Indian menu glossary

Tikka masala

Chunks of tandoor-grilled marinated chicken (tikka) simmered in a creamy, mildly spiced tomato gravy. Almost certainly invented in Britain's Punjabi restaurants rather than in India, and now the most-ordered dish on Indian menus in the English-speaking world.

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Also written as: chicken tikka masala, paneer tikka masala, ctm

Butter chicken (murgh makhani)

Tandoori chicken finished in a silky sauce of puréed tomato, butter, cream and a little fenugreek, sweeter and gentler than tikka masala. Invented at Moti Mahal in Delhi in the 1950s as a way to use leftover tandoori chicken. "Makhani" (buttery) on any dish, including dal makhani, promises the same rich treatment.

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Also written as: butter chicken, murgh makhani, makhani, makhanwala, butter paneer

Korma

A Mughal court braise: meat or vegetables cooked slowly in a pale, rich sauce of yogurt, cream and ground nuts (cashew or almond), scented with cardamom and saffron. Mild on most restaurant menus; navratan ("nine jewels") korma is the vegetable-and-fruit version.

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Also written as: kurma, qorma, shahi korma, navratan korma

Vindaloo

A Goan dish descended from Portuguese carne de vinha d'alhos (pork in wine-vinegar and garlic) remade with dried Kashmiri chilies, vinegar and spices. Tangy and hot rather than merely hot; the restaurant version with potatoes (aloo) is a British-Indian pun that stuck.

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Also written as: vindalho

Rogan josh

Kashmir's signature lamb curry: bone-in meat braised in a deep-red gravy colored by Kashmiri chili and ratanjot (alkanet root), with fennel, ginger and yogurt. Aromatic and medium-spiced; the name is usually glossed as "red juice" or "red heat".

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Also written as: roganjosh, rogan ghosht, rogan gosht

Saag & palak

Saag means cooked greens: spinach, mustard, fenugreek or a mix. palak is specifically spinach. Puréed and simmered with ginger, garlic and cream, then paired with paneer, chicken or lamb. Sarson ka saag (mustard greens) with corn flatbread (makki di roti) is the Punjabi winter classic.

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Also written as: saag, sag, palak, palak paneer, saag paneer, sarson ka saag, saagwala, sagwala

Chana masala & chole

Chickpeas stewed in a tangy tomato-onion masala with amchur (dried mango powder) or tamarind, often finished with tea-leaf-dark color and a shower of raw onion and cilantro. Chole bhature, the chickpeas with puffy fried bread, is Delhi and Punjab's definitive brunch.

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Also written as: chana masala, channa masala, chana, channa, chole, cholay, chole bhature, chana bhatura, pindi chole

Dal

Lentils, and the soupy stew made from them. Dal tadka is yellow lentils finished with a tempering (tadka) of spices sizzled in ghee; dal makhani is black lentils and kidney beans simmered overnight with butter and cream; sambar is the sour, tamarind-and-vegetable lentil stew of the south, served with dosa and idli.

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Also written as: daal, dhal, dahl, dal makhani, daal makhani, dal tadka, dal fry, tadka, tarka, sambar, sambhar

Kadai / karahi

Named for the wok-like iron pan it is cooked in: meat or paneer stir-fried at high heat with a coarse masala of crushed coriander seed, dried chili, tomato and bell pepper. Drier and punchier than a gravy curry; the Pakistani karahi is cooked with tomatoes, green chili and ginger, often by weight for the table.

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Also written as: kadai, kadhai, karahi, karai, kadai paneer, karahi gosht

Jalfrezi

A stir-fry of marinated meat or paneer with sliced onion, green pepper, tomato and fresh green chili in a thick, slightly sweet-and-sour sauce. Bengali-Raj in origin (a way to fry up leftovers), now one of the hotter standard dishes on a restaurant menu.

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Also written as: jhalfrezi, jalfrezie

Madras & Chettinad

Two southern styles. "Madras" is a British-restaurant label for a hot, tomato-and-chili curry in the Tamil manner. Chettinad, from the Chettiar merchant community of Tamil Nadu, is the real thing: black pepper, star anise, stone flower, curry leaves and dried chili ground fresh, all dark, aromatic and fierce. Kolhapuri is Maharashtra's equally fiery red-chili style.

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Also written as: madras, chettinad, chettinadu, kolhapuri

Goan & Malabar coastal curries

The west coast cooks with coconut, tamarind, kokum and fresh fish. Goan xacuti is a roasted-coconut-and-spice curry; cafreal is a green herb-and-chili marinade for chicken; Kerala's fish moilee is a gentle coconut-milk stew with turmeric and curry leaves, while the region's red fish curries use kokum or tamarind for sourness.

