Indus Express papri chat

Photograph: Jolie Ruben

Much to my waistline’s chagrin, I’m not a salad man. I loathe the leafy stuff, preferring well-seared flesh to any soil-plucked flora. That is, until I discovered Indus Express (48 W 48th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves, 212-221-7952). On the surface, this midtown lunch spot looked like another steam-table groaner. Once inside, I found fresh, flavorful Indian food that rivals Curry Hill’s finest. Dosa are cooked to a paper-thin crunch; curries don’t stint on spice; and the creamy mango lassi is crowned with cardamom pods. Still, my stomach growls loudest for the chaat. These affordable Northern Indian street snacks range from vegetable samosas smothered in yogurt to aloo tikki (spicy potatoes tossed with chickpeas, tamarind and yogurt) to my favorite, the papri chaat ($4.95). My mouth waters as I watch an aproned worker mixing garbanzo beans, potatoes, chewy lentil dumplings, chunks of mango, raw onions and homemade chips before showering everything with cilantro and piquant spices. The burn is tempered by cooling yogurt, mint chutney and tamarind sauce, creating a killer contrast: sweet and spicy, crunchy and tender, with a slick of savory sauce best scooped up with fresh-baked nan ($2). Who needs meat when veggies can taste so good? —Joshua M. Bernstein

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