Get Curry Happy! 23 Popular Indian Dishes to Try

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Biryani. Vindaloo. Tikka masala. We crave curry!
But in Indian cuisine, “curry” has many different meanings.
It all depends on the spices and ingredients thrown into the pot. And don’t forget the side-dishes, whose Indian food names are also foreign to our Western brains!
When we’re home and not traveling, we often like to go out to Indian restaurants or order Indian food delivery or take-out (perhaps to enjoy while watching lots of travel shows on Netflix).
Indian recipes are so complex, requiring many different spices and lots of prep and cooking time, that the food isn’t something we can easily whip up ourselves.
So what are some popular Indian dishes to try? Which are the best Indian dishes to order at a restaurant?
If you love curry and the fragrant flavors of Indian food, but don’t know your dal from your dosa, here’s a quick primer.

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Contents: Popular Indian food dishes
Regional Indian food



With a 5,000-year history, Indian cuisine has been shaped by a mix of cultures and flavors. The Mughals brought their rich creamy curries, while the Portuguese and British added their own twists.
Today, the vast Indian subcontinent has more than 35 distinct cuisines.
But for the sake of absolute simplicity, you can break down the food preferences into two regions: North Indian food and South Indian food.
Food in North India
- Spices and veggies reign (lots of vegetarian options).
- North Indians prefer breads like naan over rice.
- Dishes aren’t as fiery hot as in the south, and you’ll find more creamy creations.
South Indian dishes
- Curries are hotter.
- More rice is eaten, often combined with lentils.
- Dishes feature a lot of seafood and coconut.
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Most popular Indian dishes

While every region has its specialties, the secret sauce is a shared love for bold spices and vibrant flavors.
Whether it’s a buttery naan in the north or a fiery curry in the south, the following are 23 of our favorite Indian dishes.
Indian food appetizers and snacks
1) Samosas

The most popular Indian food in the world? Samosas are right up there!
Eaten as an appetizer, a samosa is a fried or baked triangular-shaped pastry filled with spiced potatoes, peas and onions. Meat varieties have ground lamb, beef or chicken too.
They often come with mint sauce or sweet-tangy tamarind chutney on the side.
They’re such a hit that you can usually find frozen pre-made samosas in your grocery store. But they won’t compare to what you can get from a good Indian restaurant.
Or you can try making your own – here’s a great recipe for making the perfect samosas.
2) Chaat

Originating in the north of India, chaat is the ultimate Indian street-food snack. The word “chaat” literally means “to lick” – and you’ll be licking your fingers clean!
Chaat comes in endless varieties, but they all share a winning formula – a starch base (like a samosa or puffed rice), fresh vegetables and a drizzle of chutney.
One standout? Papri chaat. It’s made with a samosa-style dough wafer, boiled potatoes and chickpeas, topped with tamarind chutney and crunchy bits of deep-fried noodles.
3) Pakora

Pakoras are fried vegetable fritters – bite-size bundles of joy made with potatoes, onions, cauliflower and other veggies. They’re traditionally coated in chick-pea flour before being deep-fried.
Dip them in mango chutney, zesty mint sauce or yogurt.
4) Papadum

A traditional starter we particularly love is a serving of papadums. We love breaking the large thin crispy wafer apart – and hearing that satisfying crackle.
A little peppery, papadums often come with coriander mint chutney.
Popular Indian curries and main dishes
5) Butter chicken

Butter chicken (or murgh makhani) is probably the most beloved chicken dish from India and the ultimate comfort curry.
Tender chicken chunks swim in a velvety tomato sauce, made with butter, onions and cream. It’s mild, smooth and oh-so-satisfying.
It’s our go-to curry and we never tire of it!
If you want something lightly spiced and easy on the heat, butter chicken is a foolproof pick – especially if this is your first time eating Indian food.
6) Tikka masala

