I found out about Utsav on Twitter and thought I would give it a try. I typically don’t eat Indian food because it’s generally too spicy for me, but lately I have been trying to move outside of my comfort zone and built up my tolerance for heat. Baby steps. The two friends who joined me for dinner were Indian, so they were able to give me advice on what to order. We shared the bhel puri and spinach pakora chaat, which were both fried (already a good start), crispy, and mildly spiced. Yum! For our entrees, we had paneer makhanwala (cheese cubes in a tomato cream sauce), palak dal (yellow lentils and spinach), and bhindi ki subzi (okra, onions and tomatoes). I am obsessed with cheese so it’s no surprise that I like paneer, and the tomato cream sauce was delicious with just a hint of heat and spice. I also enjoyed the okra dish, especially with the plain and garlic naan. Overall, the food was really good and I am ready to turn up the heat dial (just a little bit) for next time!
Utsav: 1185 Avenue of the Americas (between West 46th & 47th Street)

BHEL PURI (Crispy rice tossed with potatoes, onions, and chutneys)

SPINACH PAKORA CHAAT (Spinach fritters drizzled with spiced yogurt & tamarind chutney)

PANEER MAKHANWALA (Cubes of homemade cheese in a fresh tomato sauce)

BHINDI KI SUBZI (Fresh okra stir fried with onions, tomatoes & spices)

PALAK DAL (Yellow Lentils cooked with spinach)

Plain and Garlic Naan