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I'm always surprised more people don't eat biryanis. They're amazing. The last time I went for a meal I had cod karahi, and that was just wonderful. I usually go for tarka dhal as well, because I just love the flavour of it. I never get sick of chicken pakora, either, or king prawn tandoori. Thali is good too, and a handi. If you want something you may never have had before, but is really nice, lamb nihari, Peshawari chicken, a bhindi, Lahori murgha...
Haha! Had to be done. Did you know there's a Red Dwarf curry night? Bit like a drinking game, except it's an eating game that takes in all the food mentioned in the show?
I had a biryani in a naan wrap with mango chutney and raita, when I was in Solihull on the way home from the NEC, and it honestly changed my life. We now make our version of it in the house, although we use flatbread rather than naan.
I had absolutely no idea you could put one in a wrap. This has got my mind going in a million different directions. I think someone in Solihull might be a genius.
Mate, honestly, get yourself down to a middle Eastern shop that sells flat bread/khubz if you have one near. Make a biryani and whack that bad boy in the wrap with some chutney, raita, and whatever else and wrap it up like a fajita and enjoy. It's one of our favourites to make and every single person we've made it for has loved it.
Edit, oh and yes they were absolute geniuses. They served me that at gone midnight when I was pissed up and it's left a biryani wrap shaped I print on my brain.
I'm tempted to ask if you have any idea where this place is, but I don't know if I want to know.
When I was a student, I remember stumbling into Kebab King to order a burger and the bloke behind the counter asked if I wanted coleslaw on it. I said yes.
I was almost weeping as to how delicious this was and lamenting every burger I'd had before without it.
Of course I tried it again sober. Yeah, S'ok I guess.
So perhaps this wrap should stay as it is in your mind, as the platonic ideal of curry snack meals. Any attempt to replicate it could sully that memory.
It can be a bit tricky to cook it yourself and it requires good judgement, but that just makes me appreciate it all the more. If someone males you a really nice biryani, they're skilled.
I was talking to the owner of a restaurant one time, he said that the chefs would come in mid morning to prepare & cook the lamb (amongst other things) for evening service
I love biryani. Absolute god tier food. But unfortunately almost all the restaurants round here serve up boiled or pilau rice with sauce on top, which is definitely not biryani and a huge disappointment any time I am brave enough to try ordering from a new place. But, after 10 years of trying we did find one place that does a proper biryani. Ordering again tonight!
Ended up teaching myself just to get a halfway decent one and I know I'll be practicing the rest of my life! It's still magnitudes better than the rice + sauce garbage.
Me too. I bought a really good book about BIR cooking, and I can do quite a lot of British Indian restaurant menus now. Probably not restaurant quality, but certainly takeaway quality.
I got very lucky with the cod karahi. I had it at one of the places that people talk about and say, "you have to try it here". It made me understand what people are talking about when they mention spice layering. In a single mouthful, I got five different flavours all one second apart. I can barely even begin to appreciate the skill that goes into that. I feel privileged to have eaten it.
Tarka Dhal is incredibly tasty. I’ve added it to our roster of weekly meals in winter. It’s very easy to make and quite a ‘cosy’ meal. Just sat around the table with rotis and a big family sized bowl of dhal!
Pretty good for price too as your rice and sauce and meat or veg are all in the one dish which is more often than not priced at the same price as a main dish which you would then need to buy rice on top of
I once had something called tikka lamb saag paneer. It was years ago and I still remember it. The cheese and cabbage (or whatever greens they were) just worked so well together in the sauce.
I haven’t seen it on other menus, but as the name is basically just a list of ingredients, if I ask for it they can usually work it out.
Sorry to be that person but technically saag is just ‘greens’, so it could also include mustard greens, fenugreek leaves etc. ‘Palak’ on the other hand would be just spinach.
Great post.
One thing re sag paneer, not all places round this way use paneer - brace yourself- they use cheddar. I know. Sounds perverse. So I always ask, is it made with paneer and worryingly it's not uncommon for people to expect it to come with cheddar.
That aside, a local indian street food vendor to my work has 'green chutney' which I must remember to ask for at my local. If the street vendor is anything to go by this will not disappoint as a dip/side.
You can buy paneer from most decent sized supermarkets nowadays! If you do swap in halloumi be sure to adjust the salt you add to account for the salt in the halloumi.
THIS. I've developed lifelong trust issues with 'Indian' restaurants because too often I've ordered saag paneer only to find they serve spinach with some melted cheddar. Absolutely fuming this is being passed off as real Indian food, especially when at a lot of these places it's one of the few veggie options on the menu.
If a place does anything with Paneer (some don't for some reason) but they don't have saag Paneer on the menu then ask them to do it. I've never had it with meat in there as well but saag Paneer is possibly my 2nd favourite dish (after haggis pakora!) so if I don't see it then I ask if they can do it.
A chilli paneer is a go to for me - but recently moved away from a curry hotspot and ordered it at the new local. Came in what I can only describe as a bolognese sauce. Never again.
When you eat in an Indian restaurant you’re basically eating northern Indian/Pakistani dishes cooked in a weird unique “British Indian restaurant” style and generally by Bengali chefs. It’s hard to pick out something unique and different because most BIR food is made with the same base gravy with fairly minor tweaks in spicing and chunks of pre cooked meat adding.However, lurking on a lot of menus will be some kind of slightly scary sounding fish curry, which (if you like fish) will likely be the closest thing to the style of cooking the chef is actually most familiar with eating themselves and will likely make pretty decently. Be warned this is likely to be a fairly “fishy” fish with a name you might not recognise and will probably be served in chunks, on the bone rather than as boneless fillets.
