If you happen to live in the neighborhood — or even if you don’t — Spice-n-Hot, a little Indian take-out spot in Malden, offers one of Boston’s best cheap meals. Some restaurants treat samosa chaat as a mere appetizer, but Spice-n-Hot gives it the full entrée treatment: two samosas are crushed onto a bed of seasoned chickpeas, then garnished with plenty of diced raw onion and a generous splash of tamarind sauce. The result is a kind of culinary symphony, with the sweetness of the tamarind sauce and the samosa dough, the heat from the chickpeas and the samosa filling, and the bracing pungency of the onion uniting in perfect balance. The autumnal colors of the dish (the scarlet red of the tamarind sauce, the deep brown of the chickpeas, the light russet of the samosa crust) offer visual appeal, too. And since both the chickpeas and samosas can be cooked mild, medium, or hot, diners of all palates can partake together. Try it the next time you’re north of Boston, or make a special trip — you’ll be glad you did.

Available for $6 at Spice-N-Hot, 519 Main Street, in Malden. Call 781.321.0490.