5 Simple Steps to Make Sure You Enjoy an Indian Restaurant
Sooner or later we all get bored with the same food day in day out and look for something new, something we haven't tried yet.
Indian food is a great way of getting to know more of world cuisines.
There is a rather common misconception about Indian food, apparently some people think Indian dishes are full of fat, curry powder, myriads of spices and are really hot.
I'm comfortable with saying that this is not true.
There is a vast amount of recipes that are using only a few or even one key spice to bring out the flavors of ingredients used and though there are those 'sinful' Indian recipes, a lot of them are really health and consist of wonderfully roasted, steamed or fried vegetables.
Sometimes there is just no time or enough self-confidence to cook something foreign and this is when an Indian restaurant comes handy.
I'd put together a five points list to make sure your first experience with Indian food is as good as these dishes deserve.
1.
Pick a good restaurant.
However this is not always true but most of the time you pay more for better service.
Don't let some of the higher price tags to put you off, the best restaurants make their gravy and spice mixes from scratch using only the best quality components.
This process is time consuming and costs more than using canned ingredients but you'll probably agree with me when I say the result is worth it.
2.
Educate yourself about items on the menu.
If you are not sure which name means which food, ask a waiter or someone you trust.
It's not rude to ask a waiter or the cook what's the dish made of and how hot it will be.
You're probably new to this culture and it's all but strange to be curious.
3.
Thoroughly wash your hands before sitting to the table.
This obviously goes without saying, but you'll see why I emphasize it.
A lot of Indian dishes are eaten with bare hand without cutlery, and hygienic reasons as well as good manner dictates that you wash hands before eating.
Use your right hand to eat because the left hand is considered unclean in Indian culture.
If you don't think you'd like to use your fingers to pick rice by all means go on and ask for cutlery.
Staff of these restaurants are used to these questions.
4.
Always pick dishes that go together.
If you have a hot main course, try to get lentils for side dish, or some of the milder plates.
Kashmiri food is usually a mild creamy serving that comes with rice or flat bread.
If you don't know what to pick, always ask the chef or the waiters, they will be happy to answer these questions as they mean you care about what you eat.
People like if you show interest in their culture.
5.
Find someone more experienced and take their advice.
If you have friends who like Indian restaurants and food, you can go with them and try some of their suggestions as well as have a great time eating out.
Indian restaurants are rather easy to pick, but as a sixth step I'd suggest doing some homework and looking up local places and Indian food recipes first.
You'll probably find something you want to try and can make at home later, when you've realized it's not all that hard to make these delicious dishes on your own.
Indian food is a great way of getting to know more of world cuisines.
There is a rather common misconception about Indian food, apparently some people think Indian dishes are full of fat, curry powder, myriads of spices and are really hot.
I'm comfortable with saying that this is not true.
There is a vast amount of recipes that are using only a few or even one key spice to bring out the flavors of ingredients used and though there are those 'sinful' Indian recipes, a lot of them are really health and consist of wonderfully roasted, steamed or fried vegetables.
Sometimes there is just no time or enough self-confidence to cook something foreign and this is when an Indian restaurant comes handy.
I'd put together a five points list to make sure your first experience with Indian food is as good as these dishes deserve.
1.
Pick a good restaurant.
However this is not always true but most of the time you pay more for better service.
Don't let some of the higher price tags to put you off, the best restaurants make their gravy and spice mixes from scratch using only the best quality components.
This process is time consuming and costs more than using canned ingredients but you'll probably agree with me when I say the result is worth it.
2.
Educate yourself about items on the menu.
If you are not sure which name means which food, ask a waiter or someone you trust.
It's not rude to ask a waiter or the cook what's the dish made of and how hot it will be.
You're probably new to this culture and it's all but strange to be curious.
3.
Thoroughly wash your hands before sitting to the table.
This obviously goes without saying, but you'll see why I emphasize it.
A lot of Indian dishes are eaten with bare hand without cutlery, and hygienic reasons as well as good manner dictates that you wash hands before eating.
Use your right hand to eat because the left hand is considered unclean in Indian culture.
If you don't think you'd like to use your fingers to pick rice by all means go on and ask for cutlery.
Staff of these restaurants are used to these questions.
4.
Always pick dishes that go together.
If you have a hot main course, try to get lentils for side dish, or some of the milder plates.
Kashmiri food is usually a mild creamy serving that comes with rice or flat bread.
If you don't know what to pick, always ask the chef or the waiters, they will be happy to answer these questions as they mean you care about what you eat.
People like if you show interest in their culture.
5.
Find someone more experienced and take their advice.
If you have friends who like Indian restaurants and food, you can go with them and try some of their suggestions as well as have a great time eating out.
Indian restaurants are rather easy to pick, but as a sixth step I'd suggest doing some homework and looking up local places and Indian food recipes first.
You'll probably find something you want to try and can make at home later, when you've realized it's not all that hard to make these delicious dishes on your own.