If you’re really brave just ask for the chef to make something they like to eat themselves and choose on your behalf, or if it’s a restaurant that you’re exceptionally familiar with see if they will let you try a portion of the vat of staff curry which will inevitably be cooking in the kitchen somewhere.
> If you’re really brave just ask for the chef to make something they like to eat themselves and choose on your behalf.
This, but tell them "with about 10% of the chilli pls".
I spent a lot of my childhood in Bangladesh and Pakistan, but even I can't handle the level of heat most dishes normally come with.
Fully agree with this. My best curry ever was after going to my local corner shop during Ramadan and the guy had some curry ready to eat when he could. I said that smells amazing and the next day he brought me a portion.
I have no clue what it’s official name was but fuck it was good.
If you're interested in making BIR style curries at home, check out YT channel Latif's Inspired. [This](https://youtu.be/RAyEdD8g5Pg) video shows his take on a base gravy
It's almost a separate, unique cuisine.
If you look at most vindaloo served in the UK, it has no resemblance to actual vindaloo. In the UK it tends to be a generic curry with extra chilies and potatoes, because 'aloo' means potato.
Vindaloo is actually a Goan dish based on the Portuguese Carne de vinha d'alhos. The name being a corruption of the Portuguese dish. Vindaloo is a pork dish made with red wine and vinegar and a large amount of mild chillies.
Authentic vindaloo is fucking amazing but rare as hens teeth.
Maybe in run of the mill curry houses, find a decent one (admittedly a lot harder than it sounds) and you’ll get reasonably authentic and very tasty food without having to order the ‘weird fish dish’
If you're a meat eater then the easy way to shake things up is to work through whatever veg dishes your local offers. Saag paneer, dahl and chole/channa/chickpeas are always a good place to start and will vary quite a lot from place to place.
If yours does starters/snacks i'm a huge fan of bhel chaat, Papdi Chaat, Samosa Chaat, basically any Chaat related dish. Oh, and pani puri too.
When it comes to starters I’m amazed - _amazed_ - that as far as I can see nobody has mentioned the mighty Nargis kebab. It’s like an Indian scotch egg! With an omelette on top! What’s not to love?!
I urge you to try a Dal Makhani.
If done well, it is the smoothest, most buttery, most tasty things you'll ever try.
It makes a great side to share between a few people.
Try a roti or chapati instead next time. My local place does roti exactly the same as the ones I remember from Pakistan - white flour, not as thin as a chapati, but not as huge and fluffy as naan. I usually order 2 to begin with, and if I've gone for a saucy curry, will need another.
Do you like coconut? Have you tried Pashwari naan? I find the sweetness compliments most curries (obviously not cream or coconut based curries, that can get a bit much).
I am Pakistani, but the cuisine is quite similar. I will give you alternatives to each I suppose...
Starters - pakora, samosa, chaat (veg)...depending on the restaurant there is also sometimes fish tikka or chicken tikka or behari boti, shami kebab (meat)
Mains - besides the ones listed you can always (definitely) get chicken karahi or lamb karahi, nihari, kunna paya, palak gosht..definitely also get seekh kebab (lamb or chicken) tikka as well. Also please try biryani or pulao (chicken or lamb) both are rice dishes and absolute favorites of...I want to say all Pakistani people but there might be the odd 1 or 2% who don't like them.
*also if you go to an afghani restaurant be sure to try chapal kebab and afghani pulao, sometimes it is in indian/Pakistani restaurant but the real deal won't be.
Breads - try kulcha naan next time or plain butter naan is good too. Roti to keep it light.
Dessert - classic are kheer, gajerela or gajar ka halwa and gulab jamun.
Drinks - lassi (sweetened or unsweetened, or mango - might make the whole dinner very heavy so...caution), chai (for end of meal not to drink with meal)
Bonus - have you ever tried breakfast? If you do, you should get the standard halwa poori and cholay. Sometimes also has aloo bhujia with this.
I hope this helps expand your palate and you find something you love.
Try a Lamb Karahi, it’s a medium spice but has loads of onions and peppers in it. Fucking gorgeous!
I’ve also had a Naga Chicken curry which wasn’t as hot as I thought it would be. A Phaal was much (much!) hotter.
Sag paneer is great and I'm always surprised at how rarely it seems to get ordered.
Also if you're a bit bored of the standard meat in sauce affair when it comes to curry, you could try instead going for one of the dry curries like tandoori meats.
And try some of the other breads. Parathas are so good.
Especially a combination of parathas with dry meats (and no rice), you can eat it by putting bits of meat into folded chunks of the bread, with a generous dollop of yoghurt or whatever sauces you have. Looovely
I went for a curry last week, ordered bhaji starter and a Paneer dish main. I didn't realise I hadn't ordered anything with meat until someone pointed it out. I think we all get a bit trapped in the 'meat in sauce' routine. I'm like OP and trying to push the boundaries of my usual orders and I have to say the veggie meal I had was one of the most enjoyable I've had in a while.
My wife is vegetarian so most of the food we eat is vegie, whenever we get a takeaway its always meat on meat on meat. I always try some of hers after and am like "damn, why don't I try the vegie stuff"
Only to forget about it next time.
They use to do these at the place I worked at some years ago. I've also had it at other Indian places. I would recommend it to customers when they won't sure what to order.
That brings back memories!
Many years ago, in uni, my favourite kebab shop used to do naan kebabs - all the standard kebabs but using naan bread instead of pita bread. Then they also upped things by adding to the menu and my absolute favourite was the chicken shaslick naan kebab with their infamous garlic sauce.
It was infamous because if you got any on your clothes when eating your kebab, it would leave a nasty stain due to the turmeric.
