23 Popular Indian Dishes to Try at an Indian Restaurant

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.

When we’re home and not traveling, we often like to go out to Indian restaurants or order delivery or take-out of Indian food – 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 Indian food is not something we can easily whip up ourselves.

Biryani

Basmati rice is typically used. The meat (goat, chicken or mutton) is usually marinated first in yogurt. Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom add a delicate flavor.

01.

02.

Butter chicken

Typically a mild curry, it combines onions, butter and cream in a velvety smooth tomato sauce with chicken chunks. Butter chicken is our go-to curry. We never tire of it!

03.

Chaat

Originating in the north of India, chaat is an Indian street-food snack. The word “chaat” means “to lick” – and chaat is finger-licking delicious.

Photo: Wikimedia, Charles Haynes

04.

Dosa

A thin pancake, dosa is crepe-like and slightly sweeter than naan. Coming from the southern part of India, it’s usually made from rice and lentils.

05.

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).

Swipe up to see all the recommendations!