Look for ingredients you typically like to make ordering food less daunting. If you prefer lamb dishes, pick something from the lamb section. If you may be vegan, then of course stick with anything from that section. So much of it is a rule of thumb in the literal sense of the word. There are so many curry houses out there in towns all over the UK and from this, there are menus you sift through all with their own specialities.
In cities like Birmingham, London, Manchester and Bristol, there are no end of Indian restaurants. From this, you can be sure of being literally spoilt for choice.
Some of the most popular appetizers
Bhaji: Bhaji (or pakoras) are crispy deep-fried dollops of spicy chickpea batter served with spicy condiments called chutney. Onion bhaji features thinly sliced onions that have been added to the chickpea batter and then deep fried to crispy perfection. Think of it as our version of onion rings! Other popular bhajis are cauliflower, potato, and paneer.
Samosa: Another popular Indian street food is samosa. Samosas contain a small amount of spicy potato or meat filling that is then wrapped in dough and deep-fried until crispy and flaky.
Vada Pav: Vadas are deep-fried fritters or flattened patties of potato, and a pav is just a dinner roll. Vada pav is essentially a spicier vegetarian version of sliders where the fritter or patty is sandwiched between two halves of a dinner roll. Often, condiments are added to the sliders, like onions, green chilies, garlic chutney, and mint and cilantro chutney.
Bread is a key aspect of Indian dining
Naan: Naan is one of the most popular Indian flatbreads. To make naan, wheat flour dough is prepared either by allowing it to rise using yeast or by the addition of yogurt to the dough. That dough is then rolled into flatbreads and cooked in an Indian oven called a tandoor.
Roti: Naan is popular on Indian restaurant menus, but roti is a staple in Indian homes. Roti is a no-fuss Indian bread, typically made with whole wheat flour that’s kneaded into a soft dough, then rolled into thin circles, and cooked on a tava (Indian skillet) on the stovetop.
Paratha: Paratha is a flatbread that is layered and pan-fried. They are made with wheat flour, and ghee or oil is smeared between layers of dough while rolling them. But there are many ways in which you can make a paratha, especially stuffed paratha. In a stuffed paratha, the filling is stuffed into a ball of dough and then rolled into a flatbread.
Main courses to look over and choose in a restaurant
There are many great main dishes on Indian menus, but because Indian menus are so long it can be hard to know where to start. The following are some dishes that are great for first-timers.
Two of the most popular Indian dishes are Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken. These two feature juicy pieces of marinated chicken in slightly different tomato and onion based sauces.
Biryaniis a delicious and flavorful rice and meat dish that includes aromatic spices and can be made with chicken, mutton, or vegetarian. Palak paneer is a creamy dish with a spinach-based gravy and pieces ofpaneer, a type of Indian cottage cheese.
More adventurous eaters can try some of the dishes that are most loved by Indians for their flavor and general deliciousness. Rogan joshis a spicy and mouth-watering lamb curry while chana masala is a hearty chickpea gravy dish. As you can see there is no end choice as to what you can order. Also, there are some dishes without cream that are actually to some degree quite healthy in terms of their calorific and fat content. There are also dishes that are high in fibre too which also can be a good point to consider.
Stay honest to your real spice tolerance levels
This one is pretty important because, for some reason, many of us have started strangely equating spice tolerance to strength and manliness. To enjoy Indian food, it is important to be honest about how much spice you actually enjoy, not how much spice you can eat without dying. A good rule to follow is to order food one level below what you would normally eat. For example, if you normally enjoy spicy food try medium heat first. And if you normally enjoy medium heat, start with mild. This will help you learn about the spice levels in Indian food which can be pretty different from what you”re used to.
Most restaurants serve one plate per person. That’s not the norm for Indian restaurants because Indian cuisine is best-eaten family-style. In India, most families order many dishes for the table, and each person takes a little of each dish and puts it on their plate. Expect sharing-sized food portions when you order. If you want to sample Indian cuisine, bring a few friends along with you. Eating with people is a fun way to enjoy a meal. But ordering Classic Thali as a takeaway and eating it for the next few days sounds good too.
Feel free to eat the real way – with your hands
Many Indians eat with their hands. They rip off a piece of bread and use it to scoop up some of the meal from the plate. If you don’t like the thought of eating with your hands, don’t do it. You shouldn’t feel pressured to eat with your hands because you see everyone else doing it. Indian restaurants have cutleries. It’s perfectly fine to use your spoon to spread some sauce on the bread. When you want to try using your hands to eat, rip your Naan bread in half and fish a bit of meat off your Kurma. You can also polish off a plate with a piece of Naan to get all the delicious sauces.
Overall
When eating at an Indian restaurant in Britain, if you want to create an authentic Indian meal it makes sense to go as a group and order a combination of dishes that complement each other for you all to share. Think of it as a tasting menu, giving you lots of small tastes of different spices and sauces. Indian dishes are so varied after all.
Eating just one main dish with some rice, your palate would get dulled to the flavours and spices after a few mouthfuls, but eating tastes of lots of different dishes it is stimulated by the contrasts, for example, between cool raita and hot sauce, dry cooked tandoori chicken and richly sauced lamb korma. Have a good look on Tripadvisor. From here, see what is on offer and what type of dining experience you will be able to expect also too. Have a good look in detail at the menus and what the featured dishes are. Do not just look at a restaurant based on price.
Indian food and Indian dishes are joyful to eat. It helps people connect with others while opening a new world of flavour. Don’t be afraid to explore and share it. If you need a little help, you can always ask the restaurant staff. Ask them about the restaurant’s speciality and their recommendations, then start there. You need to remember after all just how big the country is and what there is on offer from one curry house to another. The options really are never ending in terms of what you can get.