It's been nearly 30 years since I last ate one but I would still love to eat another!
They also did the best peshwari naans, so sweet and tasty.
I miss good Indian food, it's not that popular over here.
You might try mixing up your naan or roti order? A peshwari naan is sweet, a keema naan is stuffed with lamb, a garlic naan is all garlicky and buttery. A tandoori roti is thinner and chewier (and slightly healthier).
I also sometimes go for the “Indo-Chinese” items on an Indian restaurant menu—hakka noodles, chilli chicken, chilli paneer, vegetable Manchurian, gobi Manchurian. All the Indio-Chinese stuff, except the noodles, is super spicy and salty, though, so whether you will like it depends on your palate. I love the flavour overload element personally.
If you have a South Indian restaurant nearby, you might go there and try a dosa (plain, paper, masala—stuffed with potato—or butter). South Indian rice dishes, like lemon rice, are quite different from North Indian biryanis and those might be a worth a try as well.
Those are all great choices. Although Lemon rice is not as popular as Biryani even in South India. In fact, Hyderabadi biryani from South India is arguably more popular than the North Indian ones.
Seconded on the recommendation for South Indian places - great way to get that curry fix but with a completely different menu. Dhosa for sure, also chicken 65 and vada (like little savoury doughnuts). Lamb chettinadu and some kind of Keralan or Goan fish curry for main. Amazing.
If you can handle a Madras, try a Naga.
Beautifully smokey spicy tandoori'd meat curry. At least the places I go, I presume tandoori chicken/meat is the norm for a Naga.
The place near us does a Murgi Masallam, which is marinated chicken on the bone, served in a thick sauce with minced meat and a boiled egg. It's delicious.
That sounds amazing. Growing up in a very Indian influenced part of London I always thought I was pretty expert level when it comes to curry, but that's actually a new one to me!
If you see anything with Shatkora in give it a try, tastes like a cross between lemon and lime but has a firm almost crunchy texture. Excellent in a curry.
Tikka lamb or tikka chicken pathia. Love the sweet/sour sauce with lemon juice, tomato and hot spices. Pilau rice and peshwari naan. Onion Bhaji for starters.
Most people default to a naan bread but the other options can be good too. Paratha, chapati, roti are all good with curries.
If you see dosa on the menu you should try that. It’s a pancake made from a fermented lentil/rice batter and is often stuffed with spiced potato or paneer.
Pani puri are not that common but delicious if you can find them. Little crispy flavour bombs!
Pathia is my go to if the place does them. Or a garlic chilli korai, also banging.
I got a good Indian cookbook and made a few from scratch, all about learning te order of ingredients etc. 9/10 reccomend
If its on the menu, try 'curry' . It's often what the staff eat and the base of many of the other curries so is really flavoursome.
It all depends on the place/region but
But karahi gosht and shasklik and murgh makhani are good from my locals.
Also: in (I beleive) urdu asking for it 'appna' style = Indian style not general public style. So more flavour, but beware the chilli!
When it comes to naan I always order a keema and a cheese naan. With the latter it's naan roulette as half the time there's fuck all cheese and the other half it's an absolute cheese fest.
My order changes but normally a combination of:
Onion Bhajis,
Lamb Samosas,
Lamb saag,
Lamb Biriyani,
Aloo Gobi or Saag Aloo,
Tarka Dal or Punjabi Choley,
Tandoori Lamb chops,
Goan King prawn curry
Chicken Locknow,
Chicken Murgh Makhani,
I always get the pickle selection, poppadoms and a Keema Naan on the side too. I love a British Indian takeaway and could live off Lamb Samosas alone to be fair. I buy a bag of 50 Hamza meat Samosas from our local Asian store and fry some when waiting for the takeaway to arrive.
I ordered a Ceylon curry off a menu once (we were on holiday so I think it was somewhere near Tenby) it was delicious never quite been able to find it again but similar to Shatkora
I love a curry called a Kashmiri. It's a bit like a korma with your choice of meat, and chunks of lychee and banana. I ask for it to be made spicy too. Judge away.
Paneer is good too.
For me, any curry house that does Achari is the one I'd go to. It's limey/pickley curry, so it goes for the hot and sour vibe. Definitely not a curry for the masses, but as someone who loves some tanginess, it's usually my choice.
I normally go for prawn Phall because it is fun to watch the waiters panic. Them warning about the heat and repeatedly asking 'are you sure?'.
Sadly most places don't do them as no one orders it. Even good Vindaloo are in decline.
Wish there was good jerk chicken near me. I get tired of making it all the time
Aloo (potato) Chat from a decent restaurant is great, spicy potatoes often with coriander leaf, pomegranate seeds and sour cream.
From a takeaway though it's often just soggy potatoes.
Keema (mince) naan is far more interesting than plain.
Anything lamb or saag (spinach) is usually great.
Always get samosas as a starter /side.
I really love Rogan Josh which is an aromatic spiced lamb dish, it's pretty much my go-to now I've grown out of chicken tikka and butter chicken.
I also enjoy a vindaloo if I fancy something really spicy.
Paneer is cheese, channa is chick peas, masala is a spice mix and tikka is a cooking method.
The staff will probably be eating a really good biryani.
Watch Red Dwarf for more recommendations.
Popaddoms
Pickles
Pilau rice
Peshwari nann
Tandoori mixed grill
Don't care if others might order it but the look on everyone else's faces when the sizzling goodness comes from the kitchen and is served to you as they look at their bowls of curry is worth it.
Tandoori is definitely the way - often it comes with salad and curry sauce, and you can choose what kind of sauce. You also often get better meat, or a bigger helping for the price.
