Ginger Indian Cuisine

Butter Chicken

The benchmark dish for any North Indian kitchen — a well-spiced tomato-cream sauce that should be rich without being cloying; order it to take the restaurant's temperature.

Dal Makhani

Slow-cooked black lentils in a buttery, smoky base — a reliable indicator of kitchen patience and worth ordering alongside any curry.

Saag Paneer

Pureed spinach with fresh cheese — a vegetarian mainstay that separates careful kitchens from shortcuts when the greens are properly spiced and the paneer is house-made.

Garlic Naan

Tandoor-blistered flatbread with a charred edge and aromatic garlic — the essential accompaniment and a good early signal of oven temperature and dough quality.

Samosa

Fried pastry filled with spiced potato — a familiar opener that tests the kitchen's seasoning hand and whether they're frying to order.