Indian Food 101
 

Here, I started another thread so we won't gunk up the Thanksgiving thread anymore, and so I could find it, you know, instead if having it buried . . . oh, whatever.

SO! SG and Dana and all of our other people who know such things are gonna help us discover Indian food.

Here is the menu from the restaurant Bri and I are most likely to visit, as it's the one near our campus:
http://www.amarindiadayton.com/OurMenu.htm

Tell us what to order. I like spicy stuff.

Honestly, for your first time, I'd go with something basic:

Vegetable Samosas
Nan (or Onion Nan, or Garlic Nan)
Chicken Curry


Oooh, except now I see that they offer combination plates! Go with the #2 Dinner Specialty (Non-Vegetarian Special Thal,) that's a nice broad sampling, and you can never go wrong by including dessert!

There's a book out there, something like "Indian Food" with 5 spices -- or 5 ingredients? that I've always wanted to get. There are so many spices and ingredients you have to get and use, it's a bit intimidating. And expensive. Fortunately, I have two Indian groceries within 5 miles of my house. They are a great place to buy spices and other groceries in bulk. I'd like to know how to make a basic, not too hot, curry.

I concur with Clod.
The best way to start is the cheapest - go for the Special, and if necessary write down what you like and don't like. That way you can start ordering off the menu if/ when you go again. If your visits are infrequent it can be baffling next time.
Do look up the dishes to check their individual attributes though. If you have a problem with a specific dish (as I see they don't allow substitutions - the meanies) then it might be worth putting together your own menu.

Noteable (ie missing) exceptions: Shami Kebab, Prawn on Puri, Onion Bhaji as starters, any Bhuna or Balti or dish containing pineapple as mains and Keema Naan as a side. They're staples here.

Impressed by the level of description and prevelance of onion and tomato based dishes.
But the standard spelling mistakes/ difference in spelling of dish between one section and another are there. That is very authentic!

The breads are also more wide ranging than a typical Southern (England) Indian.

Don't be put off by the description of Gulab Jamon btw.
If you have a sweet tooth you will love it.
It's two dense, sticky, spongy balls in syrup. Very, very similar to Golden Syrup over here. My sweet-toothed ex adored it. Panir (paneer) is a cheese, technically. But not a cheesy cheese. Most like tofu, in that it treads the line between savoury and sweet.

If I were to put together a meal I would be eating with you (and therefore totally biased towards my tastes) we would have:
- A Mixed Platter to start
- Parpadumms x 2 (spellings vary)
- Side dishes of Raita, Hot Pickles and Mango Chutney (for the poppadoms - think of them as chips & dips)
- Nan and Garlic Nan (figure one nan a person, but I'll be leaving you to trough the poppadoms)

- Dal Makhani as a side, though I'll be asking for Tarka Dal (with garlic)
- Aloo Choley as a side

- Chicken Jalfrezi
- Chicken Tikka Masala (a dish specifically created for the British market)
- Plain Rice

As I said, the above reflects my personal view, but although I never order Chicken Tikka Masala if I was choosing purely for myself, it's a useful gateway dish to newbs. And poppadoms and pickles are also a good start (they are quite expensive on that menu though).

Bear in mind my suggested menu was for three people.
I usually have a starter, a main and a naan if alone.
I'm not a fan of rice or poppadoms. At least not enought to pay for them!
I love the vegetable sides, but would only order if I was able to share one.
Indians & Pakistanis are like Irish mothers - they really want to feed you.
Most people I know order far too much in British Indian restaurants.
I can only imagine how much bigger portions would be in America!

You'll just have to suck it and see.

Finally, thanks for letting us share this experince/ poke our noses in!
PLEASE take a camera. For the food even if you prefer not to show yourselves.
And I'm so seething with jealousy you could cook a chapatti on me right now - I'd love to be there with the two of you when it happens :yum:

Or, go for their lunchtime buffet. Gives you a chance to try out a few different things without costing the earth.

Actually I think the prices are pretty reasonable. Definitely comparable to any of the billions of hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurants found in any strip mall. :)

If you go for buffet, it's even more important to write down what you like.
You won't remember it, and neither will the staff :)

ETA - the prices seem reasonable to me too.
I think Dana was trying to make sure you had the best options for the money.

The only thing slightly off kilter for me was the dips - here we get them free when ordering poppadoms. Or perhaps I should say they are ordered as a package (four - with chopped onions making up the square).

Wow! I can't wait!

The prices look absolutely fine, but if you are looking to try out a few different things it's surprising how quickly the bill can add up. Also, if you don't know what you are or are not going to like, a buffet means you can just try a little of something and have more if you like it. You're not left with an entire bowl of curry if you find you don't like something.

It all looks really good to me. I like lots of veggies.

If we go in the evening or on a weekend, I'd like to bring my daughter too. My son and hubby won't eat that stuff, but daughter is more adventurous. And if it has potatoes in it, she's happy.

I did try curry once; there was curry something-or-other on the buffet at one of those Disney buffets. Must have been that African place in Animal Kingdom. I don't recall being impressed at all, I expected it to be a little spicy and it wasn't, didn't have much flavor at all. But it's not as though it was a specialty dish. :)

I've got that book! It's pretty awesome, and has some fun recipes in it. We like the cashew chicken one and make it frequently.

(It's here on Amazon if you want to check it out)

I've given it as a gift to 'Indian Newbies" and they've all found one or two dishes in it to enjoy as well.

Our favorites when we go out? Butter Chicken and Tandori chicken...and the Nann ...gotta have the Nann!

Whatever you get, do try a mango lassi with it. It's the perfect beverage to go with the spice.

We like to make our own. It is very good. We get all our ingredients that are Indian specific from a local Indian Grocery.

Favorites in my family: Chicken Tikka (Masala), Chicken (Shahi) Korma, Lamb Vindallo, Chicken Biryani, Malai Kofte, Saag Paneer, Aloo Choley, Garlic Naan, Paneer Naan.

Most of the desserts are foul. Gulab Jamun (if you like donuts) and Mango Kulfi can be good.

I agree with the others that buffet is a great way to get introduced. If you go for dinner, then make sure everyone orders something and is happy to share. You'll probably get better quality that way, too. Indian food is often served in a sharing friendly dish, where everyone can pull a sample onto their own plate.