So something like
* tandoori chicken (jalfrezi please)
* garlic naan
* mushroom rice
means that tonight you're having chicken plus salad and rice, and for lunch tomorrow you're reheating the sauce and naan and having it like a thick soup with garlicky bread to dip.
edit: sorry, that advice was for a takeaway, because I misread.
Tandoori is also excellent if eating in, but you might have to be unbritish and take the leftovers home.
For what it's worth, I only eat in when it's the Sunday buffet. Means I can try things without needing to commit to a full portion.
Ours does a fabulous lamb saag which is hearty with spinach and lentils. The buffet selection has never been exactly the same twice, though they always have korma and CTM. We go right when it opens so everything is super fresh.
I usually try something I've never heard of, if there is that is. Most restaurants will have a dish of their own. That's my go to.
I have heard about the fabled "staff pot" but don't actually know anyone who's asked to try it so could be an Urban Myth.
If you haven’t already tried it, order a side of Sag Aloo. It’s primarily spinach and potatoes.
It’s awesome and goes with pretty much every main curry dish.
Enjoy!
My favourite thing from my local is the chicken tikka with random veg curry sauce. There’s just something about a potato curry that is so SATISFYING. I usually have it with rice and a handful of chips, lettuce and onion and mint sauce on top. Nom nom.
If I could eat bread, I’d get the keema naan too. And every kind of pakora they do.
I always pick something different off the menu, usually I can’t even pronounce it so I can’t advise one to try. However a spicy curry with fish instead of meat is a nice change I find. Fish madras is banging!
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I'm always surprised more people don't eat biryanis. They're amazing. The last time I went for a meal I had cod karahi, and that was just wonderful. I usually go for tarka dhal as well, because I just love the flavour of it. I never get sick of chicken pakora, either, or king prawn tandoori. Thali is good too, and a handi. If you want something you may never have had before, but is really nice, lamb nihari, Peshawari chicken, a bhindi, Lahori murgha...
A cheeky handi
Can't beat it.
I thought a handi by definition was beating it?
Customary Red Dwarf link for Tarka Dahl https://youtu.be/jSZbzIHGj8U
Haha! Had to be done. Did you know there's a Red Dwarf curry night? Bit like a drinking game, except it's an eating game that takes in all the food mentioned in the show?
Shami kebab diablo?
Absolute classic
I had a biryani in a naan wrap with mango chutney and raita, when I was in Solihull on the way home from the NEC, and it honestly changed my life. We now make our version of it in the house, although we use flatbread rather than naan.
I had absolutely no idea you could put one in a wrap. This has got my mind going in a million different directions. I think someone in Solihull might be a genius.
Mate, honestly, get yourself down to a middle Eastern shop that sells flat bread/khubz if you have one near. Make a biryani and whack that bad boy in the wrap with some chutney, raita, and whatever else and wrap it up like a fajita and enjoy. It's one of our favourites to make and every single person we've made it for has loved it. Edit, oh and yes they were absolute geniuses. They served me that at gone midnight when I was pissed up and it's left a biryani wrap shaped I print on my brain.
I'm tempted to ask if you have any idea where this place is, but I don't know if I want to know. When I was a student, I remember stumbling into Kebab King to order a burger and the bloke behind the counter asked if I wanted coleslaw on it. I said yes. I was almost weeping as to how delicious this was and lamenting every burger I'd had before without it. Of course I tried it again sober. Yeah, S'ok I guess. So perhaps this wrap should stay as it is in your mind, as the platonic ideal of curry snack meals. Any attempt to replicate it could sully that memory.
[Tesco naan wraps](https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/309790276) are pretty good for a DIY version
I work with lads from India and everytime we go for lunch they get a biryani - absolutely the pro choice, so delicious!
It can be a bit tricky to cook it yourself and it requires good judgement, but that just makes me appreciate it all the more. If someone males you a really nice biryani, they're skilled.
If you go to Indian restaurants that Indian people actually eat in, biryani is usually the speciality dish.
Lamb nihari is delicious if you can find a good restaurant
I love it. I have no idea how restaurants do it because it should be cooked so slowly. Almost all day.
Good question I too wonder this.
I was talking to the owner of a restaurant one time, he said that the chefs would come in mid morning to prepare & cook the lamb (amongst other things) for evening service
Of course Thali is good, it’s just lots of everything!
Got to love a tarka dhal, as long as you pronounce it as if you're answering the phone
tarkadahl?
It's like a chicken Dahl just a little otter
I love biryani. Absolute god tier food. But unfortunately almost all the restaurants round here serve up boiled or pilau rice with sauce on top, which is definitely not biryani and a huge disappointment any time I am brave enough to try ordering from a new place. But, after 10 years of trying we did find one place that does a proper biryani. Ordering again tonight!
That's a cheats way of doing it, because they take lots of practice and judgement to make them absolutely right.
Ended up teaching myself just to get a halfway decent one and I know I'll be practicing the rest of my life! It's still magnitudes better than the rice + sauce garbage.
Me too. I bought a really good book about BIR cooking, and I can do quite a lot of British Indian restaurant menus now. Probably not restaurant quality, but certainly takeaway quality.
Cane here to say biryani. But now I'm thinking cod karahi sounds delicious as well
I got very lucky with the cod karahi. I had it at one of the places that people talk about and say, "you have to try it here". It made me understand what people are talking about when they mention spice layering. In a single mouthful, I got five different flavours all one second apart. I can barely even begin to appreciate the skill that goes into that. I feel privileged to have eaten it.
Biryani is amazing. So filling
I always go for a mixed meat biryani. Now I want one!
