What is the first thing that pops into your mind when you think about Indian food anywhere? Let’s be honest here. It’s gonna be either curry or spicy food.
Am I right or am I right? Now, being an Indian can be offending for two reasons here:
1. Curry does not always mean food which has gravy and sauce in it. If you want, you can prepare it dry.
#SpoonTip: Curry is basically a powder formed by mixing different spices.
And FYI, we do use curry powder, a lot.
2. Not all our food has curry or curry powder in them for god’s sake. We have a variety of food. Literally, so many that even I haven’t tried all of it yet (I intend to, don’t worry).
So I, holding the responsibility to clear the doubt, am going to introduce you to 8 delicious dishes that don’t have curry in them.
1. Pakora
Photo courtesy of feastguru.com
They are fried snacks moulded in the form of little round balls or rather any shape you want. You can fill them with spinach, potatoes, onions or any vegetable of your choice. They are yummy, appetizing and perfect for starters with a drink on the side. They are great munchies for a little chit-chat or for a game of cards with your friends. You won’t even realize when the plate went empty, making you crave more.
2. Samosa
Photo courtesy of cookdiary.net
They are small fried pockets or in a relatable sense similar to empanadas, filled with your favorite preferences, be it meat or any vegetable. Have it on an occasion or daily basis. It’s a snack that fills you up like no other.
3. Tandoori Chicken
Photo courtesy of Dawn.com
In this beautiful delicious dish, chicken is marinated in yogurt and spices, traditionally cooked in a tandoor (a clay oven), hence the name. They are everything you need in a delicious meal, and probably my favourite. Also, considering the fact that they are quite big pieces of chicken, they are insanely filling.
4. Papri Chaat
Photo courtesy of manusmenu.com
These come into the category of snacks but they are savory and delicious. Have you heard of any famous street foods of India? This is basically one of the best. They are filled with papdis (flour crackers), yogurt, potatoes and chick peas with different sauces. Sounds weird, but oh so good. Try them and thank me later.
5. Dosa
Photo courtesy of dosaboston.com
This South Indian dish is crispy and thin, similar to crepes but made from rice batter. They are best had with coconut chutney and sambhar. This is the king of the lovely South Indian cuisine, very famous, very tasty and very filling. There was a time when I feasted on these on a daily basis. Yeah. True story.
6. Biryani
Photo courtesy of knorr.in
This is basically rice and spices mixed with chicken, meat or vegetables. Biryani is delicious, rich, and everything you need for in the main course. I can go on and on but the picture can do the talking. And one more thing, they are so filling, you won’t be able to move… or stop eating.
7. Aloo Paratha
Photo courtesy of foodviva.com
This is a type of flatbread filled with potatoes (Aloo), cooked using desi ghee (clarified oil) on a griddle. It can be thin, thick, circle, square… any size you wish. It is best had with pickles, curd or any chutney – they are a staple food for most of us North Indians.
8. Saag Paneer
Photo courtesy of sonisfood.com
Cubes of soft cottage cheese (Paneer) mixed in a creamy blend of spinach. Paneer is a very common form of cheese in India and you might be surprised by the amount of different dishes made from it. It’s healthy, delicious and can be had with rice or parantha.
There are so much more delicious food items which don’t have any curry in them. And as for the fact that Indian food is spicy, too oily or not healthy… that all depends on you, as most of our dishes are prepared from scratch and can be changed accordingly.
So next time when anyone says India is all about curry, YOU can prove them wrong.