Dil-e Punjab Deli

Disclaimer: Indian restaurants are often anti-​Instagram, anti-​New York. It’s not about aesthetics or service. It’s about the food.
CHAPATHI
Pre-​made and then heated up. They’re perfectly round but thick, which makes it chewier than usual, but very filling. They’re better than frozen, but not as good as mom. I’m not a nitpicky bitch so I can’t take a star off for something so trivial.
CARROT AND POTATO CURRY
Wow, what a surprise. Carrot is my favorite freakin’ vegetable but I’ve never had it as the main ingredient in my curry. Slightly sweet, very unique. :P
PANEER AND PEA CURRY
Oh yeah, baby, this is what I was craving — that spice (it’s an addiction #brownproblems). It’s that perfect level that doesn’t make your face red but leaves your tongue wet.
PRICE
Cheap as fuhhhh. Sheeitt. For 5 bucks, I have enough curry for about 8 – 10 chapathis (which are a dollar and change each). I bought two, so I have hella leftovers to throw on some rice when I come home hangry and/​or drunk and want a meal in under a minute.
FINAL WORD
It’s greasy and ghetto, but it’s effin bangin’ in your mouth. I will definitely be a regular. (post edit: meh i thrrw it out nvm…4 stars)

Places like this are my favorite thing about nyc food. The place is often packed with Sikh’s, but work your way down the narrow opening between the counter and the wall and you’ll be met with great and friendly service.
The food looks like slop, but tastes phenomenal, and none of the dishes are bad. You cannot go wrong with any combination of dishes and rice or roti. I think Dil-​e Punjab is actually better than a very similar punjabi deli on houston. Both are ridiculously cheap and awesome, but here things are a bit spicier and taste perhaps a tad more fresh. If you want a cheap cultural experience and are in the area and you like spicy food (all vegetarian, though, but that doesn’t make things any worse), be sure to check it out.
Don’t expect a comfortable seating environment though, this place is standing room only, and there’s not that much of it, either.

This place is the bomb. It’s cash only and vegetarian and looks like crap from the outside but believe me the food is well done. I did not dine inside (not sure if you can!?) but placed an online delivery order… which in truth, took forever. It was supposed tot take 30 minutes but it was actually an hour. No matter. Food was good and mostly spicy.
We ordered the full and incredibly cheap portion of:
Daal– deliciously spicy, rich
Saag– WOW best saag ever. No garbage cream here, just really good and interesting greens, spinach of course but also mustard greens. Amazingly good.
Chana Masala– a tad oily but very well done chickpeas that are protein heavy and filling
Baigan Bartha– eggplant. this was like least favorite. I normally love this but their was a little too uninspired; just stewed eggplant with onion.
All the appropriate and amazing spices were used. We ordered the side breads of paratha (with potato, yummy and filling), chapti (plain, standard) and most interesting the roti which had fenguek leaves inside…
We had two chais which were perfect — full of cardamom, ginger, milk and none of that sweet stuff. We also had two veggie samosas… these were actually nothing special and could have used dipping sauces. They were a little dry but I guess it’s good to eating ghee-​free.
Don’t judge a book by its cover, try it. Super cheap and good. All this was $ 30.

Delicious northern Indian food that’s quick and open 24 hours. I chose a platter of chickpeas, some kind of spicy paneer, and a spinach curry over white rice, and each dish tasted noticeably different from similar ones I’ve eaten at other Indian restaurants. The flavors are more nuanced and presumably more authentic, like home-​cooked food. When eating cuisines that I’m not too familiar with, I prefer menus that allow you to try several things at once. The roti and yogurt that came with the meal were good, too. The platter itself without the sides was filling without the weighed-​down feeling the food from a lot of Indian restaurants leaves you with, and I didn’t even notice until looking on Unilocal that everything was vegetarian.

Ok!!!
One thing i have to say it is always the same. They do have the same rhythm down packed.
What you get is a rice platter with three sides. For seven dollars and they also have half portion for four. Once everything hits the black three compartment microwave dish it seems to work really well and tasty.
The place gets really pack by cabbies so i like that. Tonight i got pissy what can i say… This cabbie came after i ordered and was served first plus he got carte Blanche service. he got two bread i had to request mine. Plus never got my onion, cucumber and desert rice. F+…tonight!
Anyway this place is cool and weird really!
Food is good for what is… Beats a tv dinner!

