What to Order at an Indian Restaurant: A Guide to Curries, Karahi, Biryani and Vegetarian Dishes

A long menu can be daunting. A simple way to order is to think in rounds and share. This guide uses real dishes from the Dawat Heathrow menu.

Round one: starters

Samosa chaat (crispy samosas with chickpeas, yoghurt, tamarind chutney and chaat masala), papri chaat or gol gappay are lively openers. Vegetable samosa, onion bhaji and tandoori paneer tikka are good vegetarian choices. See our chaat guide.

Round two: grills

Chicken tikka is approachable, seekh kebab is spiced minced meat, and lamb chops are richer. A mixed grill gathers several of these on one plate. Read the grill guide.

Round three: curries

Choose one or two to share. Butter chicken is a silky tomato, butter and cream sauce. Chicken karahi and lamb karahi are tomato masalas with ginger, green chilli and coriander (what is a karahi?). Nihari is a slow-cooked, deeply spiced stew. Saag paneer and tarka daal are vegetable options.

How spicy will it be?

Curries can be made mild or hot to suit you. For the mildest, try Shahi Butter Chicken. For the hottest, Chicken Madras and Lamb Madras. If you are unsure, ask for mild and add heat later.

Rice and bread

Add pilau rice or a biryani, plus naan or kulcha for scooping.

Vegetarian dishes

Vegetarian options on the menu include vegetable samosa, onion bhaji, tandoori paneer tikka, saag paneer and tarka daal. If you have an allergy or strict dietary need, tell the team when you order.

Dessert

Rabri kheer and matanjan (zarda) are on the menu.

A simple order for two

One chaat, one grill, one curry, pilau rice and naan. Add a second curry if you are hungry.

Visit us at Crown Meadow, London Road, Slough SL3 0LU, or order online. Our kitchen is fully halal, and Dawat Heathrow is a franchise of the halal-certified Dawat Group.

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