Also written as: goan, goa, malabar, kerala, keralan, xacuti, cafreal, moilee, moily, meen curry, fish curry

Bhuna, dopiaza & do pyaza

Menu styles you will see repeated across proteins. Bhuna is a thick, dry, deeply reduced masala; dopiaza uses "two onions", cooked in two stages; pasanda is creamy with almonds; dhansak (Parsi) combines lentils, vegetables and a sweet-sour note; achari uses pickling spices; methi means fenugreek leaf; balti is the Birmingham-born fast, wok-cooked style served in the steel bowl it was cooked in.

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Also written as: bhuna, bhoona, dopiaza, do pyaza, dopiaza, pasanda, dhansak, achari, methi, balti

Nihari & haleem

Pakistani and Old Delhi slow-cooked specialties. Nihari is beef or lamb shank simmered overnight in a spiced, bone-marrow-rich gravy, served for breakfast with naan, ginger juliennes, lemon and fried onion. Haleem is a thick porridge of wheat, lentils and shredded meat cooked until they fuse; paya is a trotter soup in the same tradition.

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Also written as: nihari, nehari, haleem, paya

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.

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Also written as: tandoor, tandoori chicken, tandoori murgh

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.

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Also written as: tikkas, paneer tikka, chicken tikka, malai tikka, hariyali, hariyali tikka, achari tikka

Kebabs: seekh, boti, shami

Seekh kebab is spiced minced lamb or chicken pressed around a skewer and grilled; boti is marinated cubed meat; reshmi ("silky") is chicken mince or breast in a cream marinade; shami is a pan-fried patty of minced meat and chana dal; galouti is Lucknow's melt-in-the-mouth version; chapli is the flat, coriander-seed-studded patty of Peshawar; bihari kebab is thin strips of marinated beef.

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Also written as: kebab, kebabs, kabab, kababs, kabob, seekh, seekh kebab, seekh kabab, boti, boti kebab, shami, shami kebab, galouti, reshmi, chapli, bihari

Chops & lamb chops

Rib chops marinated in yogurt, ginger-garlic and spices and grilled in the tandoor until the edges char. Often the most expensive item in the grill section and a house showpiece at Pakistani and Punjabi restaurants.

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Also written as: lamb chops, chops, chaap, mutton chops, chaanp

Biryani

Long-grain basmati layered with marinated meat, fried onions, saffron and whole spices and cooked "dum", sealed under a lid so the rice steams in the meat's juices. Hyderabad, Lucknow, Kolkata (with a potato and egg), Malabar and Sindh each have their own. Served with raita and often a thin gravy (salan). Pulao is the simpler, single-pot cousin.

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Also written as: biriyani, biriani, briyani, dum biryani, hyderabadi biryani

Naan

A leavened, teardrop-shaped bread slapped onto the wall of the tandoor, blistered and brushed with butter or ghee. Garlic, butter and cheese naan are standard; keema naan is stuffed with spiced mince, peshwari with coconut and dried fruit. Kulcha is the flakier, often stuffed (potato, onion, paneer) Punjabi relative.

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Also written as: nan, garlic naan, butter naan, keema naan, peshwari naan, peshawari naan, kulcha, amritsari kulcha

Roti, chapati & paratha

The unleavened whole-wheat family. Roti and chapati are thin and dry-griddled (tandoori roti is baked in the clay oven); paratha is layered with ghee and pan-fried, plain (lachha, spiralled) or stuffed with potato, cauliflower or paneer; rumali is the tissue-thin "handkerchief" bread. Puri and bhatura are fried and puff up hollow; bhatura is the large, leavened one served with chole.

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Also written as: roti, chapati, chapatti, phulka, tandoori roti, paratha, parantha, aloo paratha, lachha paratha, laccha paratha, rumali roti, roomali roti, bhatura, bhature, puri, poori

Dosa

A thin, crisp South Indian crepe of fermented rice-and-lentil batter, served with sambar and coconut chutney. Masala dosa is folded around spiced potato; Mysore masala adds a red chili-garlic smear; rava dosa is a lacy semolina version; paper dosa is the extra-large, extra-crisp one. Uttapam is the same batter cooked thick like a pancake with onion, tomato and chili on top.

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Also written as: dosai, dose, masala dosa, mysore masala dosa, rava dosa, paper dosa, uttapam, uthappam, utthapam

Idli, vada & upma

South Indian breakfast. Idli are soft steamed cakes of the same fermented batter as dosa; medu vada are savory lentil doughnuts, crisp outside and fluffy within (dahi vada are soaked in spiced yogurt); upma is a savory semolina porridge; pongal is rice and lentils cooked soft with pepper, cumin and ghee. All are eaten with sambar and chutney.

