Niralla Sweets, Springfield VA

Niralla Sweets is a typical Indian Sweets and Snacks shop located in the truly multi-ethnic Brookfield Shopping Plaza. What a hoot this old, old shopping center appears to be. And what pleasures await the intrepid Chowhound?

Well, I don't know after eating at Niralla. This was a depressing experience, further mocking my chase to find great bhel puri in the Washington area. I started with a variety of pakori: all rubbery and flavorless, save for the truly hot pepper.

Next was the trio of Indian snacks: chat papri, bhel puri, and dahi bhalla. The dahi bhalla was the worst of the lot. Inedible. Dense, dry, crumbly. All three were huge portions, but actually very little of the main ingredient: they were each buried under a thick mound of sweet yogurt sauce mixed with chopped potato, bland tomato, and chickpea. Too sweet, too gloppy, and the yogurt did not have that bright and sour flavor of fresh well-made dairy. Each plate was a hideous mess.

I didn't try the sweets, all halwa, but I knew for certain that I made the worst choice in the Plaza, by default.