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There is a lot of mumbo
jumbo spoken about the Indian restaurant menu. We are led to believe
that each dish is lovingly prepared to some secret recipe, known
only to that particular chef. Read the menu and it will describe the
virtues of any particular dish in a most evocative style. But there
is one thing you can be sure of, most dishes in the typical Indian
restaurant don�t vary much at all, other than in heat and the most
prominent ingredients, such as the type of meat, fish or vegetable
and possibly whether the sauce is lentil or cream based. This is not
to say that the dishes are not enjoyable, but to cater in almost the
�fast food� market, that is the way they have to be.
So, every Indian restaurant will have its basic �curry gravy� and
every dish served will be a derivative of that sauce. The Indian
restaurant chef is the master of exploiting that base to give us
what we know as our favourite dish.
We have tried to demystify the Indian restaurant menu by explaining
what individual items are and how they vary from each other. It is
worth bearing in mind that spellings are not definitive as all the
translations into the English language and alphabet have been done
phonetically. So we might see Dhansak or Dansak, for instance.
BALTI
Balti is a style of cooking that developed in Birmingham twenty or
thirty years ago. There are a number of theories on the origin of
the term Balti, some say Balti describes the cooking pot and others
say it refers to a style of cooking that evolved in Baltistan,
somewhere on the North West frontier no doubt. I can�t actually say,
but I�m willing to bet that what is served in a restaurant today,
described as Balti, would be unrecognisable on the Indian
sub-continent.
So in a �traditional� Balti restaurant, everything is a Balti, and
probably reasonably priced. In a normal Indian restaurant, anything
described a Balti is usually on a separate section of the menu and a
couple of quid more expensive. And that�s the main difference.
In a �traditional� balti restaurant, the dish is served in a large
balti pot and eaten with Indian breads, such as Nans, Chappatis and
Parathas.
In some Indian restaurants, the term Karahi or Korai is encountered.
This refers to the serving dish, which is made of cast iron on a
wooden base and pre-heated, so that the curry sizzles in the serving
dish when it is brought to the table. Don�t touch the Karahi or you
will get your fingers char grilled.
BHUNA, BHOONA
A Bhuna is a fairly dry fried curry containing onions and spices. It
tends to be medium hot and fairly palatable to the uninitiated. Like
Dopiaza, but less onions.
BIRYANI
Biryani is a rice dish, cooked together with whatever meat or
vegetable it is ordered with. The meat and vegetables are pre-cooked
and then mixed with the pillau rice. It is usually served with a
separate bowl of curry sauce. I suspect the origins of this dish lie
in using up leftovers, although it may have evolved into a more
splendid affair for banquets and feast in times gone by.
CHAPATTI
Chapattis are a simple circular unleavened bread. They are simply
made from flour and water and then cooked on agriddle on both sides.
They are then subjected to a naked flame for a few seconds to
complete the process.
DHANSAK, DANSAK
Dhansak has its origins in a Parsee (Middle Eastern, Persia) dish
and was probably a very special dish presented at a feast. The dish
served in Indian restaurants today is based on the addition of a
lentil puree to cooking process. It is described as a sweet and sour
curry with a lentil sauce. The serving varies from restaurant to
restaurant, but often expect a pineapple ring to be included in the
curry for added sweetness and contrast. The strength depends on the
chef or restauranteurs interpretation, so you need to take the
advice from the menu. I have seen it described as mild, medium and
hot. In my own local restaurant it is described as �hot, sweet and
sour�.
DOPIAZA, DUPIAZA
Do means �two� and Dopiaza means something like �double onions�.
Typically this is a fairly basic Indian restaurant curry, prepared
as a Bhuna or Bhoona but with the addition of extra onions probably
both in the cooking and as a garnish. It is also the same strength
as a Bhuna which is medium, so not in the Madras league.
JALFREZI, JALFRAZI,
JHALL FRYZY, ZALl FREZI etc, etc.
Jalfrezi is �hot� dish given additional heat by being cooked with
fresh green chillis. It usually also contains visible onion, tomato
and capsicum. It is the addition of the green chillis and probably
addition of extra chilli powder that sets this dish apart from other
typical curries on the menu. It is generally served as hot as a
Madras or Vindaloo depending on the chef�s interpretation or mood.
KORMA, KURMA
Korma is the definitive mild curry on the Indian restaurant menu. It
is typically prepared with butter and thickened with single cream
and coconut milk to give a very, very mild creamy sauce. Spicing
would be more subtle, and there would be more use of aromatic spices
such as cardomom, clove and cinnamon rather than the more robust
spices such as chilli, cumin, black pepper etc.
If you ever have the misfortune to have to drag somebody to an
Indian restaurant because they �hate� spicy food, then this is the
dish to steer them towards.
MADRAS
Madras is a city in Southern India. In an Indian restaurant, Madras
means a �hot dish�. I doubt if the dish owes its origins to Madras
at all, other than its name was chosen wayback in the mists of time
to signify a fiery hot dish, just as the city of Madras sizzles in
the fiery hot Sun.
Nan, Naan Bread
Nan bread is a leavened bread traditionally baked in the Tandoor
Oven. It is baked from a dough containing flour (usually Chapatti
flour or wholemeal), yogurt, milk, sugar, yeast and ghee (clarified
butter). They obtain a distinctive teardrop shape from being stuck
to the side of the Tandoor and baking whilst gravity is stretching
them. They are served piping hot, often spread lightly with melted
butter or ghee and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Puri
Puris are Indian fried breads. They are served as an accompaniment
or sometimes as the base for a starter, such a Bhuna Prawn on Puri.