Marinate chunks of (typically) chicken in yogurt and spices, perhaps garam masala. (Garam masala is a blend of ground spices, usually including coriander, cumin, cardamom, cloves and black pepper.)
Then roast over charcoal in a clay oven (called a tandoor). Lastly, mix the chicken with a creamy vibrant orange-colored sauce made with tomatoes, paprika and red chili.
Say hello to another one of the most popular Indian curries – chicken tikka masala!
As it’s a mild curry, tikka masala is a great choice if you don’t like hot food – making it another one of the best Indian dishes for beginners.
Tikka masala vs. butter chicken
It looks similar to butter chicken. So what’s the difference between tikka masala and butter chicken?
Butter chicken is usually less tomatoey and creamier than chicken tikka masala.
Also, butter chicken comes from Delhi.
On the other hand, chicken tikka masala was supposedly invented in Scotland in the 1970s by a chef after immigrating from Pakistan. It became such a hit that it was famously dubbed “Britain’s national dish.”
Not sure what to choose? Go with butter chicken.
7) Biryani

A Mughal gift from Persia to India, biryani is a classic Indian dish.
Rice and meat or vegetables are prepared separately, then combined and slow-cooked in the oven. It’s a “dry dish” – meaning no creamy gravy-like sauce – but the flavors are anything but dry!
Basmati rice is typically used. And the meat (goat, chicken or mutton) is usually marinated first in yogurt. Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom add a delicate flavor.
You can’t go wrong ordering biryani!
8) Pasanda
Hailing from the north of India, Pasanda is a mild curry made with cream, coconut milk and almonds, where the meat is pounded very thin. Originally served with lamb, it now often features prawns or chicken.
9) Korma

Korma is another one of the best Indian dishes to try from northern India.
Braised meat (maybe chicken or beef) and vegetables are slow cooked in a thick mild curry sauce made with cream, coconut milk or yogurt and sometimes almonds.
It’s delicately spiced with coriander, saffron, ginger, cardamom and black peppercorn.
10) Madras Curry

From the south of India, Madras curry is usually made with chicken – so it’s commonly known as “Chicken Madras” or “Madras Chicken.”
No matter what you call it though, it’s an intensely flavorful Indian chicken curry (a fairly hot curry).
Like Roghan Josh (#11 below), it’s a rich dark red in color – the color comes from the chilis used.
11) Roghan Josh

Deep red in color, Rogan Josh (also spelled Roghan Josh) is a flavor-packed curry dish that brings lamb (or beef) to life with chili peppers and aromatic spices.
Thought to be Persian in origin, it’s now a dish associated with Kashmir, the most northern region of India.
The meat is first browned then slowly stewed in a thick luscious gravy of garlic, onions, ginger, chili pepper and spices.
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Roghan Josh is usually eaten with fluffy basmati rice and/or naan.
When it’s just the two of us dining, we typically order a lamb Roghan Josh (with the heat dialed up!) plus a butter chicken (#5) – the two curries are wildly different in flavor and texture.
12) Mutter Paneer

This one’s for the vegetarian in you!
Mutter paneer is a north Indian curry made with cubes of paneer (a soft fresh cheese like cottage cheese). It’s mixed with peas and a tomato-and-onion based sauce.
Slurp it up with naan or chapatis.
13) Keema

Meaning “minced or ground meat,” Keema is an aromatic curry dish made with fried or stewed minced beef (or pork, chicken or lamb).
It’s often used as a filling for samosas.
14) Vindaloo

Bring on the heat! Vindaloo is a classic hot curry, made with chopped chicken, pork or lamb, tossed with garlic, hot chilis and wine or vinegar.
When Portuguese explorers made it to Goa in the 15th century, they brought the dish with them.
The word vindaloo is a mispronunciation of a Portuguese dish of meat marinated in wine-vinegar and garlic. Franciscan priests then adapted the dish – they couldn’t get wine-vinegar in India so they got inventive and made their own from palm wine.

