# I'm craving Indian Food! But I know little about it **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 15, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770 "2014-03-15T16:06:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/1 "2014-03-15T16:06:00Z")
I’m pretty new to Indian food and have really only had chicken saag from a local place, but it closed down before I could do much experimenting. I love chicken saag. At least the way that place prepared it. The rice had peas in it and was a big part of the yumminess of the dish for me. So, got a good recipe for chicken saag you wouldn’t mind sharing? What else might I like? I am not a fan of game meats, so I’m not sure I’d enjoy lamb or goat much, but I’ve probably never had it prepared well. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/2 "2014-03-15T16:13:29Z")
I don’t have a good saag recipe for you, but the Pioneer Woman has a great [Chicken Tikka Masala](http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/06/chicken-tikka-masala-by-pastor-ryan/) recipe. It’s a bit involved, but comes out delicious! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/3 "2014-03-15T16:19:14Z")
I’d recommend that you visit an Indian restaurant when they’ve got a buffet set up. It’s a good way to try various dishes in small quantities. In particular, try the vegetarian dishes. If you don’t know what something is, ask one of the other diners, or a restaurant employee. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/4 "2014-03-15T22:54:33Z")
You might try saag paneer, a very common restaurant dish, which will have cubes of a simple homemade cheese in place of the chicken. > **[Paneer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paneer)** > > Paneer (pronounced \[/pəˈniːr/\]), also known as ponir (pronounced \[po̯ni̯r\]), is a fresh acid-set cheese common in the Indian subcontinent (India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) made from full-fat buffalo milk or cow milk. It is a non-aged, non-melting soft cheese made by curdling milk with a fruit- or vegetable-derived acid, such as lemon juice. > The word paneer entered English from the Hindi-Urdu term panīr, which comes from Persian panir (پنیر) 'cheese', which come... For recipes I suggest looking to Madhur Jaffrey, author of many cookbooks - this chicken with spinach and mustard should be similar to saag: [http://www.mykitchentable.co.uk/index.php/2011/03/madhur-jaffrey-chicken-in-a-spinach-and-mustard-sauce/](http://www.mykitchentable.co.uk/index.php/2011/03/madhur-jaffrey-chicken-in-a-spinach-and-mustard-sauce/) ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/5 "2014-03-15T23:11:54Z")
I was also going to recommend saag paneer, which is what I often get at Indian restaurants. I am not an expert on Indian food by any means, but the “saag” part indicates that the dish is made with spinach or other greens. Sometimes you’ll see the term “palak” instead, which specifically means that it is spinach. Aside from saag/palak paneer there’s also saag aloo, which is made with potatoes instead of the paneer cheese. In the ethnic section of the grocery store you may be able to find pre-made pouches of saag/palak paneer along with other Indian dishes. I’ve seen a couple of different brands of these and I don’t remember all the names, but I know one is called Kitchens of India. I get these pouches sometimes, and IMHO they’re pretty good. Not as good as in a restaurant, but definitely better than I’d be able to make for myself. I’m a lousy cook, though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/6 "2014-03-16T02:26:32Z")
I have an amazing saag chicken recipe that I’ve made several times. I _think_ I got it from the Food Network website, but I’m not completely certain. Mine has no tomato in it (many of them do). You can also make it with paneer, but I prefer the chicken (some day I would like to use lamb). Find a good recipe for home made naan bread to go with it. My wife’s go-to Indian recipe is chicken tikka masala which is also delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/7 "2014-03-16T03:17:11Z")
Keep in mind that the ‘curry powder’ that you buy at the market only vaguely resembles the spicing for Indian food. If you plan to engage fully in cooking this excellent cuisine, you will need to invest in buying the individual spices that go into the seemingly endless variety of curry recipes, along with a spice grinder. Most of the food is not difficult to prepare, but the number of ingredients can be daunting. [Chicken Biryani](http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Biryani/) is a good example. I’d suggest trying different types of [dal](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dal-recipe.html) (lentils) recipes. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/8 "2014-03-16T04:31:51Z")
