I need guidance concerning Indian food?

Question

I love Indian food but am still a relative novice. I never order curries or tikka masala (isn't that a phoney dish?), but instead usually go for a vindaloo, korma or rogan josh. What other dishes are good (main dishes, sides, breads, anything?). I have access to both North and South Indian restaurants, so any tips would be appreciated.

Also, is looking for un-Americanised Indian cuisine a futile effort, like looking for somewhat 'authentic' Chinese food is, for example?

Answer 1

Try to find a small Indian restaurant where the Indians themselves eat instead of the flock wallpapered ones you are obviously trying at present and who serve westernised style. Try Saag (curried spinach) with parata (stuffed or plain pancakes). As a matter of fact, if you like curry, you will like most if not all dishes. (The only one I dislike intensely is those containing Ladyfingers). Southern Indian dishes mainly consist of fish but also well worth trying..........

Answer 2

I think most Indian restaurants in the US serve a lot of dishes that wouldn't be available in India - such as tikka masala. I am betting if you have a local area with a high Indian population you'd be more likely to find more authentic restaurants. Since I've only eaten at Indian restaurants in the US and UK, I'm not sure if all of these are western creations...

I really love all the breads - the Parantha, Roti are really yummy.
Somosa are one of my favorites too.

for main dishes I really like Chana Masala. and Saag Paneer too. Aloo Gobi is pretty tasty too.

Answer 3

I started eating Indian food about 5 years ago.....and I can definitley help you a little here...To help you out, the word "curry" means like a stew, so there is not one flavor that is "curry" flavor. It will vary within the dish.
Most Indian restaurants have a "vegetarian thali", that is, vegetarian dinner. That usually comes with about 3 vegetarian dishes, and I've found that the combination they give you is delicious. I like Dal Makhni...(black beans and spices) sag paneer (MMMM creamed spinach with cubes of cheese) and Baigan Bartha..which is an eggplant curry....ooh it is soo good. You have to have a side of basmatti rice and some Naan (bread) which usually comes with it anyways. I like MURG curry, which means CHICKEN curry.....that is very good. For appetizers, try Samosas, a deep fried pastry filled with spiced potatos and peas. I like to dip it in the tamarind sauce that they give you if you ask. Ohh I am getting hungry for indian food just talking about this!

Answer 4

INDIAN PUDDING

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
4 c. milk
1 c. molasses
1 tsp. ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix the corn meal and milk together, and cook in a double boiler for half an hour. Add the molasses, ginger, and salt. Pour into buttered pudding dish. Baking in a very slow oven 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 hours.

Serve hot with:

Molasses Sauce
1/2 cups black molasses
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup heavy cream

Put all ingredients into a small saucepan. Allow to come to a boil. Cook to the consistency of heavy cream.
Pour over the Indian pudding and serve.

Can also be topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Answer 5

firstly, tikka masala is not a phoney dish, as the tikkas mean smaller portions, and they are done intandoor, a special type of a chulah, i.e. a fire-place built to dry-roast mutton, chicken, fish, even rotis, paneer etc, and requires skill.
if you have already tried the dishes which you mention, you may trynow, the following,
mutton kebabs for starters, wit drinks, or beer, they are made in tanddor, spiced before sticking them on an iron rod, and roasted, just enough, great in taste, served with coriander-onion chutney, mint leaves.
pl. order chicken or mutton dum biryani, kulchas, nans, and tawa paranthas, along with paneer-mutter, alo-gobhi dry, and dal fry.
if fond of fish, alter the panner dishes to shrimps masala, or prawns pulav, but keep dal on the menu.
if you prefer bread to rotis, pl. order pomfret currry with it, you can tell the steward how spicy or hot you prefer.
along with fish curry, you should go for a leafy vegetable with paneer, like palak paneer, i.e. spinach with paneer.
avoid soups, as the rice and mutton require a good appetite, and soups will fill your stomoch.
ask for boondi- raita, green salad, papads, and pickles, to and tat tanginess you are loking for. mostly, they give pickles, cucumber, on their own.
have a carrot or dudhi halwa, for a dessert. avoid direct milk preparation after fish, but can have after meat.
or you could have a bengali sweet, which comes in single pieces, and variable.
the coks and chefs are from native punjab, or andhra, but to suit americans's taste-buds, they will have to modify, the receipes remain the same. if you are an indian, they will make it more authentic, don't worry !
i have heard, you can't relish real chinese food, which more on the slimier side !
have a n enjoyable evening out !

Answer 6

I'm a Chicken Korma guy myself, so I'm sort of like you.
I like Saag Paneer too.
Almost every Indian place has a buffet once a week, some more elaborate than others, why don't you go and sample everything?

Answer 7

I love Mutter Paneer. (it's vegetarian--with peas and homemade cheese--sort of like a tofu type cheese, only with flavor). And Bryiani--which is rice with all kinds of neat stuff in in--maybe with chicken--is really, really great.

Tandoori anything is also a can't miss dish.

Answer 8

butter chicken is my favorite
with naan bread and rice

why dont you order curry?

I like the round cheese things for dessert

Answer 9

Go for Tandoori food. Tandoori food is cooked in indirect fire.
Tandoori chicken or shrimp tastes great!

Answer 10

I would love to eat naan with any of the curries either veg or non-veg. Also, my favourite is chole-bhatura.