Popular Types of Indian Foods

Indian food is one of the most diverse and rich cuisines on earth. From mild rice pilaf to the firey vindaloo curry, Indian cooking has something for everyone. Indian food is famous for its use of aromatic spices like turmeric, ginger, coriander, cumin and of course chili. Cooking methods vary greatly from dish to dish.

Butter Chicken

·         Butter chicken is one of the most popular curries served at Indian restaurants around the world. Butter chicken is a mild curry, utilizing the richness of cream and butter to give a thick, creamy sauce, often enhanced with cashew nut paste.

Palak Paneer

·         Palak Paneer is a classic Indian dish made from fresh Indian cheese (paneer) and spinach (palak). While recipes vary greatly even within India, the palak is usually boiled and ground then cooked with spices and tomato, while the paneer is added raw, or fried.

Vindaloo

 Vindaloo is the granddaddy of chili as far as Indian curries go. According to The Curry House, the vindaloo originated from the Portuguese colony at Goa, and became hybridized with the local curries. Vindaloos vary widely from chef to chef, but they all have intense chili as a common factor.

Korma

·         Korma is a way of cooking, as well as a popular Indian dish. Traditionally meat was marinated in yogurt and spices overnight then slow cooked to release all the juices. Restaurant kormas usually cannot afford a long, slow cooking time, so common restaurant kormas use ground almonds and cream to get the thick gravy kormas are famous for. Kormas are very mild on the heat scale, but very tasty.

Rogan Josh

·         Rogan Josh originates from Kashmir, but has become a very popular dish throughout India, and the world. Rogan Josh is a medium hot curry, deep red in color and is traditionally made with lamb. In restaurants Rogan Josh is served with chopped tomato and fresh coriander on top.

Naan

·         Smallish flat style bread that is baked in the tan door oven, naan is eaten with meals in place of rice. Naan is especially popular in the Punjab, whereas rice is favored in Kashmir. Naan is tender bread, and curries are mopped up in naan with the fingers---the traditional utensil of eating in India.

Pakora

·         Pakora are a snack or entrée food in India made from a mixture of besan (gram) flour, spices and vegetables. The besan is mixed into a paste and spices are added, then vegetables are dipped into the mix and deep fried. Alternatively, finely chopped vegetables are mixed into the besan paste and spooned part and parcel into the oil. Pakora are usually eaten with a yogurt and mint sauce called chutni.

Tandoori

·         Tandoori, according to IndianFoodsCo.com, referrers to any dish that has been cooked in the traditional tandoor oven. Popular tandoori dishes include chicken tikka, a dry, spicy cooked chicken that is usually a deep red color.