Chicken Tikka Masala is British. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/9 "2014-03-16T05:09:11Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Chicken Tikka Masala is British. Yeah, and I’ve never eaten chicken saag either. Maybe it’s a Pakistani variant? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/10 "2014-03-16T05:48:11Z")
No. It sounds horrible. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/11 "2014-03-16T10:07:43Z")
Thanks for the responses everyone. I’ll try one of these suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/12 "2014-03-16T10:20:32Z")
Assuming you are the USA, because nearly anywhere else you can find good Indian easily, you will be able to check out lots of Indian flavors via [Patak’s USA](http://www.pataksusa.com/products). I have been cooking curries since long before curry sauces were available in supermarkets and, in all honesty, these sauces are mostly far better than the average cook can manage from scratch. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/13 "2014-03-16T10:21:12Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Chicken Tikka Masala is British. Yes, and nachos are American, but they still serve them at every Mexican restaurant I’ve ever been to. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/14 "2014-03-16T10:38:47Z")
I meant to add that saag isn’t really the name of a recipe. It is simply spinach. So you just pick a curry sauce you like and add spinach. Balti or Korma sauces work well. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/15 "2014-03-16T12:22:30Z")
Oh, I didn’t know that. I love raw spinach, but hate the taste of cooked spinach, so was actually surprised to like the dish. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/16 "2014-03-16T13:22:13Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I meant to add that saag isn’t really the name of a recipe. It is simply spinach. So you just pick a curry sauce you like and add spinach. Balti or Korma sauces work well. Saag is not really spinach. It’s a type of dish. Spinach saag is only one variety. Another common one(at least in Punjab, perhaps not so much elsewhere) is the saag made from mustard leaves. Unlike the spinach saag, I’ve never seen the mustard(sarson) saag prepared with other stuff thrown in (cheese/potato etc). ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/17 "2014-03-16T13:26:53Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Yes, and nachos are American, but they still serve them at every Mexican restaurant I’ve ever been to. It seems you may be mistaken. Wiki lists nachos as having originated in Mexico. CTM on the other hand, is more British than Indian, even if it is found in Indian restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/18 "2014-03-16T13:30:30Z")
I’m a big fan of Indian food and cook it often. I have quite an arsenal of spices, but some of the pre-made sauces and spice blends can be really good too. Spices are the key thing, and you can make a delicious meal out of a [couple of potatoes with black mustard seeds](http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Spicy-Potatoes-With-Black-Mustard-Seeds-%28Rai-Aaloo%29), plus a tomato (optional). Or - last night’s dinner - was lentil (dal) stew with a can of chopped tomatoes, spices and a can of coconut milk stirred in at the end. Divine, healthful and bonus: also really easy to make. I’m lucky enough to have a couple of good little Indian stores nearby, and they’re quite cheap so I can experiment with spices. For online spices I like [zamouri.com](http://zamouri.com). I bought a starter set of curry seasonings as a gift for a friend from them recently and have also been happy with some of the more hard-to-find spices, such as Ethiopian berbere and ras el hanout. I cook mostly vegetarian, but have used the [BBC food website for inspiration](http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/indian). Also concur that Madhur Jaffrey’s cookbooks are excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/19 "2014-03-16T13:43:54Z")
I highly recommend [660 Curries](http://www.amazon.com/660-Curries-Raghavan-Iyer/dp/0761137874/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394977310&sr=1-1&keywords=660+curries), by Raghavan Iyer: comprehensive, easy to understand, and it spans many different regions of India. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770/20 "2014-03-16T13:54:24Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I highly recommend [660 Curries](http://www.amazon.com/660-Curries-Raghavan-Iyer/dp/0761137874/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394977310&sr=1-1&keywords=660+curries), by Raghavan Iyer: comprehensive, easy to understand, and it spans many different regions of India. Ooh. On my wishlist. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-craving-indian-food-but-i-know-little-about-it/683770.md?page=2)