I've never had it. So for beginners, what should I get? What is the description of the suggested entree? If anything has coconut milk in it, please don't suggest it. Thanks.
Order a Chicken/Beef/Vegetable Vindaloo. They are delicious! The only downside is that it is very mild so be sure to mention to your waiter that you have heard how bland Indian food is and how you hope your not disappointed with the amount of spice or you'll end up with a mediocre dish.
talk to the server at the restaurant you are at. tell him/her it is your first time eating indian food and you wanted some suggestions on what you should get. i am sure he/she will be happy to help ya out...
What are you trying to do, kill this poor guy? A good Vindaloo will burn you a new one, going in and coming out! Try a chicken tikka masala or tandoori or korma all are very good and safe. Samosas for appetizers and naan with the meal. Vegetable biriyani goes well with anything. Curry lamb, chicken or goat are OK too.
Samosas can be good. Get the naan - big flat hunks of bread. At the best places, they're not cooked til you order. Also, look for Indians eating in the restaurant. If there are none, keep looking for one where you see them.
Starting with a vindaloo is like asking someone who's never swam before to dive off the side of an ocean liner while at sea. If you want to wade into it more gradually, try a chicken kurma first then move onto a marsala or saag and then, if you are really enjoying it, go back for a vindaloo or phal (sp? on all these names). And be sure to order lots of nan bread. A double order at the minimum. Murf
I agree with this, except for the double order of nan bread. One is plenty. (And I looove nan) My husband & I get meat samosas, chicken kurma, chicken tikka, & nan bread. The bread is awesome dipped in the kurma sauce. The best Indian in NYC is Amin on 8th Ave. & 16th Street. Never greasy.
I think the best way to start off with Indian food is to try something vegetarian. I like it now, but at first, I found the way Indians prepare meat to be quite bizarre and I was initially turned off by the food. I would suggest dal makini (black lentils)...if you do get meat, go for the tandoori chicken as it is better than say chicke tikki masala.
Vegetarian? Blech. Their meat is just fine. Nothing bizarre about it. Did you find Chinese food meat bizarre the first time too? Is it b/c they put a sauce on it? I truly don't understand why you found it bizarre.
This is where you have to be kidding. Most Indian food is vegetarian. Most of the religions over there have some restriction on meat eating so I would say they have a great handle on vegetarian cooking. Yeah, some of the spices and sauces Indians use are bizarre at first to western tastes. I didn't say it was all strange at first, I said some of it was. 95% of what's passed off as Chinese food in the USA isn't Chinese food, it is an Americanized version of Chinese food, where what is served in Indian restaurants is often closer to what you would get in someone's home.
When I eat Indian, I go vegetarian all the way. Actually, that's one of the reasons I like to go to Indian restaurants. If you can find a place with an all you can lunch buffet, that's a good way to sample many types of food. I don't know the name, but I like that spicy cauliflower curry dish. Then there's lentils and some spinach thing. All need naan to mop up the juices. Get the salad with the yogurt dressing, too. You can also order a lassi - either sweet or salty. I prefer sweet, but both are yogurt-based.
Go with a group of friends. Unless things are done differently over there the food will be served in individual dishes and you put it on your plate yourself, which means you can share and try a lot of different things and see what you like/ don't like. How many naans you order really depends on how big the naans are. Anything smaller than a dinner plate is disappointing, but I once in a balti house in Coventry I received a naan so large I could have used it as a pillow.