India Star

Name: India Star
Address: 5514 Douglas Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50310, US
Telephone: (515) 279-2118

North Indian

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Mon–Sat 11am–2pm & 5pm–9pm; Sun 4:30pm–8pm

5514 Douglas Ave, Des Moines, IA 50310
(515) 279-2118
Last verified: October 2026
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Plate of chicken biryani topped with cilantro and green chutney with a side of raita, on a blue tablecloth, at India Star in Des Moines

Aloo, gobi, bhindi, baingan, matar: The vegetable vocabulary of a North Indian menu: aloo is potato, gobi cauliflower, bhindi okra, baingan eggplant (bharta is roasted and mashed), matar peas, jeera cumin. Malai kofta are dumplings of paneer and potato in a creamy gravy. "Aloo gobi" is potato and cauliflower; "matar paneer" peas and paneer, and so on. The name is the recipe. On this menu as: Aloo Tikki Chaat · Keema Matar · Matar Paneer.
Tandoori: Cooked in a tandoor, a deep, charcoal- or gas-fired clay oven that reaches very high heat. Tandoori chicken is bone-in pieces marinated in yogurt, lemon, ginger-garlic and spices (the red color is mostly Kashmiri chili or food coloring), skewered and roasted until charred. Naan is slapped onto the same oven's walls. On this menu as: Tandoori Shan · Half Tandoori Chicken · Tandoori Mix Grill.
Paneer: Fresh, unaged cheese made by curdling hot milk with lemon or vinegar and pressing the curds into a firm block. It does not melt, so it can be grilled (tikka), fried, or simmered in gravies, and it is the standard vegetarian protein on North Indian menus. On this menu as: Chilli Paneer · Paneer Tikka · Sag Paneer.
Garam masala: "Masala" simply means a spice blend, or the sauce built on one. Garam masala ("warm blend") is the finishing mix of cardamom, cinnamon, clove, cumin, black pepper and other whole spices toasted and ground, added at the end of cooking for aroma rather than heat. Every region and household has its own proportions. On this menu as: Chicken Tikka Masala · Lamb Tikka Masala · Lobster Masala.
Tikka: Boneless cubes marinated and grilled on skewers in the tandoor. Chicken tikka is the yogurt-and-spice version; malai tikka is marinated in cream and cheese for a mild, silky result; hariyali is a green marinade of mint, cilantro and spinach; paneer tikka is the vegetarian standard, often with peppers and onion on the skewer. On this menu as: Chicken Tikka Masala · Lamb Tikka Masala · Chicken Tikka.
Indo-Chinese: Manchurian & chilli chicken: The Chinese cooking of Kolkata's Hakka community as adapted to Indian tastes: battered cauliflower or chicken tossed in a garlicky, soy-and-chili "Manchurian" sauce, chilli chicken or paneer with green chili and peppers, Hakka noodles and "Schezwan" fried rice. A cuisine of its own, and a fixture of most Indian restaurants' appetizer pages. On this menu as: Chef Special (Indo-Chinese) · Chilli Chicken · Chilli Paneer.

How these dishes compare

Tikkatypically $15 across 366 menus
Biryanitypically $16 across 345 menus
Daltypically $11.99 across 344 menus
Naantypically $3.99 across 337 menus
Samosatypically $6.99 across 337 menus
Butter chicken (murgh makhani)typically $16 across 318 menus
Tandooritypically $11.97 across 316 menus
Roti, chapati & parathatypically $4 across 313 menus

India Star on our other sites

menuzrrestaurant menus of every cuisine

India Star

Menu

Veg Appetizers

Non-Veg Appetizers

Chef Special (Indo-Chinese)

Chicken Delicacies

Lamb & Goat

Seafood

Tandoori Shan

Vegi Garden

Rice & Breads

Special Dinners

Desserts & Drinks

How these dishes compare

India Star on our other sites