5 Dishes That Make You Want to Try Indian Restaurants

esmein | Mar 8, 2010 |

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Indian cuisines contrary to the popular belief are not synonyms to fastening food and dozens of spices stuffed into one dish. What could be further from the truth, than that? There are probably hundreds or thousands of recipes in Indian cookery, and though there are those not-so-healthy feasts, there are lots that are healthy and use one or two well chosen spices to add a nice fragment to the best and freshest ingredients there are.

Indian dishes made as they are supposed to be made can easily be on the healthier side with deliciously roasted, steamed and cooked vegetables. It's a common misconception that all Indian foods are hot. Some of the best chili and peppers grow in souther regions of the country and those ingredients of course make their way on to some plates, but they're far from being the most notable feature of Indian gastronomy.

1. The Kashmiri got its name from the northern region of India where mild flavors and creamy textured gravy makes the dishes unique and a living example of diversity in Indian kitchen. These dishes are usually made with lots of fresh or dried fruit, nuts and fragrant spices like cinnamon. Often served with long-grained rice, chapatis or naans (flat Indian bread). If you don't like hot and very spicy food you probably want to try these.

2. Jalfrezi. Jal means hot, frezi is to fry. It's easy to figure out what the hot stands for in the name if you take a look at the list of ingredients. Chicken, lamb or beef stir-fried with halved chili, bell pepper, onions and tomatoes for a flavored base texture. These dishes are really hot, even if you think you can take it I suggest ordering something milder as a side-dish.

3. Jalebi is a deep fried dessert made of yogurt and flour based dough. When it goes golden it's put into syrup for a few minutes to fill up. It's an extremely popular snack or dessert around India and other eastern countries as well.

4. Madras is an extremely hot southern recipe with onion, pepper, tomato and chili. Served with various Indian flat bread or piping hot plain boiled rice. It's advisable to get something less spicy and hot as a side-dish.

5. Shrikhand is a dessert popular as a side dish or consumed during wedding feasts, made of yogurt and various fruits. Yogurt is hung up in a piece of cloth overnight to drain excess water. Later it's thoroughly mixed with dried or fresh fruit and saffron is added to the mixture. Served after 2-3 hours of chilling.

Indian gastronomy is really versatile ranging from the finest desserts to the hottest roasted meat dishes and the most delightfully prepared vegetarian recipes. Using the freshest and best quality components most of the courses worth trying and that's what I suggest you do when visiting a good Indian restaurant.