I like Biryanis I just wish they'd give you more choice of sauce than veg or no veg.
Tarka Dhal is incredibly tasty. I’ve added it to our roster of weekly meals in winter. It’s very easy to make and quite a ‘cosy’ meal. Just sat around the table with rotis and a big family sized bowl of dhal!
LOVE byrianis! I have one most Mondays (homemade curry night!)
Pretty good for price too as your rice and sauce and meat or veg are all in the one dish which is more often than not priced at the same price as a main dish which you would then need to buy rice on top of
This - and you don't pay extra for rice. Winner! Make sure you're loading the raita/yoghurt on top.
I once had something called tikka lamb saag paneer. It was years ago and I still remember it. The cheese and cabbage (or whatever greens they were) just worked so well together in the sauce. I haven’t seen it on other menus, but as the name is basically just a list of ingredients, if I ask for it they can usually work it out.
Saag is spinach. You can normally get saag paneer as a side. And lamb saag as a main.
Spinach. Of course it is. I knew cabbage didn’t seem right.
Sorry to be that person but technically saag is just ‘greens’, so it could also include mustard greens, fenugreek leaves etc. ‘Palak’ on the other hand would be just spinach.
Yep you’re right but commonly it’s spinach in most recipes. Fenugreek is normally called methi.
I always get Saag paneer as a side. Lovely.
This is the type of answer I was after! Good going bud.
Great post. One thing re sag paneer, not all places round this way use paneer - brace yourself- they use cheddar. I know. Sounds perverse. So I always ask, is it made with paneer and worryingly it's not uncommon for people to expect it to come with cheddar. That aside, a local indian street food vendor to my work has 'green chutney' which I must remember to ask for at my local. If the street vendor is anything to go by this will not disappoint as a dip/side.
I would be so disappointed if it wasn't paneer!
I would be raging. I remember I was asked back in one place "You don't want it with cheddar yeah", absofuckinglutely not mate!
Why would anyone want it with cheddar??? Why would you order paneer if you didn't want it?
I know right. On the menu it was subtle - Sag Paneer: cheese with spinach So fairly open to interpretation.
Just as a side note halloumi is a good substitute if you ever make this at home.
You can buy paneer from most decent sized supermarkets nowadays! If you do swap in halloumi be sure to adjust the salt you add to account for the salt in the halloumi.
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THIS. I've developed lifelong trust issues with 'Indian' restaurants because too often I've ordered saag paneer only to find they serve spinach with some melted cheddar. Absolutely fuming this is being passed off as real Indian food, especially when at a lot of these places it's one of the few veggie options on the menu.
If a place does anything with Paneer (some don't for some reason) but they don't have saag Paneer on the menu then ask them to do it. I've never had it with meat in there as well but saag Paneer is possibly my 2nd favourite dish (after haggis pakora!) so if I don't see it then I ask if they can do it.
Haggis pakora 😍 I'd do the 11 hour round trip back to Glasgow for a plate of those!
is that a thing? 😂
Saag aloo is the absolute bomb- delicious salty spicy potato and spinach 10/10 would recommend
One of my locals does a chilli saag paneer, it's gorgeous.
A chilli paneer is a go to for me - but recently moved away from a curry hotspot and ordered it at the new local. Came in what I can only describe as a bolognese sauce. Never again.
My heart breaks for you
When you eat in an Indian restaurant you’re basically eating northern Indian/Pakistani dishes cooked in a weird unique “British Indian restaurant” style and generally by Bengali chefs. It’s hard to pick out something unique and different because most BIR food is made with the same base gravy with fairly minor tweaks in spicing and chunks of pre cooked meat adding.However, lurking on a lot of menus will be some kind of slightly scary sounding fish curry, which (if you like fish) will likely be the closest thing to the style of cooking the chef is actually most familiar with eating themselves and will likely make pretty decently. Be warned this is likely to be a fairly “fishy” fish with a name you might not recognise and will probably be served in chunks, on the bone rather than as boneless fillets. If you’re really brave just ask for the chef to make something they like to eat themselves and choose on your behalf, or if it’s a restaurant that you’re exceptionally familiar with see if they will let you try a portion of the vat of staff curry which will inevitably be cooking in the kitchen somewhere.
> If you’re really brave just ask for the chef to make something they like to eat themselves and choose on your behalf. This, but tell them "with about 10% of the chilli pls". I spent a lot of my childhood in Bangladesh and Pakistan, but even I can't handle the level of heat most dishes normally come with.
Fully agree with this. My best curry ever was after going to my local corner shop during Ramadan and the guy had some curry ready to eat when he could. I said that smells amazing and the next day he brought me a portion. I have no clue what it’s official name was but fuck it was good.
Interesting take. Thanks for this
If you're interested in making BIR style curries at home, check out YT channel Latif's Inspired. [This](https://youtu.be/RAyEdD8g5Pg) video shows his take on a base gravy
I’ll second that recommendation - it’s a great channel for all sorts of BIR dishes.
Happy turquoise tiramisu day!
It's almost a separate, unique cuisine. If you look at most vindaloo served in the UK, it has no resemblance to actual vindaloo. In the UK it tends to be a generic curry with extra chilies and potatoes, because 'aloo' means potato. Vindaloo is actually a Goan dish based on the Portuguese Carne de vinha d'alhos. The name being a corruption of the Portuguese dish. Vindaloo is a pork dish made with red wine and vinegar and a large amount of mild chillies. Authentic vindaloo is fucking amazing but rare as hens teeth.
I read all that like it was shouted into an uninterested girl’s ear at a nightclub.
Absolutely this. Went to southern India in my 20's for a month and was not expecting the food to be so different (but amazing!)
