Gaam’s dinner thali—a traditional meal of many dishes on a single tray—offer one of the best deals in town. The meatless Indian feast showcases the bewildering spectrum of textures and flavors that make up the world’s most sophisticated vegetarian cuisine (as much as a third of India’s population eschews meat). A slim sleeper on a desolate block near the Empire State Building, the restaurant is disguised as a dive, squeezed between schlock shops that are all shuttered at night. Inside, however, the folks behind nearby Vatan have constructed a regal retreat in big, bright Bollywood colors, featuring carved wooden elephants and booths nestled between orange partitions. Though there are à la carte options—and smaller platters at lunch—come dinner the $17.95 thali is clearly the draw. The two-part banquet begins with a tray full of starters, a delectable array that includes a savory sponge cake, puffed rice bhelpuri, and an extra fiery pea and potato samosa. Part two features miniature bowls filled with, among other things, spicy black-eyed peas, potatoes with spinach, and a nutty cheese dumpling in tomato sauce. Puri—the fried puffy bread served alongside—is the perfect vehicle for scooping your way through this bountiful meal, while the refreshing cold cardamom-scented cream of wheat also squeezed onto the tray is just the right way to finish it.