Indian cuisine is thoroughly rich and filled with explosive bursts of flavour. The culturally affluent selections from the various parts of the country can be overwhelming to anyone, particularly when someone is trying out their local Indian restaurant in Sydney for the first time. It is important to know how various combinations work when it comes to ordering Indian food – how the food is eaten authentically, what is savoury, sweet, spicy or sour, and what clashes and what does not. It is important to be aware of it all.
People also tend not to steer out of their comfort zone and shy away from experimentation when it comes to food, but especially to Indian food. However, you are doing yourself a great disservice if you do not try new dishes any time you indulge your desire to consume Indian food. Indian food has such an expansive range of dishes, hearty meals, and flavours. Not everything is just spicy. Next time you decide to enjoy food from the best Indian restaurant in Warners Bay, it is imperative that you keep the information provided below in mind in order to have a wondrous experience full of an authentic range of culturally accurate representations of Indian food in a place away from the country.
At first, it is important to be able to discern what one is ordering. Generally speaking, Indian food can be divided into the following categories:
- Indian Appetisers
- Indian Breads
- Main Course Meals
- Indian Speciality Drinks
- Desserts
Inside all of these categories, there are a variety of meals one can try. There are a number of dishes one can try. Of course, it depends on whether or not one’s local Indian restaurant in Sydney has the dish on its menu. However, if it intrigues you, you can always try to make the meals at home. All the ingredients can be easily found at your local Indian market.
Indian Appetisers
A host of restaurants will offer a variety of different Indian appetisers. However, the following are the most important ones, which are on every menu, if not all of them.
Pakoras
It is a selection of vegetables cut and chopped into manageable chunks. These vegetables are then dipped into a solution of Besan and water, and then further fried into hot oil. They are also known as fritters in certain places. Pakoras typically are served after combining a different variety of vegetables. Mix Pakoras is traditionally preferred over a specific kind of fritters. Mix Pakoras provide a lot of variety when it comes to taste and texture.
Vada Pav
This appetiser is famous in the dream-studded streets of Mumbai. A patty is made after boiling and mashing potatoes, adding spices to the mixture. The mixture is then divided into smaller sections, then dipped into a solution of Besan and water, fried in hot oil. The resultant patty is served inside Hawaiian rolls after applying chilli chutney to either side of the buns.
Samosa
A popular North Indian delicacy, this is made by cooking potatoes with a number of spices and other vegetables such as peas, onions as well as corn. This mixture is then placed in a cone shaped outer-layer made from a flour. The enclosed samosa is then deep fried in hot oil. In some places, the entire filling of the samosas has been altered in order to create fusions with other cuisines of the world.
Indian Breads
Although everyone is aware of the famous naan-bread, people rarely know that there are multiple types of Indian breads available in any Indian restaurant in Sydney. There are minute differences in the manner they are prepared, but the tastes can differ vastly from each preparation.
Naan
This is usually made from maida, or all purpose flour. It is generally made extremely soft using yeast or yoghurt in the dough. It is prepared for finalisation using an Indian tandoor.
Roti
This flatbread resembles Mexico’s tortillas up to a certain extent. The dough here is prepared strictly with wheat and water – on rare occasions, clarified butter is added to the dough. The dough is transformed into small balls and rolled into flatbreads which is then cooked on a traditional tawa.
Paratha
This has an extremely similar preparation style with Roti, but the only thing separating it from Roti is that it is usually filled with a hearty filling. Aloo, Gobi, leftover Dal – even onions can be used in the filing of the Parathas.
Poori
Poori is essentially Roti, but where Roti is prepared in a traditional tawa, it is usually deep-fried in hot oil. The dough rises and crisps up. It is usually prepared on special occasions in Indian households.
Indian Speciality Drinks
India is also famous for a variety of speciality drinks around the globe. You can find any of the following at a respectable Indian restaurant. They are a true marker of an Indian dish. It completes the meal thoroughly and provides satisfaction to any consumer. The speciality drinks are as follows:
- Chai
- Masala Chai
- Lasi
Desserts
Just like Indian appetisers and breads, Indian desserts are also known for their exquisite preparation as well as the burst of flavours they provide as one tastes them. Any of the best Indian restaurant in Sydney will serve all of the following desserts to complete their menu.
- Gulab Jamun
- Halwa
- Barfi
Conclusion
There are a number of Indian dishes one can try to enhance their experience when trying Indian food. It is important to acknowledge that Indian food’s range is vast and expansive. It incorporates a whole nation’s identity. There is so much variety available that it is a disservice not to try everything whenever one visits their local Indian restaurant.