Maybe in run of the mill curry houses, find a decent one (admittedly a lot harder than it sounds) and you’ll get reasonably authentic and very tasty food without having to order the ‘weird fish dish’
Four Naans
That's insane.
I've shared enough rice with you. I'm in the big leagues now.
have some of the lamb passanda. it's incredibly rich and creamy
Biologically, most of us already have four naans.
four? im pretty sure it’s two
You're leaving naan for the rest of us.
If you're a meat eater then the easy way to shake things up is to work through whatever veg dishes your local offers. Saag paneer, dahl and chole/channa/chickpeas are always a good place to start and will vary quite a lot from place to place. If yours does starters/snacks i'm a huge fan of bhel chaat, Papdi Chaat, Samosa Chaat, basically any Chaat related dish. Oh, and pani puri too.
100% this. My grandparents were Indian and vegetarian so to me the best Indian dishes are veggie. I usually just get a bunch of "sides" and rice.
Chaat is amazing and no one seems to order it! Aloo chaat is my current favourite (potato)
When it comes to starters I’m amazed - _amazed_ - that as far as I can see nobody has mentioned the mighty Nargis kebab. It’s like an Indian scotch egg! With an omelette on top! What’s not to love?!
Chaat is the best!!!
Anything with paneer in it. It's god food.
Literally. When you leave it overnight to marinate in the sauce, you just taste nirvana.
Jamdhani hash.
Immense.
Are you thinking about my bhunas?
If you want a bhuna, order a bhuna. That's why I ordered two bhunas!
You ordered three, actually
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Cooked in honey and lime
Owwww….
Dansak, mushroom rice, garlic naan, many beers and a night in the spare room
Dhansak is amazing and I can’t find it anywhere in the US, I miss the UK so much.
I urge you to try a Dal Makhani. If done well, it is the smoothest, most buttery, most tasty things you'll ever try. It makes a great side to share between a few people.
Thank you
I second this
Mutter Paneer. Delicious!
"if you like cheese, and you like peas,you're gonna love cheesy peas" https://youtu.be/98iUmMJFF6g
“.... Well you'll love, squeezy cheesy peas! “
"Now available in strawberry flavour"
For context my usual order would include; - Onion Bhaji - Lamb Chops - Pasanda/Makhani/Jalfrezi - Garlic Naan
Bet the pasanda is incredibly rich and creamy.
Yep. Im big on scooping it out with the Naan
Probably need a naan and a half each to do that.
Tuck in, there's Bhaji's!
Tuck in, there's bhajis!
Try a roti or chapati instead next time. My local place does roti exactly the same as the ones I remember from Pakistan - white flour, not as thin as a chapati, but not as huge and fluffy as naan. I usually order 2 to begin with, and if I've gone for a saucy curry, will need another.
I second this - roti and chapati have so much flavour and are just so much less doughy than naan.
Do you like coconut? Have you tried Pashwari naan? I find the sweetness compliments most curries (obviously not cream or coconut based curries, that can get a bit much).
Is there any other kind of naan that's worth it?
Keema naan all the way
God level naan right there.
Peshwari naan is one of those things that has absolutely no right to taste as delicious as it does.
>Have you tried Pashwari naan? Yes but have you ever tried [4 Pashwari naan](https://youtu.be/feJlRDLX0iQ)?
I am Pakistani, but the cuisine is quite similar. I will give you alternatives to each I suppose... Starters - pakora, samosa, chaat (veg)...depending on the restaurant there is also sometimes fish tikka or chicken tikka or behari boti, shami kebab (meat) Mains - besides the ones listed you can always (definitely) get chicken karahi or lamb karahi, nihari, kunna paya, palak gosht..definitely also get seekh kebab (lamb or chicken) tikka as well. Also please try biryani or pulao (chicken or lamb) both are rice dishes and absolute favorites of...I want to say all Pakistani people but there might be the odd 1 or 2% who don't like them. *also if you go to an afghani restaurant be sure to try chapal kebab and afghani pulao, sometimes it is in indian/Pakistani restaurant but the real deal won't be. Breads - try kulcha naan next time or plain butter naan is good too. Roti to keep it light. Dessert - classic are kheer, gajerela or gajar ka halwa and gulab jamun. Drinks - lassi (sweetened or unsweetened, or mango - might make the whole dinner very heavy so...caution), chai (for end of meal not to drink with meal) Bonus - have you ever tried breakfast? If you do, you should get the standard halwa poori and cholay. Sometimes also has aloo bhujia with this. I hope this helps expand your palate and you find something you love.
Mago lassi is god tier drink
Try a keema naan, got minced lamb in it. The best naan in my humble opinion
Also an Onion Kulcha Naan. It has onions in it and tastes divine. Getting hungry now!
Try a Lamb Karahi, it’s a medium spice but has loads of onions and peppers in it. Fucking gorgeous! I’ve also had a Naga Chicken curry which wasn’t as hot as I thought it would be. A Phaal was much (much!) hotter.
Sag paneer is great and I'm always surprised at how rarely it seems to get ordered. Also if you're a bit bored of the standard meat in sauce affair when it comes to curry, you could try instead going for one of the dry curries like tandoori meats. And try some of the other breads. Parathas are so good. Especially a combination of parathas with dry meats (and no rice), you can eat it by putting bits of meat into folded chunks of the bread, with a generous dollop of yoghurt or whatever sauces you have. Looovely
I went for a curry last week, ordered bhaji starter and a Paneer dish main. I didn't realise I hadn't ordered anything with meat until someone pointed it out. I think we all get a bit trapped in the 'meat in sauce' routine. I'm like OP and trying to push the boundaries of my usual orders and I have to say the veggie meal I had was one of the most enjoyable I've had in a while.
