Swami/Chennai Dosa Cart
“Solid dosa, a bit small for the,price, coconut chutney was excellent, one of the better iterations, not watery.”
“The sambar is also not super-asatofedia'd out so it's probably a little more american friendly.”
Swami/Chennai Dosa Cart
Take-out: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
7 reviews
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Oh man, what a find. I was in the neighborhood to see my accountant today. Yes people tax time is only six weeks away!!
Anyway, afterward I'm walking towards the train and famished, and what to I come upon but a friendly dosa cart!
I peruse the menu and am happy to see that south indian favorites are all vegetarian. I start chatting with the guy. All the dosas are $5, which if you tasted them would realize is a killer bargain.
Yes, my friend, these are south indian dosas. Oh I said, I was just in singapore and Malaysia a few weeks ago. Oh, SINGAPORE!?!? I am from singapore, he exclaims. So we got to chatting about singapore, and new york etc. Wow, small world.
Anyway, if you're in the neighborhood I would highly recommend it. Btw, he was just West of Broadway today when I went there, but I guess he's always on 39th street somewhere around there.
Authentic dosa with lots of sides (rice and sauces). You really get your money's worth for this one.
First of all – dosas are made with lentils and rice flour. Brownie points for the gluten free crowd.
The truck is located in midtown in between many others. It doesn't usually have a line but the food is good and it doesn't take too long to get the food.
The portion was big. The dosas are big and with all the sides that come with it… It is more than filling. I wanted to get it as just a snack and was overwhelmed by the amount of food.
Try the coconut sauce.
Defiantly worth a try – especially if you are gluten free and like Indian food.
Solid dosa, a bit small for the,price, coconut chutney was excellent, one of the better iterations, not watery. Sambar was OK with normal flavors.
3.6
It's so nice to see novelty amongst the ubiquitous halal chicken & rice carts on every corner. No frills as far as dosas go, but reigning supreme for street food. Takes a little time since it is made fresh, so best to go at off hours.
Dosa: Griddled to order for a perfectly crispy exterior with portions closer to the tumeric-induced glowing potato masala being soft and bready. Due to container size restrictions, the dosa is folded and chopped like a quesadilla. Not as fun as ripping pieces off of a large roll in a restaurant, but extremely efficient for dipping. The coconut chutney was perfectly creamy with a hint of spice. The sambar was disappointingly very watery, soaking the dosa instead of letting you pick up some chunkiness.
Kati Roll: Not the namesake of this cart for a reason. A very doughy shell more like pizza dough than roti. The inside was vegetarian with a weird mix of paneer crumbles, potato masala (like what is in the dosa) and limp veggies. Why bother with this when you can go to Kati Rolls down the street?
I've had my eye on this cart for the past 2 years, but was always hesitant to try it out, due to its austerity and small to non-existent crowds in front of the cart during lunch. Then the cart disappeared for some time. Word went out that the cart came back so I knew this was my chance to finally see what all the hype was about. And I was glad to see about 10 people in front of the cart either waiting to order, waiting for their meal, or eating.
I took a couple cues from the clientele and decided to order the Mysore Masala Dosa ($5.00). For those not familiar, my coworker informed me that Mysore is a city in India that is known for making spicy food, so that denoted this was the spicy version of dosa. It took several minutes for the man to to make. I watched as he ladled the batter, made from rice and black lentils, on the grill and watched it slowly cook. When it started to materialize in a crepe-like form, he applied a thin layer of spices in paste form on top of the crepe. Shortly after, he poured a dollop of a mashed potato puree with more spices. It is then rolled up, then sliced into slices laterally, and left on the grill for another minute, before being thrown on a Styrofoam tray, along with a scoop of coconut chutney. Served on a the side was a small container of sambar, a not too spicy lentil soup allowing you to dip the dosa into. The dosa was tasty all on its own, a in-between of the softness of a pancake with a subtle crispness to a crepe. The potato puree was surprisingly delicious and the spices helped to give it a little bit of heat. But it really shined when dipped into the lentil soup, making for the perfect compliment. The coconut chutney, grainy in texture, had the most noticeable amount of heat though not overbearing, and was a nice addition to the dosa.
For $5, I'd probably order a meat platter at Little Morocco now that Omar is back, but if you're looking for a nice alternative or break from meat, Swam/Chennai Dosa Cart is worth checking out. The dosas may look small, especially for the $5 price tag, but are deceptively filling. I could have probably ate 2 or even 3, but 1 was just enough to keep me not hungry to full without feeling stuffed. And I also didn't feel the greasiness that you get from eating meat.
The dosa isn't bad but it gets soggy quick in this summer humidity. I'd highly recommend eating it right outside the cart instead of schlepping it back to the office. Eating outside is more pleasant anyways. The sambar is also not super-asatofedia'd out so it's probably a little more american friendly.
I don't know enough about Indian food to speak to the authenticity of these dishes but the nice and chatty Indian man made it for me so I'm going with its authentic.What I do know is that it's delicious. He pours the batter and makes a thin pancake that he fills with mashed potatoes and then cuts into four pieces.In little plastic containers he serves a coconut sauce/chutney and sambar.It was very flavorful and filling and only five dollars.
Thanks, nice Indian man.
I'll be returning often.