Go to South Asia and Back at New York's Top Indian Restaurants

Founded in 1995 by Gary and Isabel MacGurn, Hampton Chutney has grown from a small operation that supplied gourmet markets in the Hamptons to a veritable enterprise, where the delicious dosas and kati rolls keep seats filled and mouths happy at cafes in Amagansett and the Upper West Side. In addition to traditional dosa (sour-dough crepes filled with chutney) selections, the relocated Soho branch serves several specialty sandwiches that incorporate everything from cilantro chutney dressing to chicken curry. If you need something more substantial, look to their Thali special, which includes a daily vegetable dish along with basmati rice, dal soup, naan, chutney, yogurt and, optionally, grilled chicken.

Benares is a city in Northern India (in Uttar Pradesh) and this restaurant focuses on the culinary dishes from this region. The walls are lined with framed banarsi saris and this Tribeca location can seat up to 89 people comfortably. Uttar Pradesh (or UP) is known for its vegetarian dishes and the menu at Benares delivers with standouts like Kashmiri Soup of roasted turnip and beetroot, pigeon peas, fennel, ginger, garlic and cumin. There are also inventive meat dishes, such as the tandoori hen, which marinates a whole Cornish hen in lime, ginger, cumin, garlic and garam masala and cooks it in the tandoori oven. Grab a spacious booth which will provide room for a sure-to-be-distended belly.

You'll be greeted by a bejeweled elephant at the entrance and transported by the village atmosphere complete with a banyan tree, amber lighting and prosaic murals. Vatan was among the very first dining rooms to focus exclusively on vegetarian cuisine and on the regional cuisine of Gujarat in northwest India. The prix-fixe meals have set menus for Jain, gluten and nut-free palates that take the guesswork out of ordering. The accommodating staff glides from one table to the next serving a parade of delightful dishes in the thali format. Guests will be dazzled by the aromas and textures: from batatavada (potato balls fried in a chickpea flour batter), a delicate selection of samosas, ful cobi (based on cauliflower and green peas), mirchi bhaji (fried hot peppers with chaat masala) and breads: papadam (lentil wafers), puri and roti.

Don't let it go to his head, but we like Hermant Mathur's cooking so much, we have included two of his restaurants on this list. One of the nations top tandoor masters has done it again as executive chef of Chote Nawab, one of 6 Indian eateries in New York City he contributes to. Chote Nawab translates to "little prince" and the intention is to have you eating as well as the Nawabs of India, the foodies of their day. Kababs and Dum Biryana are specialties, with meat marinated overnight and soaked in yogurt to contribute to its tender texture. The concrete walls decorated with bright plates contributes to the contemporary cozy feel.

Before there were artisanal food trucks in Hell's Kitchen, or mobile Milk Bars at the Brooklyn Flea, there was this humble Greenwich Village vendor dishing out New York City's best dosas. The word is out on Thiru Kumar's (or Dosa Man, as he is often called) popular street snack, which parks on the corner of Washington Square Park and attracts a long line of South Asian ex-pats, hungry college students and stylishly unkempt hipsters. The crowd-pleasing Pondicherry masala dosa combines curried potatoes, chopped peppers and diced carrots in a paper-thin, lentil and rice flour crepe, and the lentil soup is hearty and homey. At less than $6, it's one of the best bargains in New York City.

Dawat is one of New York's pioneers as it debuted in 1986 and won this year's Diners' Choice Award and it still pleases. The driving force behind the North (and occasionally South) Indian menu is famous Bollywood actress/author/chef aMadhur Jaffrey. Even when it sticks to the basics, like lemon rice perfumed with lemon rind, curry leaves and mustard seeds, it feels sleek and refined. Dawat means "invitation to a feast" and the room is elegant and aromatic, tandoor and curry dishes wafting in the air. Try the raan, a tender leg of lamb which is braised with spices then roasted in a tandoor oven until it is crispy on the outside and silky on the inside.

On a mission to eat like a king on a plebeian budget? Give this casual Indian spot in Midtown East a shot. The lunch buffet, priced at under $15-$18 on weekends, is a neighborhood steal. Come early and come often to tuck into traditional favorites like saag aloo, daal makhni, bhuni gobi matter and rich, creamy butter chicken. The a-la-carte menu is vast, with dosas and tandoori fare alongside goat curry with dry red chilies, and cumin-scented jeera ghee rice. The modest interiors are tastefully decorated, and service is professional and friendly. Chola is one of six sister restaurants created by Shiva Natarajan Dhaba: Chote Nawab, Haldi, Malia Marke (East 6th St.) and Sahib. Shiva has moved on to write and sold these glorious corners of India to Michelin star chef Hemant Mathur.

Named among New York City's Best Fast-Casual Indian Restaurants, Soho Tiffin Junction doesn't want you to just eat salads when you are on a health kick. Its nutritionally-balanced Indian bowls range from 200-950 calories and can be made to order in less than two minutes. Choose between petite and regular sized bowls and the option of tiffin or salad. Add rice, beans and a protein entree which can be shredded beef, kale or cauliflower, among other choices. Chicken Tikka is the most popular, find out why. Go nuts on the toppings, because they are unlimited, from spinach raita to mango puree. Get some kale chips or a mango lassi. STJ takes the guesswork out of dietary challenges: vegan, gluten free, dairy free. This may be the freshest and purest takeout around.

Grandeur is the word that comes to mind at this fine dining outpost on the border of Chelsea and the Flatiron District. The heavy-handled door and building exteriors are covered in hand-chiseled limestone, invoking a New Delhi palace. The expansive dining room contains reflecting pools filled with lotus flowers, dimly lit banquettes surrounded by white tablecloths, and no shortage of oversized, pink-hued limestone statues. None of this would matter, though, if the menu weren't so solid. Try the Goan shrimp, packing heat in a spicy piri-piri sauce, grilled monkfish in yogurt sauce with serrano chilies, and handi favorites like chicken Malvan. Junoon means "passion" and we can feel it.

Tamarind changed perceptions of modern Indian dining in New York. Crisp white linens, soft lighting, and service so attentive it could make the staff of the Four Seasons (discreetly) blush, the restaurant was a bold departure from the fast-food vibe and fluorescent bulbs of the (admittedly delicious) takeout joints in nearby Curry Hill. Now in TriBeCa, well-dressed groups of business associates, couples celebrating anniversaries and multi-generational family outings gaze at the glass-enclosed tandoor kitchen while enjoying dishes like fresh shrimp in a cumin-spiked coconut sauce, apricot-stuffed grilled lamb and crispy fritters with whole spinach, banana and cheese.