The Best Food to Order in a North Indian Restaurant

If you are an Indian living in the United States of America, chances are that you regularly crave to taste some authentic Indian dishes. Many people from North Indian states like Haryana, Punjab, and Gujarat have settled down in the United States over recent decades, and even though their lifestyles are completely American, deep down at their cores, they are very much in touch with their roots.

The settlement of Indians in the United States however, has led to entrepreneurs opening up their own restaurants, serving the most authentic North Indian delicacies. In case you are an Indian but have never been to any North Indian Restaurants in your life, here’s the food you must order when you visit one!

Chicken Tandoori

The North Indian Restaurants that don’t have Chicken Tandoori on their menus are not really doing their jobs well. Having originated in Punjab in pre-independent India, Chicken Tandoori is prepared in a clay oven known as tandoor. Roasted chicken, spices and yogurt go into the making of this incredibly popular dish, which has inspired now famous international preparations like Chicken Tikka Masala.

Rogan Josh

From the mountainous landscape of Kashmir comes Rogan Josh, a preparation that originated in Persia. The preparation features lamb chunks in red gravy that features aromatic spices, browned onions, garlic, ginger and yogurt. Its most iconic feature is its red color, which is a result of using de-seeded and dried Kashmiri chilies.

Shami Kebab

Shami Kebab has emerged as a popular North Indian snack and is made from minced lamb or mutton, chickpeas, eggs, hot spices like bay leaves, black pepper, cinnamon and cloves, along with other ingredients like chili powder, and chopped green chilies, green coriander and mint leaves. Shami Kebabs are typically served along with rotis, accompanied by chutneys or ketchup.

Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani is a popular vegetarian dish from North India that has made waves in Vegetarian Restaurants worldwide. Made from red kidney beans and whole black lentil, along with butter and cream, Dal Makhani used to be an immensely time-consuming preparation before modern cooking equipment became available. In spite of it being a vegetarian dish, Dal Makhani is extremely heavy and it is often enjoyed as a main meal by vegetarians.

Palak Paneer

Another popular vegetarian dish from North India is Palak Paneer. ‘Palak’ or spinach is a key ingredient of this preparation, along with paneer, garam masala, garlic, tomato gravy sauce and a selection of other spices. The preparation is best enjoyed with boiled rice, naan or roti.

The five aforementioned preparations showcase North Indian cooking at its very best. No matter which North Indian eatery you head to, you can determine its authenticity by trying out these dishes. It’s safe to say that these preparations will never run out of fashion.