This place is exactly what you want. Nice proportion of rice to main dish, and you get three options! So fresh, and such a great find when you’re starving but don’t want to shell out $ 15 on seamless. Whole platter — which is two sides of rice and three main options (you can choose from about 6) is $ 7 total. What a DEAL! The food speaks for itself, it’s amazing quality. And the employees are smiley and helpful too. Great if you work nearby and don’t want the same thing you have everyday.

I picked up food from here for the first time yesterday, and I’m probably going to say the same thing everyone else says here: it’s cheap and it’s pretty good, and in New York, that’s pretty amazing.
I had the chole (chickpea curry) and rice which comes out to an incredible $ 4. My friend also gets the chole over samosas, which I think is a great idea too. They also seemed to have a lot of other vegetable options, like paneer, mixed vegetables, and more, and I plan to try them the next time I’m here.
While the chole were pretty good, they weren’t like out of this world. I grew up eating North Indian food and have definitely had much better, but this is definitely authentic and makes for a good meal.
The place itself is no frills — there’s no place to sit or anything, it’s more of just a pick up place.

The food was alright, very spicy and microwaved in front of me. However they were serving buffet style so I wasn’t too surprised. What was annoying is that they did not check their Unilocal online orders, so I ended up having to reorder entirely. There were a lot of people there though, so maybe my experience is not typical.

Delicious vegan Indian food being served out of this tight space. Perfect for take-​out and for $ 5.50 you can get a Mini Plate (2 choices+rice) and a samosa. It’s the perfect size and doesn’t leave you feeling stuffed.
I can never really give a one-​dollar sign place 5 stars so they get 4 here. Worth every penny.

I am slowly discovering on Unilocal that there is a rating inflation for «exotic» foods like this. This is a very cheap meal for Chelsea. It is also pretty good quality food. But the flavors are pretty standard. They are something I feel I could make at home. It is just vegetables cooked in an Indian curry with their sweet rice. If you work nearby and need some sustenance, this place is ok. But, don’t expect anything special. This food does not wow.

Definitely not a gourmet place, but that’s why i like it. It’s not a gourmet place pretending to be a hole-​in-​the-​wall, and it’s not a hole in the wall.
For what it is, it’s a fairly clean looking Indian deli that serves Indian food and some Pakistani snacks.
I only came here for the first time recently for samosas, and I really liked them (didn’t expect that I would). Fare here is all vegetarian and doesn’t look appetizing, but maybe it is.
Service was better than I expected (and I’m East Asian, not Southeast Asian).

Cold and hungry with a thirst for a good curry takeaway I decided to give this hole in the wall a whirl.
Inside it was packed with taxi drivers getting their fix. Cant be bad as demand Is high.
The man serving is quite possibly the rudest man ever, either he didn’t like me because i only spoke English or he didn’t speak English.
Luckily there was someone eating who saw the translation issue and helped me out… server actuallly refused to acknowledge me through the whole transaction.
Now the platter seems a good deal. 7 bucks for 3 types of curry and rice with a rotti on the side.
Only problem is they put it all in one section of the container so you end up with a load of unidentifiable slop with a currry taste.
If you are broke perhaps this is your place but if you got a twenty go elsewhere.
3 stars for value only .
My hunt for a good local Indian continues. It would be easier to find wonkas golden ticket.

This place is legit, authentic and has a real home cooked taste. If I’m happy with vegetarian you know it must be good. This is one of those hidden away places you’d never find that all the cab drivers know about.
Instead of another slice of pizza give this a try and you’ll be glad you did. The only reason I din’t give 5 stars is because I feel the samosa and flat bread (not quite naan, could be improved (it’s still decent).
Cheap, delicious –I’m a big fan.

I’m Punjabi and this place has my dil (heart) hehe :)
Seriously — their food is crazy cheap, portions are huge and I can verify that the food is authentic with an A. Rarely do I find good saag paneer like we make at home in this city.
It might be more rustic and traditional than some of the restaurants on curry hill which cater more to the western palette — but it is 1) not oily 2) perfectly seasoned 3) healthy and vegetarian. They have some vegan options too.
This is essentially a «dhaba» style place, similar to a bodega deli — grab and go, or eat standing up. It caters heavily to South Asian taxi drivers, who are in a hurry but don’t let that deter you from going — it is always crowded with a diverse mix of people.
Cash only, last time I went. The men behind the counters were jovial and smiling.
Go here, you won’t regret it.