Like Madras curry (#10), vindaloo is one of the hottest Indian curries. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
15) Tandoori chicken

You’ve probably heard of tandoori chicken?
It became one of the most famous Indian food dishes after wowing the country’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, post-independence. He was so hooked that it became a regular staple at official banquets.
The chicken is prepared by marinating it in yogurt and spices like turmeric, cardamom, coriander, fresh ginger, garlic, red chili and lime juice. Then it’s grilled in a tandoor clay oven.
It comes out juicy and oh-so-delicious – and is a great dish for a main course.
Indian side dishes
16) Naan

No Indian curry feast is complete without naan – a pillowy yeast-leavened flatbread, traditionally baked in a tandoor oven. It’s perfect for mopping up every drop of that irresistible curry sauce!
Naan is best served warm and fresh from the oven. (When receiving it as take-out, it’s often wrapped in aluminum foil to keep it warm.)
Many Indian restaurants offer different types of naan.
We’ve eaten several versions – plain naan, naan with garlic butter brushed on top and naan baked with rosemary inside. And while we enjoy them all, plain naan is probably still our favorite.
17) Paratha

Can you ever have too much Indian bread? We don’t think so.
A staple in many Indian households, paratha is unleavened flatbread, happily eaten at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Paratha vs. naan: What’s the difference?
While naan (#16) is baked in a clay tandoor oven, parathas are pan-fried. They’re thinner than naan and flakier.
To eat them, tear the paratha apart with your fingers. It’s delicious on its own. Or use the torn pieces to scoop up your curry sauce.
18) Dosa

A thin pancake, dosa is crepe-like and slightly sweeter than naan (#16). Coming from the southern part of India, it’s typically made from rice and lentils.
You usually eat dosas hot, dipped in various chutneys, as an accompaniment to a curry meal.
But sometimes dosas are stuffed with veggies and eaten as snacks (popular as street food in India). Masala dosa, for example, is filled with spiced potatoes.
19) Chapati
A chapati is a thin unleavened flatbread made from flour, salt and water, cooked on a hot griddle. They’re another Indian staple – break off pieces to scoop up the food from your plate.
20) Raita

Raita is a must!
A side dish made from yogurt and cucumber, raita is used to cool the spicy heat from curries. Try putting a little on each forkful.
You can also dip your naan into it.
Raita is so creamy and delicious, though, that you might just want to lap it up on its own!
Make raita at home
Mix the following ingredients in a bowl. Chill. Enjoy!
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup cucumber (grated)
- 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt to taste
21) Dal
Dal is another dish that perfectly complements your curry and rice. It’s made from split peas, lentils or beans, cooked into a flavorful mushy consistency. It’s very healthy!
22) Saag Paneer

Like mutter paneer (#12), saag paneer is another classic Indian vegetarian dish.
Saag means “greens” in Hindi. And this North Indian dish is typically made from cooked spinach (though sometimes other green vegetables like mustard greens or chopped broccoli are substituted).
The soft spinach is thickened with cream or coconut milk, spices are added and cubes of fried paneer cheese are stirred into the stew.
You can eat this as a side dish, or serve it with rice for a healthy vegetarian meal.
Indian desserts
23) Gulab Jamun

Of course, you need something deliciously sweet to finish off your Indian meal.
Enter gulab jamun.
This popular Indian dessert is based on two flavors – gulab (which means rose) and jamun (which refers to purple jamun berries, similar to blueberries).
Using milk solids and flour, the dessert consists of small doughy balls soaked in rose water and green cardamom.
Think of it like Indian doughnuts dipped in mouth-watering syrup! (But, sorry, ordinary doughnuts won’t ever taste as good again after you’ve tried gulab jamuns.)
So now you know the best Indian food dishes to try!

You know your dal from your dosa, your Madras from your masala…
Okay, you get the picture! Enjoy!
Do you like Indian food?
How hot do you like your curry?
You can let us know in the Comments section below! (And you can read comments by other readers too.)
Also check out these Indian food recipe books on Amazon. (And just so you know, as an Amazon associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.)
Pssst! Pin this guide on the top Indian foods for later!


Photo credits: 8 Wikimedia, Charles Haynes
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