BWW Preview: DESI GALLI in NYC Reinvents Indian Street Eats with Brand New Menu Options

Known for its versions of hand-held Indian street foods, the popular, casual restaurant, Desi Galli now offers healthier kathi rolls and sliders that include gluten-free paratha, developed in-house and made with chickpea and rice flour. The expanded menu includes new vegan and gluten-free options.

Owner, PriaVanda Chouhan and her husband created their restaurant to satisfy the Desi (Indian sub-continent diaspora) longing for Indian soul food. Chouhan has mastered a multitude of Indian recipes, and also has developed her own personal style of lighter, healthier, vegan and gluten-free cooking without sacrificing flavor or authenticity.

Chouhan runs the day-to-day operations and oversees the menu of Desi Galli. She also designed the restaurant's subterranean dining room: following the brick staircase to the basement galli, or Indian alley, that is decorated with bright red walls and new artwork. An element of the design is the open kitchen, where guests can see foods cooked to order with fresh, vegetables, herbs, spices, paneer chicken and Halal meats including Australian lamb. And, Desi Galli prepares all menu items in house.
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Thirteen varieties of kathi roll can be ordered gluten-free with fillings that include chicken korma, delicately spiced chicken with tomatoes, lamb bhuna, slow-cooked, Australian lamb and the galli omelette, a combination of eggs, bell peppers, onions and tomatoes with an India twist. One of the newest gluten-free options is the vegan 7 vegetable, which combines lightly spiced curried carrots, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, green peas, broccoli and cauliflower in a delicious mélange. Other vegan fillings include channa, spiced chickpea, aloo, spiced potato and aloo piyaaz, a combination of chickpea and potato with cilantro. Equally popular are their sliders: Mumbai pav, traditional Indian buns served slider style with Indian-spiced fillings such as aloo paneer tikki pav, cumin-flavored potatoes and grated Indian cheese or the vada pav, a vegetarian potato fritter with tamarind chutney.

In addition to these favorites, the menu now includes biryani, another favorite Indian comfort food-that is also gluten-free. At Desi Galli, the fragrant, delicate rice dish is served with a side of raita (yogurt sauce). Flavors include vegetable and paneer tikka (both vegetarian) and chicken, lamb or shrimp.

The chaat menu includes new dishes, too. Their vegan pani puri, pays homage to the owners' Gujarati heritage, reflecting the preference for strong spice in Northern India. The bite-sized puri (puffy bread) are filled with spiced potatoes and a dose of tamarind water. Another new Gujarati chaat is shev puri with spiced potatoes, tamarind chutney, mint cilantro chutney, yogurt, showered with shev, crispy bits of chickpea flour noodles. The distinctive palak patte ki chaat has chickpea-flour dipped fried spinach leaves, layered with spiced chickpeas, red onion and diced tomato, drizzled with yogurt, mint chutney, and tangy tamarind sauce.

Also new on the menu is a selection of pav dishes, traditional curries served with the same pav (rolls) used in the sliders served with a side of chopped red onions, fresh cilantro and lemon. Spiced Gujarati vegetable mash characterized by the cauliflower and eggplant in addition to potatoes, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and peas. Other varieties include spiced chickpea, Indian cheese with tomatoes and peas, chicken korma, slow-cooked lamb and minced lamb. Desi Galli features a wide selection of salads that can also be served with meat choices.

Desi Galli offers a selection of beverages, including custom-blended masala chai served hot or iced, house made mango lassi and imported Indian soft drinks such as Thums Up and Limca. There are also desserts that include Rasmalai, cottage cheese dumplings soaked in sweet saffron flavored milk or Galli Ki Kulfi, creamy, yet light, housemade saffron or mango-flavored iced cream on a stick.

Desi Galli is located at 101 Lexington Avenue at 27th Street in New York City. For more information, call (212) 683-2292 or visit their web site at www.desi-galli.com. They are open for lunch and dinner from noon to 11 PM. Takeout, delivery, eat-in and offsite catering are all available. The dining room is also available for meetings with comfortable seating, free wi-fi, cell phone chargers and high-resolution flat-screen televisions.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Desi Galli