The Indian restaurant menu, decoded
Indian menus are long because they're organised by cooking method, not by ingredient. Once you see that, the length stops being intimidating — you're reading four or five short lists, not one enormous one.
The sections, in the order they usually appear
| Section | What it is |
|---|---|
| Starters / Tikka | Dry, grilled, eaten with fingers and a squeeze of lime. Mostly from the tandoor |
| Chaat | Cold or room-temperature savoury snacks — sweet, sour and crunchy at once. A separate world from the rest of the menu |
| Tandoori mains | Larger grilled portions — whole chicken, fish, paneer, kebabs |
| Gravies / Curries | The sauce dishes. This is the longest section and the one worth understanding — see "curry", explained |
| Dal | Lentils. Almost always the cheapest thing on the page and often the best cooked |
| Rice & Biryani | Plain rice, pulao (lightly spiced), and biryani (a complete meal in itself) |
| Breads | Ordered per piece, to share — see the bread list |
| Accompaniments | Raita, papad, pickle, salad, chutney. Small, cheap, and they make the meal work |
The words that keep repeating
- Masala — a spice mix. On a menu it usually signals a spiced onion-and-tomato base. It is not one recipe.
- Korma — mild, rich, thickened with nuts, cream or yoghurt. Nut allergies: ask, always.
- Jalfrezi, chettinad, kadai, vindaloo — all indicate heat, and roughly in that ascending order in most kitchens.
- Makhani / malai / shahi — butter, cream, or "royal", meaning rich. These are the mild end.
- Achari — cooked with pickling spices, so sour and sharp. Saag — greens. Bhuna — reduced until nearly dry.
- Paneer — fresh cheese that holds its shape. The default vegetarian protein and genuinely worth ordering.
Read the menu backwards. Pick the dal and the bread first, then one dry dish, then one gravy. Tables that order in the printed order end up with four starters and no bread.
Restaurants differ enormously — by region, by owner and by country. This describes what is common enough to expect, not a rule every kitchen follows.
See also: "curry", explained · bread list · how to order for a table · desi spice guide: what each spice actually does
Common questions
What is the difference between a dry dish and a gravy dish?
A dry dish has little or no sauce and is usually grilled, roasted or stir-fried — tandoori items, tikka and most starters. A gravy dish is cooked in a sauce and is meant to be eaten with rice or bread. A balanced order has both, because a table of only gravies gets heavy quickly.
What does masala mean on a menu?
Masala simply means a spice mixture. On a menu it usually indicates a dish cooked in a spiced onion-tomato base rather than a cream-based or yoghurt-based one. It is not a single recipe and varies from kitchen to kitchen.
Is biryani a rice dish or a main course?
Biryani is a complete main course, not a side. It is rice and meat or vegetables cooked together, and it is served with raita and sometimes a thin curry. Ordering biryani alongside rice and breads for the same person is over-ordering.
Last updated: 2026-08-12
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