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Also written as: idli, idly, idlis, vada, vadai, medu vada, sambar vada, dahi vada, upma, pongal

Thali

A complete meal on one round platter: small bowls (katoris) of dal, two or three vegetable curries, raita, pickle, papad, rice and bread, often with a sweet. Gujarati and Rajasthani thalis are lavish and unlimited; a South Indian "meals" is the banana-leaf equivalent. The easiest way to try a kitchen's range at lunch.

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Also written as: thalis, meals

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.

Also written as: manchurian, gobi manchurian, chilli chicken, chili chicken, chilli paneer, chili paneer, hakka noodles, hakka, schezwan, indo chinese, indo-chinese, szechwan

Samosa

A triangular pastry filled with spiced potato and peas (or minced meat), deep-fried until blistered and crisp, served with tamarind and mint chutneys. Samosa chaat smashes one under chickpeas, yogurt, chutneys and sev.

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Also written as: samosas, samosa chaat, samosa chat

Pakora & bhaji

Fritters of vegetables, paneer or chicken dipped in a chickpea-flour (besan) batter and deep-fried. Onion bhaji is the British-menu name for onion pakora. Mixed vegetable pakora is the rainy-day snack of the subcontinent, eaten with chai.

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Also written as: pakora, pakoras, pakoda, pakode, bhaji, bhajia, bhajji, onion bhaji, vegetable pakora, paneer pakora, chicken pakora

Chaat

The tangy, crunchy, sweet-sour-spicy family of Indian street snacks: crisp bases (papdi wafers, puffed rice for bhel, potato patties for aloo tikki chaat) piled with chickpeas, yogurt, tamarind and mint chutneys, chaat masala, onion and sev (crunchy chickpea-flour threads). Meant to be eaten immediately, before it goes soft.

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Also written as: chat, chaats, papdi chaat, papri chaat, aloo tikki, aloo tikki chaat, tikki, bhel, bhel puri, bhelpuri, sev puri, dahi puri, ragda

Pani puri / gol gappa

Hollow, bite-sized crisp puris cracked open, filled with potato and chickpea, and dunked in a cold, spiced, minty-tamarind water, eaten whole in one go. Called gol gappa in the north and puchka in Kolkata.

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Also written as: pani puri, panipuri, gol gappa, golgappa, gol gappe, puchka, phuchka

Vada pav & pav bhaji

Mumbai's bread-roll (pav) street food. Vada pav is a spiced potato fritter in a soft roll with dry garlic chutney: the city's burger. Pav bhaji is a buttery mash of vegetables and spices served with griddled, butter-soaked rolls. Misal pav is a fiery sprouted-bean curry topped with farsan (crunchy mix).

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Also written as: vada pav, vada pao, pav bhaji, pav, pao, misal pav, dabeli

Kathi roll & frankie

A paratha (often egg-washed on the griddle) rolled around kebab, tikka or paneer with onion, chutney and lime. Kolkata's kathi roll and Mumbai's frankie are the same idea. The Indian wrap.

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Also written as: kathi roll, kati roll, kathi, frankie, frankies, roll

Momo

Nepali and Tibetan steamed dumplings filled with spiced minced chicken, buffalo, pork or vegetables, served with a tomato-sesame or chili dipping sauce (achar). Jhol momo come in a spiced soup; kothey are pan-fried; chilli momo are tossed in an Indo-Chinese-style sauce.

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Also written as: momos, jhol momo, chilli momo, chili momo, kothey momo

Thukpa & Nepali thali (dal bhat)

Himalayan dishes on many "Indian & Nepali" menus. Thukpa is a Tibetan noodle soup; dal bhat is the Nepali national plate of lentils, rice, vegetable curry (tarkari) and pickle (achar); sekuwa is grilled marinated meat; choila is charred buffalo or chicken tossed with mustard oil, chili and fenugreek, a Newari specialty.

Also written as: thukpa, dal bhat, dal bhaat, nepali, nepalese, newari, sekuwa, choila, chhoila, gundruk

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.

Also written as: panir, chhena, chenna

Ghee

Clarified butter cooked until the milk solids brown and are strained out, leaving a nutty, shelf-stable fat with a high smoke point. Used for tempering spices, frying, brushing on breads and enriching sweets and dal.

Also written as: desi ghee

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.