Having recently returned from my maiden voyage to India, I found myself craving something reminiscent of the wondrous weeks I spent in India. Much to my surprise, I discovered this little eatery only blocks from job!
The food, while not being as flavorful as other Indian restaurants, is tolerable for its price. However, as with another reviewer I did find myself falling ill on 2 occasions after eating there several weeks apart. This was especially strange because I have no history of becoming sick from food.
More disturbingly, the men working in and patronizing this spot don’t seem to be especially respectful of women. Every time I visited, the employees and patrons would overtly ogle my body and make lurid comments about their admiration for my figure. I often feel that we as women are implicitly encouraged to tolerate sexual harassment. However, I choose to be one less. I’m no longer spending my hard-​earned money in places where I’m not afforded the respect I’m entitled to because of my gender. And the food at Dil-​e Punjab Deli is not impressive enough to challenge my conviction.

Tasty but I got food poisoning two times.
The pakoras were starchy, thick, cold and inedible. The food is cheap and flavorful but it’s components are questionable if I got sick on two occasions.
My friend who lived in India for three years did not get sick, but when I asked if he would go back, he said no…“Pretty shabby.“
I think it’s good for fast food compared to a Dunkin donuts or pizza. But, it is in no way cuisine.

Pretty decent cheap indian grub. Not as flavorful as some of the places I’ve been, but it’s pretty great for the value. With the platter, you get rice or roti (stick with the rice — roti was nothing great and kinda bland) and your choice of 3 sides. Potato, chickpeas and eggplant were great. Spinach and okra were pretty good. It’s nice because the dishes weren’t as greasy as some of the Indian places I’ve been.
Service was efficient, they guy offered us pre-​packed condiments — gotta ask for raita and the green pickle thing. I wonder if they have that sweet brown sauce and spicy mint sauce if you ask for it…
Place is a little cramped, but i love mom and pop shops. There is a little standing counter if you want to stand and eat there real quick.

I don’t care that this place doesn’t serve meat, have seats, or really much room to eat without having people bump in to you as they’re trying to pay. This place is legit. I’ve spent a little bit of time in rural india and what you learn is a lot of indian restaurants really cater to the american palette. Well not this joint. The curries are all on point and the watery yogurt they give you to put on stuff is one of the things you really learn to love in India, and something I’ve really been missing since my trip.
Oh yeah, it’s fast, cheap and open 23 hours a day. Which really just makes it perfect. I’m only living in Chelsea for another 5 days and I’m trying to figure out how many more times I can eat there while it’s convenient.

Pros
Very tasty and authentic Indian food
Reasonable prices
Cons
Horrible service
Very very cramped and claustrophobic
Come here for authentic Indian food, not the ambiance.

**Vegetarian options ONLY** **CASH ONLY**
This place has long been my favorite «secret» hole in the wall for a couple years now and is long due for review. It’s a bit out of the way for me, but when I’m in the area, this is what I crave. After having this last night, I remembered I still needed to write a review!
Don’t let the façade fool you — this place is definitely a hole-​in-​the-​wall/​convenience store looking type of establishment, but the food is amazing. You walk in, and all you see are a bunch of natives speaking anything other than English. Of course, the first time I went, I felt a little uncomfortable being a tiny Asian girl among a sea of men… but, they definitely don’t judge here :)
The two men that helped me were all smiles all the time when they served me. $ 7 for a take out platter of 3 vegetables over rice + roti OR sweet rice. I’m not really sure what I chose, since everything kind of looks the same (a mushy mixture of vegetables), so I simply pointed at what looked like cauliflower, potatoes, and chick peas. This is a LOT of food… like a food baby. Definitely able to have enough for two meals.
Condiments: I’d like to point out that the spicy green sauce they give you is just about the best hot sauce I’ve had in a while. It’s straight up spicy (but not killer spicy) with no stupid seasonings or additives that make it taste like Tabasco or anything like that. YUM. The yogurt they give you is also a great accompaniment to your mildly-​to-​medium spicy meal. The mild mango spicy sauce they have in a jar at the counter is extremely salty and I don’t really know what to do with it, but it was worth a shot.
I would also like to point out that I’ve taken a couple of guys here that are anti-​vegetarian and now I think I’ve changed their mind.
Best $ 7 I ever spent.