What to Order at an Indian Restaurant: First-Timer’s Guide
An Indian menu can run to a hundred dishes. Ours has more than that. The good news: you only need a simple pattern. Order to share, balance mild with medium, and never skip the bread.
How do you order at an Indian restaurant?
- Pick one starter to share, such as a samosa, onion bhaji or a mixed platter.
- Choose one mild curry, like butter chicken or korma.
- Add one or two medium curries, for example rogan josh, jhalfrezi or a dal.
- Order rice and bread: one rice per two people and one naan each.
- Add something cooling, such as cucumber raita or a mango lassi.
That is a full, balanced meal for two to four people, and it is how most families in India eat: everything in the middle, everyone takes a bit of each.
The mistake most first-timers make
Ordering one curry each, side by side, like a main course at a pub. You end up with four plates of similar sauce and no contrast. Share instead. A creamy curry next to a tangy one, a dry tandoori dish next to a saucy one, soft naan next to fluffy rice: the contrast is what makes the meal.
The second mistake is assuming everything is hot. Most Indian dishes are aromatic rather than hot. Our guide to spice and heat explains which is which.
Safe bets if you're nervous
Four dishes outsell everything else with our regulars, and they are the four we suggest to anyone unsure:
- Butter chicken: roast chicken in a tomato sauce finished with butter and cream. Mild.
- Chicken korma: chicken in a creamy cashew gravy. Even milder.
- Tandoori chicken: chicken on the bone, marinated in yoghurt and spices and cooked in the clay tandoor. Smoky, not saucy.
- Chicken biryani: basmati rice cooked with spiced chicken, served with raita. A meal on its own.
If you want to be a little braver
Try the goat curry: baby goat cooked on the bone to the chef's own recipe. It takes longer to eat and tastes deeper than any boneless curry. Lamb rogan josh is a slow-cooked onion and tomato curry with more warmth. For real heat, Madras and vindaloo are the hot end of the menu; vindaloo is finished with vinegar, so it is sharp as well as hot.
Vegetarian? You have more choice than anyone
We have more than twenty vegetarian mains. Start with palak paneer (spinach and paneer) or malai kofta (cheese and potato dumplings in a mild sauce), and add a dal makhani or dal tadka. The full list with prices is on the vegetarian and vegan page.
Bread and rice: how much?
One naan per person, and one rice for every two. Plain naan is the classic; garlic naan is a favourite; cheese naan and Peshawari naan (stuffed with dried fruit and nuts) are treats. All our naan is made from dough we prepare in-house. If you are avoiding gluten, skip the naan and roti and have steamed basmati rice. Our post is naan gluten free? explains why.
Drinks
We are BYO, so bring what you like. Off-dry white wine and cold lager suit most Indian food. Not drinking? Our lassis are made in-house: mango is sweet and fruity, masala is savoury with spices, sweet lassi is simple and cooling. See the BYO page for wine and beer matches by dish.
Quick answers
What is the most popular Indian dish in Australia?
Butter chicken is the best-known Indian dish in Australia, and it is one of the four dishes our regulars order most at Spicy Affair.
How many dishes should we order for four people?
One or two starters, three curries, two rice and four naan is a generous meal for four.
Do I need to book?
Walk-ins are welcome, but Friday and Saturday nights get busy. Book online or call ahead.