Also written as: masala, masalas

Curry leaves, mustard seed & the southern tadka

The southern seasoning signature: fresh curry leaves (an aromatic leaf, unrelated to "curry powder"), black mustard seeds popped in hot oil, dried red chili and a pinch of hing (asafoetida, a pungent resin that turns savory-oniony when fried). Poured over dal, sambar, rice and vegetables as the final tadka.

Also written as: curry leaf, curry leaves, mustard seed, mustard seeds, hing, asafoetida, asafetida

Raita

Yogurt (dahi) whisked with cucumber, onion, tomato, mint or boondi (tiny fried chickpea-flour pearls) and seasoned with roasted cumin. The cooling counterpoint to biryani and hot curries.

Also written as: raitha, boondi raita, cucumber raita, dahi

Chutney & achar

Chutneys are fresh or cooked relishes (mint-cilantro, sweet-sour tamarind, coconut with dosa, tomato and onion) served alongside almost everything. Achar is the intensely salty, oily, spiced pickle of mango, lime or mixed vegetables, eaten a small dab at a time.

Also written as: chutney, chutneys, achar, achaar, pickle, pickles, mixed pickle, lime pickle, mango pickle

Papad

A thin, crisp wafer of lentil (urad) flour, roasted over a flame or fried until it bubbles. Served with chutneys before the meal in restaurants, or crumbled over food; masala papad is topped with chopped onion, tomato, cilantro and chaat masala.

Also written as: papadum, papadam, poppadom, poppadum, appalam, masala papad

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.

Also written as: aloo, alu, gobi, gobhi, aloo gobi, bhindi, baingan, bengan, baigan, bharta, baingan bharta, matar, mutter, mattar, muttar, jeera aloo, dum aloo, malai kofta, kofta

Spice levels & "Indian hot"

Most restaurants ask "mild, medium, hot or Indian hot" and mean it as a scale for their own kitchen; "medium" at a Chettinad specialist may outrun "hot" elsewhere. Heat comes from fresh green chili and dried red (Kashmiri is mild and mostly for color; naga and bhut jolokia are among the hottest peppers in the world). Phaal is the British-curry-house dare dish.

Also written as: indian hot, extra hot, phaal, phall, naga

Lassi

A yogurt drink, blended thick and sweet (mango lassi is the restaurant favorite) or thinned and salted with roasted cumin (salted lassi, or the lighter chaas / buttermilk). It is the traditional foil to a spicy meal.

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Also written as: mango lassi, sweet lassi, salted lassi, salty lassi, chaas, chaach, buttermilk

Chai

Tea, in the subcontinent's sense: strong black tea boiled with milk, sugar and, as masala chai, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and clove. Kashmiri "noon chai" is the pink, salted, green-tea version.

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Also written as: masala chai, chai tea, karak, kashmiri chai, noon chai, pink chai

Gulab jamun

Soft dumplings of milk solids (khoya) and a little flour, deep-fried to a deep brown and soaked in a cardamom-and-rose sugar syrup. Served warm, two or three to a bowl; the ubiquitous Indian restaurant dessert.

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Also written as: gulab jamoon, gulab jaman, jamun, kala jamun

Rasmalai & rasgulla

Bengali sweets made from chhena (fresh cheese curds). Rasgulla are spongy balls poached in light syrup; rasmalai flattens them and soaks them in sweetened, cardamom-and-saffron-scented thickened milk with pistachio. Sandesh is the drier, moulded cousin.

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Also written as: rasmalai, ras malai, rasgulla, rasagulla, rosogolla, rasgullas, chum chum, cham cham, sandesh

Kheer & halwa

Kheer (payasam in the south, phirni when made with ground rice and set in clay bowls) is rice pudding simmered slowly in milk with cardamom, nuts and sometimes saffron. Halwa is a dense, ghee-rich pudding of grated carrot (gajar), semolina (sooji) or moong dal, served warm.

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Also written as: kheer, payasam, firni, phirni, halwa, halva, gajar halwa, gajar ka halwa, carrot halwa, moong dal halwa, sooji halwa

Kulfi

Dense, un-churned frozen dessert made by reducing milk for hours, flavored with cardamom, pistachio, mango or saffron and frozen in moulds, richer and slower-melting than ice cream. Falooda is the dessert-drink of rose syrup, vermicelli, basil seeds, milk and a scoop of kulfi.

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Also written as: kulfis, falooda, faluda

Jalebi

Fermented batter piped in spirals into hot ghee, fried crisp and dunked in saffron syrup so each coil is glassy outside and syrupy within. Eaten hot for breakfast with milk or rabri in the north; a festival sweet everywhere.

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Also written as: jalebis, jilebi, imarti