Khiladi [Official]
The dabba typically a tiered, steel lunchbox that’s a ubiquitous presence in India; the backbone of an over 100-year-old industry, and a staple for office workers in the country could become more mainstream in New York City if one popular East Village Indian restaurant has its way.
Khiladi, at 175 Avenue B, at East 11th Street, launched a dabba lunch service toward the end of January, and orders are slowly beginning to pick up, says owner and chef Sruthi Chowdary. The lunchbox, available as a vegetarian or meat option, costs $25 and comes with an appetizer, a curry, flavored rice, and one chapati, the Indian flatbread. Recent lunches have included a vegetable drumstick (a type of thin, long bean used in South Indian cooking) and tomato curry, chicken with fresh fenugreek leaves, and an idli upma, a sort of stir-fry dish made with the South Indian savory rice cakes called idli.