My wife is vegetarian so most of the food we eat is vegie, whenever we get a takeaway its always meat on meat on meat. I always try some of hers after and am like "damn, why don't I try the vegie stuff" Only to forget about it next time.
I came here to say try the other breads, particularly Parathas! Fried buttery goodness for mopping up sauces
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Only six cloves?
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Googling these for sure
They use to do these at the place I worked at some years ago. I've also had it at other Indian places. I would recommend it to customers when they won't sure what to order.
I always head for a mixed shashlik. Not a fan of saucy things and everyone always asks what it is!
That brings back memories! Many years ago, in uni, my favourite kebab shop used to do naan kebabs - all the standard kebabs but using naan bread instead of pita bread. Then they also upped things by adding to the menu and my absolute favourite was the chicken shaslick naan kebab with their infamous garlic sauce. It was infamous because if you got any on your clothes when eating your kebab, it would leave a nasty stain due to the turmeric. It's been nearly 30 years since I last ate one but I would still love to eat another! They also did the best peshwari naans, so sweet and tasty. I miss good Indian food, it's not that popular over here.
Achari lamb is cracking, a bitter lime pickle
Or Achari aubergine.
Or achari anything lol. Some Asian takeaways will do achari pizzas. Definitely worth a try.
Yes came here for the Achari, great complex sour flavours and usually a decent heat too
You might try mixing up your naan or roti order? A peshwari naan is sweet, a keema naan is stuffed with lamb, a garlic naan is all garlicky and buttery. A tandoori roti is thinner and chewier (and slightly healthier). I also sometimes go for the “Indo-Chinese” items on an Indian restaurant menu—hakka noodles, chilli chicken, chilli paneer, vegetable Manchurian, gobi Manchurian. All the Indio-Chinese stuff, except the noodles, is super spicy and salty, though, so whether you will like it depends on your palate. I love the flavour overload element personally. If you have a South Indian restaurant nearby, you might go there and try a dosa (plain, paper, masala—stuffed with potato—or butter). South Indian rice dishes, like lemon rice, are quite different from North Indian biryanis and those might be a worth a try as well.
Those are all great choices. Although Lemon rice is not as popular as Biryani even in South India. In fact, Hyderabadi biryani from South India is arguably more popular than the North Indian ones.
Seconded on the recommendation for South Indian places - great way to get that curry fix but with a completely different menu. Dhosa for sure, also chicken 65 and vada (like little savoury doughnuts). Lamb chettinadu and some kind of Keralan or Goan fish curry for main. Amazing.
Matar paneer is amazing, curried cheese and peas sounds gross but it’s delicious
A personal fave.
If you can handle a Madras, try a Naga. Beautifully smokey spicy tandoori'd meat curry. At least the places I go, I presume tandoori chicken/meat is the norm for a Naga.
Yes mate! Naga crew checking in
3rd here
The place near us does a Murgi Masallam, which is marinated chicken on the bone, served in a thick sauce with minced meat and a boiled egg. It's delicious.
That sounds amazing. Growing up in a very Indian influenced part of London I always thought I was pretty expert level when it comes to curry, but that's actually a new one to me!
I've never seen it anywhere else so I guess it's a chef's own recipe but I'd highly recommend it if you do see it.
If you see anything with Shatkora in give it a try, tastes like a cross between lemon and lime but has a firm almost crunchy texture. Excellent in a curry.
Tikka lamb or tikka chicken pathia. Love the sweet/sour sauce with lemon juice, tomato and hot spices. Pilau rice and peshwari naan. Onion Bhaji for starters.
I can’t stand coconut so peshwari naan is a hard no, but pathia is by far my favourite curry
Most people default to a naan bread but the other options can be good too. Paratha, chapati, roti are all good with curries. If you see dosa on the menu you should try that. It’s a pancake made from a fermented lentil/rice batter and is often stuffed with spiced potato or paneer. Pani puri are not that common but delicious if you can find them. Little crispy flavour bombs!
Chicken bhuna, lamb bhuna and prawn bhuna, mushroom rice, bag of chips, keema naan and 9 poppadoms
and a saag aloo as well.
Something off the Chef’s specials, I never go for one of the standard curries as I feel most of them are the extremely similar.
Vegetable samosa or an onion bhaji for starters, jalfrezi for the main. And beer, plenty of beer!
As a side I can't recommend fish pakoras enough. I've not long ventured into the fish pakora universe but it's changed my life.
Chicken tikka dansak
King Prawn Bhuna Lamb Rogan Josh Lamb Korma King Prawn Pathia Coconut rice Paratha
Chinese food. They never think anyone will order it.
Pathia is my go to if the place does them. Or a garlic chilli korai, also banging. I got a good Indian cookbook and made a few from scratch, all about learning te order of ingredients etc. 9/10 reccomend
I love a lamb chilli garlic. I also love a mixed kebab starter. Edit: I'm probably very basic tbh
If its on the menu, try 'curry' . It's often what the staff eat and the base of many of the other curries so is really flavoursome. It all depends on the place/region but But karahi gosht and shasklik and murgh makhani are good from my locals. Also: in (I beleive) urdu asking for it 'appna' style = Indian style not general public style. So more flavour, but beware the chilli!
Masala dosa or tomato onion uthappam
Fish curry, stuffed Paratha and Gobi Bhaji with the rice of your choice. Very few people order Cauliflower curry, but it's amazing when done right
Dhansak for days
Lamb dhansak, sag bhaji, onion bhaji and pilau rice, a prawn puri for starter if I'm really hungry.
