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Aisle guide
Indian and British-Indian plates
A curry name is a style, not a slaughter. Split the meat, the dairy, the paste jar, and a restaurant base gravy. Paneer is the cheese-rennet sister. A vegan mark on a dal does not certify the tadka.
Two-minute curry-house check
- Name the meat. Seekh, shish, raan and kofta do not name the animal. Chicken tikka masala is already on file.
- Then the dairy and the paste. Paneer, raita, korma paste, tikka paste. Restaurant palak is often creamed; a jarred paste may hide E471 or shrimp.
- Then the base. Many British-Indian gravies start from a meat stock. A vegetable jalfrezi still inherits that base unless the kitchen says otherwise.
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Source-dependent
Tikka masala
A cream-tomato curry. The meat (usually chicken) and its slaughter, the cream or yogurt, and a ready-jar’s E471 and natural flavour are the checks. Th…
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Source-dependent
Madras
A hot British-Indian curry. The meat and its slaughter, the oil, and a jar’s E471. Not hotter-than-vindaloo as a ruling. Vindaloo is a sister row.
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Source-dependent
Jalfrezi
A stir-fried curry of onion, pepper, tomato. The meat, the oil, a restaurant base gravy (often meat stock). A vegetable jalfrezi still inherits the ba…
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Source-dependent
Bhuna
A dry-fried curry. The meat and the oil. Restaurant bhuna often starts from a meat-stock base. Not hotter or milder as a ruling.
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Source-dependent
Dopiaza
A British-Indian onion-heavy curry. The meat and the oil. Restaurant dopiaza often starts from a meat-stock base. Not hotter or milder as a ruling.
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Source-dependent
Saag
Greens — spinach, mustard, fenugreek. Saag gosht adds meat; saag aloo adds potato. The word saag is the leaf, not the animal. Restaurant saag is often…
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Source-dependent
Palak paneer
Spinach and paneer. Paneer is the cheese-rennet sister. Restaurant palak is often creamed with butter or cream and a meat-stock base. Palak is not the…
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Source-dependent
Dal makhani
Slow black lentils with butter and cream. Plant pulse. Restaurant makhani is often finished with butter and a meat-stock tadka. A vegan dal must say s…
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Source-dependent
Chana masala
Chickpeas in a tomato-onion masala. Plant. Restaurant versions may use a meat-stock base or ghee. The chickpea is not the ruling.
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Source-dependent
Paneer
A fresh cheese usually set with acid (lemon, vinegar, citric) rather than rennet. Acid-set paneer avoids the calf-rennet question. Enzyme-set or super…
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Source-dependent
Raita
Yogurt with cucumber or mint. Dairy. Restaurant raita is sometimes from a mix with E471 or flavour. Not a lassi and not a tzatziki (sister).
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Source-dependent
Seekh kebab
Minced meat on a skewer, usually lamb or chicken, sometimes beef. The species, the slaughter, and a shared grill. Seekh is the skewer, not the animal.
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Source-dependent
Shish kebab
Cubed meat on a skewer. Lamb, chicken, beef; pork shish exists in some countries. The word shish does not name the animal. See shawarma and doner.
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Source-dependent
Kofta
A minced-meat ball or a vegetarian malai kofta. The word covers lamb, beef, chicken and paneer. The sauce (cream, tomato, nut) is a second check.
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Source-dependent
Raan
A slow-roasted marinated leg of lamb. The slaughter, then the marinade (yogurt, spice; some recipes add wine). The cut is not a ruling.
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Source-dependent
Korma paste
A mild nut-and-cream curry paste. Nut, coconut, dairy powder, E471. The meat is a second check. Not a tikka.
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Source-dependent
Tikka paste
A yogurt-spice paste for tikka. Colour (E110, E124, or carmine), yogurt, and E471. Tikka masala is a sister plate already on file.
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Source-dependent
Vindaloo paste
A hot curry paste. Traditional Goan vindaloo used pork and wine vinegar. Chicken and potato vindaloo exist. The jar is spices plus oil plus acid — the…
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Source-dependent
Naan
Leavened tandoor bread. Yogurt and ghee or butter are common. Garlic naan is still this row plus garlic; peshwari adds nuts and sugar. Restaurant naan…
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Source-dependent
Samosa
A fried pastry. Vegetable samosas and lamb or chicken samosas share the triangle. Frozen packs add pastry fat (E471). A shared fryer with meat samosas…
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Source-dependent
Biryani
A layered rice dish. Chicken, mutton, beef and vegetable biryanis share the word. The meat and its slaughter, the ghee or oil, yogurt, and fried onion…
A procedure for reading a pack - not a product certification and not a fatwa. See the methodology.