The Masala Wala

Last night I was craving Indian food, so Daniella and I headed over to a place called The Masala Wala in the Lower East Side. It's had plenty of positive reviews, but fortunately hasn't been "discovered" enough yet for it to be impossible to get a weekend dinner reservation


We started off with the Chandni Chowk: Semolina puffs with potatoes, chickpeas, and yogurt

These were VERY yummy - in addition to the yogurt there was also a sweet tamarind sauce, basil,  and the puffs were light and crunchy. As Daniella and I were snacking though, the server stopped by to point out that we were eating them wrong. "No - No! You must pick up with your fingers and bite!" (We were trying to eat them with our knives and forks, and apparently he found it ridiculous)

Here's a look at what was inside:

We were pretty hungry, so we also decided get an additional appetizer - the Wala Non-Vegetable Sampler: (Mumbai chicken samosa, Malai tikka, and Malai tiger shrimp)

For entrees we got:

Lamb Rogan Josh: classic Kashmiri curry made with tomatoes, spices, and slow-cooked lamb

and the Palak Paneer: fresh creamed spinach with cubes of Indian sour cream

Don't be fooled by the picture - this dish was delicious. Better than any Saag Paneer that I've had at all of the Indian restaurants in  Murry Hill  (also known as "Curry Hill"where Lexington Ave is PACKED with Indian food options). The Palak Paneer was slightly spicy, but it was a pleasant degree of heat that wasn't overwhelming


Garlic naan: not the most amazing naan ever, but the rest of the food was good enough to make we willing to overlook this imperfection

After dinner we were so stuffed that we waddled more than we walked, in order to get to the subway and home


Overall rating: 8/10

179 Essex St
New York, NY 10002