topped with yogurt, little chopped noodles, and a crunchy red onion salad. The textures, and the balance of spicy and mild elements, work well together.
Roni knows the Manhattan Indian dining scene well. We talked about the restaurants of East 6th Street and Curry Hill. Masala Wala's menu is comparatively tightly edited: you won't find a dozen different preparations of lamb, chicken, and shrimp--basically the same ingredients in different sauces. You'll find about twenty street snacks, and then restrained number of entrées.
If anything, there are more vegetable than meat or fish dishes. The Manchurian cauliflower is a vegetable signature here, as it has been at Devi, in the Flatiron. Otherwise, it's rarely seen in New York. Actually an Indian-Chinese fusion dish, it's a vividly colored sweet and sour preparation of crisp florets. Addictive.
More familiar is the kakori kebab, Australian lamb marinated with spices until meltingly tender, then grilled. This was a hot sausage made to fall apart under the fork.
After a pause to switch from Riesling to an organic Tempranillo, we dived into a generous selection of curry bowls. Chicken jalfrezi, chunks of meat kicked up and colored with paprika. Notable here, as elsewhere, was the fresh herb garnish--coriander. (Half portions of the bowls were served.)
Lamb shahi korma is a lifetime favorite. I must have first eaten it in Essex in the 1970s. Some renditions have an overly sweet, thickly creamy sauce. This is lighter, the sauce blended with almond and cashew pastes.
There was a fragrant chicken biryani (I've enjoyed that here before), and a (pictured), a richly sauced eggplant dish, baingan bharta--tandoori roasted with tomatoes and ginger.
The makhani dal was a revelation. Black lentils cooked in a brick-colored, buttery sauce. The cumin and chili notes, and the grains of the lentils, made this taste like a southern chili--almost a chili con carne. The kind of vegetable dish meat-eaters love.
The hits kept coming. Saagwala--yes, spiced spinach--with creamy cubes of paneer cheese.
All accompanied by the kind of basmati rice where the grains seem almost unfriendly, so reluctant are they to stick together.
Of the desserts, the table strongly favored the pistachio kulfi--although I found myself taking an extra helping of the mango.
Then the gulab jamun beat the kulfi. The little donuts were light, nicely crisped on the surface, and were puddled by a distinctly flavored saffrom syrup; a little coconut grated on top.
And finally, an unexpected trip down memory lane for me. The chai-wala (spiced tea, indeed) reminded me so strongly of thick, stewed, English breakfast tea. Despite the spice background, the texture and tannins were unmistakeable.
Just as my mother once did, the Masala Wala, Satyen himself, insists the tea is made fresh from loose leaves. My mother could never abide tea bags. The difference is palpable.
Not long ago, I identified Junoon as perhaps the best upscale Indian restaurant in the city (although Tulsi, where former Devi chef Hemant Mathur is cooking must be a contender). But in the mid-to-low price category--snacks are mostly $6 to $8, entrées in the mid-teens--its hard to think what beats Masala Wala, certainly in Manhattan.
Lunch, dinner, and brunch is planned; here's the website.
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