There's a lovely little Indian joint on Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights which serves up the best Indian food in the neighborhood. It's called Asya, and recently they started experimenting with something called the Sloppy Pav, which we tried out the minute it hit the menu.
As you may have guessed, the Sloppy Pav is part Sloppy Joe, and part Pav Bhaji—a popular Indian street food. The restaurant describes the dish thus: "This is essentially a ragout of boiled, mashed, and slow simmered vegetables with a tantalizing array of spices to be lapped up with crusty pan-fried bread. They will be dished out with a side of masala potato or lotus chips, and for added flavor you can choose from a variety of chutneys such as tangerine, pear and fenugreek, or apricot." You can get two (they are slightly larger than a slider) for $10, or three for $14. Here's the Sloppy Pav breakdown:
Vegetarian: Spiced Mixed Vegetables and Quinoa served with Pickled Ginger
Chicken: Chicken Marinated with Mint and Coriander, Cooked in the Tandoor served with Tangarine Chutney
Pork: Pulled Pork Marinated in Aromatic Spices, served with Apricot Chutney
Lamb: Lamb Meatball served with Pear and Fenugreek Chutney
Beef: Smoky Black Cardomom Braised Short Ribs, with a side of Eggplant Chutney
While they were all well-received at Gothamist HQ, the favorites were the lamb (which was deliciously spiced and flavorful), and the short rib (the meat was incredibly tender, well seasoned). Vipin, Asya's owner who has a background as a chef (specializing in both Continental and Indian style of cooking) told us he was "inspired to create something that is familiar to the general public (Sloppy Joes/sliders!) but also giving it an ethnic twist (deriving from the Indian spices and ingredients used) which can be enjoyed and savored by all." You can learn more about him here:
