If you love Indian food, chances are that you will have tried one of these popular Indian curries. If you're heading to India, you may find the taste quite different to the versions served in Indian restaurants in the west. Want to know more about Indian food? Check out this Indian food guide by region. Each region has its own style of cuisine!
1. Butter Chicken
www.flickr.com user Joshua Rappeneker
Butter chicken and naan bread represents Indian food all around the world. This bright orange Punjabi dish can be spicy or mild, and it has a very thick, creamy gravy. It's also known as Murg Makhani. Apparently, its origin can be traced back to traced back to a man named Kundan Lal Gujral, who ran a restaurant called Moti Mahal Delux in Peshawar before the partition of British India. The restaurant subsequently moved to Old Delhi, and now has branches in other Indian cities.
2. Goan Fish Curry
www.flickr.com user poslfit
Goan fish curry is an ever popular dish in Goa, and one of the most common and cheapest curries that you'll find on the menu there. It's tangy and spicy, usually with a sweetish coconut base. Enjoy it at a beach shack on one of the beautiful Goa beaches, and wash it down with a King's beer!
3. Pork Vindaloo
www.flickr com user scaredy_kat
Another curry of Goan origin, vindaloo is a fiery, hot "sweet and sour" style curry. Great for chili lovers, but if you don't like spicy food it's definitely best avoided. Goans love to eat it with pork, but it can have any other type of meat in it. A little bit of trivia: Vindaloo comes from the Portuguese term "vin d'alho," or garlic wine. It originally referred to a stew of meat, usually pork, and was made with red wine.
4. Chicken Tikka Masala
www.flickr. com user 46137
Another popular Punjabi favorite, Chicken Tikka Masala consists of pre-marinated pieces of chicken that have been grilled (in a tandoor) and then added to a thick creamy gravy. The result is a lovely smokey flavor. The word Tikka means pieces or bits.
5. Channa (Chole) Masala
Courtesy www.tasteandflavours.in
A common vegetarian curry made from chickpeas, Channa or Chole Masala is fairly dry and spicy. It has a citrus flavor. The dish is very versatile and is eaten as a main meal, or a snack (chaat). Try it as a Delhi street food. As a main meal, it's popularly eaten with deep fried Indian bread called bhatura.
