Indian food and Indian restaurants are common in many parts of the world, but in my pocket of the world they seem to be few and far between. I realized that many Americans may not be used to Indian food; what to order in an Indian restaurant or the correct way to eat Indian food. Since I grew up eating Indian food, it’s only natural for me to break out my naan and enjoy the delicious curry. That’s why I wanted to write a short article outlining some common Indian dishes and what you might want to order at an Indian restaurant. I hope this encourages you to try Indian food.

It will most likely start with ancillary services. popadomos. They are like very thin cookies, but much larger. Usually there are 3 accompanying sauces or chutneys popadomosa lime green sauce made with cilantro that is a bit spicy, a dark brown sauce that is very sweet (save some for later, I’ll tell you why in a moment), and a mango chutney that is very good but quite spicy.

Appetizers:

You will most likely see samosas we have a snack menu in Indian restaurants. These are a safe option as they are full of flavor but not spicy. They are triangular cakes that are filled with potatoes, peas and other vegetables. The sweet, brown chutney I told you to keep well goes really well with these.

Main entrances:

tandoori: Tandoori is always a safe option. That is No a hot and spicy dish at all. It also has no heavy sauce. It is simply cooked in a clay oven known as a Tandoori, hence the name. Don’t be scared by the color. It will come out red, especially if you order the chicken. It looks a little weird but it tastes great.

biryani: (Pronounced beer-e-ani) Think of Biryani as the Indian version of Chinese fried rice. It is rice with vegetables (usually with grapes) with your choice of meat. Lamb Biryani is really good. It really is good with any meat. I probably wouldn’t recommend ordering Biryani with shrimp. Once again, this is another safe option as it will not be a spicy dish.

Curry: This is really a thick sauce full of cumin, garlic, tamarind and a bunch of other flavorful spices made to the heat of your order. Curry is by far the best known Indian dish. I like it with beef, lamb, chicken, or shrimp.

seasoning: This is a creamy tomato sauce that is extremely flavorful. It’s usually not too spicy, but just ask to be sure. One of my favorites in Indian restaurant is Chicken Tikka Masala. In fact, I read somewhere that Chicken Tikka Masala is the most ordered dish in England. With a large Indian population, Indian restaurants seem to pop up everywhere in England. In fact, Indian food is all I want to eat when I go to England.

Vindaloo: (Pronounced Vind-aloo) HOT HOT HOT! This is one of the spiciest dishes you can order. Again, it’s made with various spices like curry, but it’s very hot. In fact, it’s so hot that I can’t eat it and enjoy it. To my palate, the pepper overpowers any other flavor and I cannot enjoy the dish. WARNING: This dish is not for a virgin Indian meal.

It is typical for these dishes to come with basmati (Indian white rice). But you’re missing out if you don’t order some delicious nann (bread pancakes) to eat with your curry. Part of the Indian food experience is using your hands to soak up the sauce with the naan.

Although there are several types of naan, I recommend starting with something simple like plain or garlic nann. You usually get 2 pieces, which is enough for 1 person. You may want to consider 2 orders for 2 people and if there are any leftovers they are great for breakfast in the morning.

Indian restaurants do not usually offer any vegetable side dishes with main courses. This is probably because many Indians are vegetarians, vegetable mains are a main course in themselves. Indian curries often have very rich sauces and the ones that go with the rice and naan will fill you up fast. But if you feel the need to order a vegetable I recommend something with aloo (potato) or baigon (eggplant).

For drinks, Indian beer goes well with Indian food. I usually enjoy a Taj Mahal with my meal. If beer is not your thing, then I recommend trying a Mango Lassi. It’s a sweet, fruity drink that’s like having a smoothie with dinner.

If you can still have dessert after your hearty meal, a good option is Kulfi. This is Indian ice cream, which usually comes in various flavors, two common flavors are mango and pistachio.

Well, there you have it! This should give you enough information to be confident enough to try Indian food.