RICE
Rice is the staple diet on the Indian sub-continenent and its
influence has extended to it being the traditional accompaniment for
Indian dishes in restaurants. The very best rice is Basmati rice
(from the snow drenched foothills of the Himalaya�s according to the
front of the packet). Basmati rice is generally used in the
preparation of rice dishes in the Indian restaurant. Never confuse
the quality of Basmati for normal long grain (such as Patna) rice,
as Basmati is far superior.
Rice is served as either plain boiled or Pilau. Pilau rice is
pre-boiled to an al dente texture, fried with aromatics such as
cardamom, clove, cinnamon and coloured and flavoured with saffron
(or turmeric if the restaurant owner or chef is a cheapskate). Then
there are all of the variations of Pilau rice such as fried with
pre-cooked vegetables or mushrooms or mince or eggs or peas.
Rice tends not to be eaten with a Tandoori meal and lends itself
better to curries, where there is a sauce to absorb.
ROGAN JOSH
Rogan Josh used to be a Kashmiri lamb stew before Indian restaurants
commercialised it in the UK. It most almost certainly still exists
as a traditional dish in Northern India and Kashmir but that is
where the resemblance stops. Now in Indian restaurant parlance it
means cooked with tomatoes and onions and probably capsicum for good
measure. It is generally presented as a medium strength curry, not
as hot as a Madras.
SAMBER
Samber is a bit similar to Dhansak, in as much as it is prepared
with a lentil base. It is less common on the Indian menu than
Dhansak but it can also appear as well as. It is hard to give
guidance on the difference between the two dishes as often it is
only the interpretation of the chef that classifies them one way or
the other. I would personally, expect the Samber to be presented as
a sour curry, with the addition of lemon juice, but read the menu,
don�t take my word for it.
SHAMI KEBAB
Shami Kebabs are small round patties of minced lamb and lentils,
cooked in a Tandoor oven. Sometimes they are exactly the same as the
Sheek Kebab, but formed into a flat pattie rather than formed onto a
skewer like a sausage. Better restaurants differentiate between the
preparation of the two types of kebab. Usually served with a small
side salad and Yoghurt and Mint Sauce.
SHEEK KEBAB, SHEIK KEBAB
Sheek Kebabs consists of minced lamb mixed with lemon juice,
coriander, onion, garlic and green chilli. The meat is shaped onto a
skewer, like a sausage, and cooked in the Tandoor Oven (or failing a
Tandoor oven, sometimes on a charcoal barbeque). Usually served with
a small side salad and Yoghurt and Mint Sauce.
TANDOORI
Tandoori dishes derive their name from the Tandoor oven that they
are cooked in. Tandoor ovens are traditionally clay ovens fuelled by
charcoal in the bottom. Today, in the Indian restaurant, they are a
little more high-tech, and can be fuelled by charcoal, gas or
electricity. It is probably the heat generated in the Tandoor that
give Tandoori dishes their unique taste, rather than the particular
fuel used to fire them. Meat, kebabs and breads are cooked in the
Tandoor. Meats are lowered into the oven on skewers and bread is
stuck to the side with the aid of a good slap and asbestos fingers.
I suppose most things can be �Tandooried�, but the preparation is to
marinate the meat in a marinade of yoghurt and spices. In the Indian
restaurant, red food dye is often added, giving a rather radioactive
red to the colour of the dish. This is not traditional and is only
done for presentation.
Tandoori dishes do not have a reputation for being too spicy and are
often recommended as being subtle and especially good for anybody
wanting a more gentle introduction to the Indian menu. They are
usually served as starter with a small side Salad and a Yoghurt and
Mint Sauce, or with a Salad and Naan bread as a main course.
TIKKA
Tikka is prepared in a similar way to a Tandoori dish. However it is
usually a piece of fillet meat, chicken or fish that is cooked on a
skewer, whereas Tandoori dishes are usually a whole portion of meat
such as a Chicken quarter or half.
TIKKA MASSALA
Tikka Massala is Britains No. 1 favourite dish, allegedly. It is so
popular that they even make it in India now. It is also the answer
that you will get if you ask any Indian waiter what they recommend.
I think they are all programmed to respond with �Chicken Tikka
Massala�.
The Tikka Massala curry is made with Tikka meat. That is, meat that
has been marinated and cooked on skewers in a Tandoor before being
used in the curry preparation. The Massala is the curry sauce that
the Tikka is served in. It is a creamy mild and colourful dish,
often appearing day-glow red due to the addition of the red food
colouring either in the Tikka process or in the Massala or both. It
is prepared in the same way as a basic curry dish but with the
addition of possibly yoghurt and just before serving, single cream.
VINDALOO
The widespread belief is that Vindaloo owes its origins to Portugese
colonial India, where it was traditionally a Potato, Pork and
Vinegar curry from Goa. I suspect Vin related to Wine or Vinegar and
Aloo is Indian for Potato. In Indian restaurants today, the term
Vindaloo is really indicative of the strength or heat of the curry.
It usually has diced potatoes in the sauce along with the chosen
meat or chicken. However, I can�t ever remember seeing pork as an
option. I wonder why? Vindaloo is �hotter� than a Madras.
However, more informed opinion shared with me states tha Vindaloo
originated from Vindalho which is derived from vinho or wine (vin is
French so that is not the right word) and alho which is garlic. Not
aloo as no one spoke Hindi in Goa during the Portuguese regime.
Potatoes are added to alleviate the piquancy of the dish. A lot of
vinegar was used so people say the VIN could have come from vinagre.
But even so the local wine or feni is still added in a good vindalho
which is always made of Pork. Other vindalhos appeared on the scene
because Hindu and Muslims do not eat pork. |
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