23 Popular Indian dishes to try at an Indian restaurant

Biryani. Vindaloo. Tikka masala. We crave curry.

But in Indian cuisine, “curry” has many different meanings.

It all depends on the spices and ingredients thrown into the pot.

And don’t forget the side-dishes, whose Indian food names are also foreign to our Western brains!

When we’re home and not traveling, we often like to go out to Indian restaurants or order delivery or take-out of Indian food – perhaps to enjoy while watching lots of travel shows on Netflix!

Indian recipes are so complex, requiring many different spices and lots of prep and cooking time, that Indian food is not something we can easily whip up ourselves.

So what are some popular Indian dishes to try?

Which are the best Indian dishes to order?

If you love curry and the fragrant flavors of Indian food, but don’t know your dal from your dosa, here’s a quick primer.

Popular Indian dishes

A vast country, the Indian subcontinent has up to 36 distinct cuisines.

But for the sake of absolute simplicity, you can break down the food preferences into two regions: North Indian food and South Indian food.

Food in North India:
Spices and veggies reign (lots of vegetarian options).
North Indians prefer breads like naan over rice.
Dishes aren’t as fiery hot as in the south, and you’ll find more creamy creations.

South Indian dishes:
Curries are hotter.
More rice is eaten, often combined with lentils.
Dishes feature a lot of seafood and coconut.

Best Indian dishes to order at a restaurant

Ok, let’s now check out the 23 best Indian dishes.

You can read about them in detail below.

See also our “short-and-spicy” 45-second video on 10 of our favorite Indian dishes!