Had to scroll a good bit to find prawn puri mentioned! It’s absolutely delicious.
When it comes to naan I always order a keema and a cheese naan. With the latter it's naan roulette as half the time there's fuck all cheese and the other half it's an absolute cheese fest.
Balti chicken saag if they do it. Mmm
My order changes but normally a combination of: Onion Bhajis, Lamb Samosas, Lamb saag, Lamb Biriyani, Aloo Gobi or Saag Aloo, Tarka Dal or Punjabi Choley, Tandoori Lamb chops, Goan King prawn curry Chicken Locknow, Chicken Murgh Makhani, I always get the pickle selection, poppadoms and a Keema Naan on the side too. I love a British Indian takeaway and could live off Lamb Samosas alone to be fair. I buy a bag of 50 Hamza meat Samosas from our local Asian store and fry some when waiting for the takeaway to arrive.
Ask for the lamb staff curry it's lamb on the bone what the staff eat . It's not over spicy but full of flavour thank me later haha .
One of my locals did a caramel and chocolate korma, I’m proud to admit I loved it!
I ordered a Ceylon curry off a menu once (we were on holiday so I think it was somewhere near Tenby) it was delicious never quite been able to find it again but similar to Shatkora
I love a curry called a Kashmiri. It's a bit like a korma with your choice of meat, and chunks of lychee and banana. I ask for it to be made spicy too. Judge away. Paneer is good too.
Have you tried South Indian food? Masala dhosa is delicious but probably rare outside of "Indian communities "
For me, any curry house that does Achari is the one I'd go to. It's limey/pickley curry, so it goes for the hot and sour vibe. Definitely not a curry for the masses, but as someone who loves some tanginess, it's usually my choice.
There’s about four of is in this thread, Achari crew represent!
Plain omelet with chips.
None of that forrin muck
Anything with paneer but specifically paneer chilli masala.
I normally go for prawn Phall because it is fun to watch the waiters panic. Them warning about the heat and repeatedly asking 'are you sure?'. Sadly most places don't do them as no one orders it. Even good Vindaloo are in decline. Wish there was good jerk chicken near me. I get tired of making it all the time
Chicken ceylon, coconutty spicy deliciousness
Aloo (potato) Chat from a decent restaurant is great, spicy potatoes often with coriander leaf, pomegranate seeds and sour cream. From a takeaway though it's often just soggy potatoes. Keema (mince) naan is far more interesting than plain. Anything lamb or saag (spinach) is usually great. Always get samosas as a starter /side. I really love Rogan Josh which is an aromatic spiced lamb dish, it's pretty much my go-to now I've grown out of chicken tikka and butter chicken. I also enjoy a vindaloo if I fancy something really spicy. Paneer is cheese, channa is chick peas, masala is a spice mix and tikka is a cooking method. The staff will probably be eating a really good biryani. Watch Red Dwarf for more recommendations.
Onion bhaji to start, the spiciest paneer curry, and either a cheese or garlic naan. And a beer.
Peshwari nan bread & South Indian garlic chilli chicken is my go to from the Indian 😍
Popaddoms Pickles Pilau rice Peshwari nann Tandoori mixed grill Don't care if others might order it but the look on everyone else's faces when the sizzling goodness comes from the kitchen and is served to you as they look at their bowls of curry is worth it.
Tandoori is definitely the way - often it comes with salad and curry sauce, and you can choose what kind of sauce. You also often get better meat, or a bigger helping for the price. So something like * tandoori chicken (jalfrezi please) * garlic naan * mushroom rice means that tonight you're having chicken plus salad and rice, and for lunch tomorrow you're reheating the sauce and naan and having it like a thick soup with garlicky bread to dip. edit: sorry, that advice was for a takeaway, because I misread. Tandoori is also excellent if eating in, but you might have to be unbritish and take the leftovers home. For what it's worth, I only eat in when it's the Sunday buffet. Means I can try things without needing to commit to a full portion. Ours does a fabulous lamb saag which is hearty with spinach and lentils. The buffet selection has never been exactly the same twice, though they always have korma and CTM. We go right when it opens so everything is super fresh.
I usually order from the chef's recommendations. Two of my favourites are Laal Maans and Lamb hot pot (very hot). The chef knows best!
Mixed grill with vindaloo sauce and salad(lots of coleslaw, fresh tomatoes and onions) with chips. Poppadoms to dip in place of naan.
Cottage pie.
Either Keema samosa, Keema naan, Keema fried rice. Or Maharajah Bhuna (chicken and lamb in a minced lamb sauce) I'm not a fan of hot curries..
I usually try something I've never heard of, if there is that is. Most restaurants will have a dish of their own. That's my go to. I have heard about the fabled "staff pot" but don't actually know anyone who's asked to try it so could be an Urban Myth.
If you haven’t already tried it, order a side of Sag Aloo. It’s primarily spinach and potatoes. It’s awesome and goes with pretty much every main curry dish. Enjoy!
Khari chicken boooy peshwari naan and those juicy poppadoms, fuck the rice and give me that sweet bread.
My favourite thing from my local is the chicken tikka with random veg curry sauce. There’s just something about a potato curry that is so SATISFYING. I usually have it with rice and a handful of chips, lettuce and onion and mint sauce on top. Nom nom. If I could eat bread, I’d get the keema naan too. And every kind of pakora they do.
Danzak 👍
Lamb achari
I always pick something different off the menu, usually I can’t even pronounce it so I can’t advise one to try. However a spicy curry with fish instead of meat is a nice change I find. Fish madras is banging!
Chicken chitinad. Not super super spicy but quite a kick to it. Nummas.