Trifter

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For some, the Indian cuisine is characterized by mouth-watering dishes in thick gravies while others associate their experience in an Indian restaurant with strong spices that provoked their tears. The truth is that the Indian cuisine is full of contradictions and trying to draw a picture of a traditional Indian meal is hard. I managed to find my way by distinguishing between South and North Indian cuisine, which is practically oversimplifying the abundance at hand but at the same time I thought that it was impossible to learn which dish comes from which region. On one hand, the Southern food in restaurants is less spicy and predominantly vegetarian. On the other hand, the dishes that originated in the North are preferred by the meat lovers who can take a lot of flavor. This is a list of 10 dishes (in no particular order) every tourist should try. There are also a couple of desserts in the end that everyone would enjoy regardless of their spice tolerance. You will also find the Indian name of each dish so that you can recognize it easily on a menu.

1) Butter Chicken Murgh Makhani  is a typical Delhi dish that originated during the time of the Mughal Empire but truly owned by the Punjab. It is chicken that is marinated in yogurt and spices and then roasted. It is served in a sauce made of tomatoes and butter. A good variation of Butter Chicken is the Chicken Tikka Masala.

2) Mutton Rogan Josh is a Kashmiri dish with goat meat served in thick gravy. Just keep in mind that this dish is traditionally very hot so you should tell the waiter not to make it too piquant.

3) Daal Makhani is a vegetarian Northern Indian dish made of black lentils and kidney beans. It could be a little bit spicy but it is worth the try since it is a truly regional dish being also part of the cuisine of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

4) Daal Tikka is a version of Dal Makhani that is rarely spicy. It is made of pulses and is very mild food compared to the overall landscape of Indian cuisine. This tasty dish is always safe to order due to its popularity which means it is always freshly cooked.

5) Shahi Paneer is a flavorsome vegetarian meal made of Paneer (typical Indian cheese, which distantly resembles mozzarella). It is covered with mild and creamy gravy and also contains dry fruits like cashews and raisins that give it a twist.

6) Malai Kofta is made of veggie balls that usually consist of potatoes, carrots, peas and corn, soaked into a delicious tomato sauce. It is not too piquant

7) Masala Dosa is a typical South Indian dish and is traditionally served on a banana leaf. It is like a big salty pancake stuffed with potatoes and mild spices. You will usually have coconut chutney and sambhar on the side. In some restaurants you will find a larger variety of chutneys as well.

Naan is the traditional Indian bread which resembles pizza bread but only better. It is a good addition to all dishes with gravy.

9) Aloo Parantha is Indian bread stuffed with potatoes and usually eaten with butter and yogurt on the side.  The plain parantha is also pretty nice and usually consumed as bread.

10) Samosa is another regional treat that is served as a snack. Filled with a spicy mixture of potatoes, peas and occasionally other vegetables, it is perfect company for a nice hot cup of tee.