It may not actually be on the street, but don’t be fooled- Taj Delhi Chat, in the newsttand that’s been converted into a Midtown Lunch’ers paradise, is the best Indian street food in Midtown. I’ll admit, before Indus Express (on 48th btw. 5+6th) and Taj Delhi Chat opened, I didn’t really even know what chat (or chaat) was. I was quickly schooled by more knowledgeable Midtown Lunch’ers, who graciously donated their food porn to the cause.
For those who are still in the dark, chaat is actually just a generic term for a savory Indian snack, usually sold on the street, and consisting of cumin, amchur (mango powder), red chilies often mixed with some fried snack in combination with any of the following – potatoes, onions, tomatoes, yogurt, tamarind chutney, cilantro, cilantro chutney, and mint chutney. The “fried snacks” that get mixed in can be samosas or pakoras (both well known here in the states) or more commonly, papri (flat, round cracker looking things), bhel (puffed rice crispy looking things) or sev (the little crunchy noodle looking things.)
There is some tasty looking chaat at Indus Express, but reviews have been mixed. For the best in Midtown (and possibly all of New York City), you’ll want to hit up Taj Delhi Chat. When I went, I brought along my friend Chandrika to translate the menu for me (and conversely all of you). What we got, plus a full translated menu, after the jump… Read more »