Plain answers to the questions people ask about Pakistani, Indian and Middle Eastern food: which curry is the mildest, what a dhansak tastes like, what to order at a Pakistani restaurant, what keema means in English. Each guide explains the dish and links to Aamna’s recipes for it.
Choosing a curry
- Curry heat guide Every curry from mildest to hottest, and what makes each one hot.
- The curry house menu explained Balti, pathia, pasanda, phaal and every other dish in plain English.
- Tikka masala vs butter chicken vs korma The three creamy favourites compared.
- Madras vs vindaloo vs jalfrezi The three hot favourites, and which is hottest.
Pakistani food
- What to order at a Pakistani restaurant Karahi, grills, slow-cooked specials, breads and mild options.
- Pakistani vs Indian food What the two share and where they differ.
- Food words in English Keema, saag, gosht, tadka, kasuri methi and more, explained.
Dishes explained
- What is dhansak? The Parsi lentil curry that is hot, sweet and sour.
- What is rogan josh? The red Kashmiri curry, and why red doesn’t mean hot.
- What is dopiaza? The double onion curry from the Mughal court.
- What is nihari? The slow-cooked shank stew named after the morning.
- What is mandi? The Yemeni dish of smoky spiced meat on rice, and how to make it without a pit oven.
- What is paya? Slow-cooked trotters in a rich broth, the winter breakfast of Pakistan and India.
- What is bhuna? The frying method behind a thick, deep curry, and how it differs from karahi.
- What is achari? Curries cooked with pickling seeds, and where the tang really comes from.
- What is kaleji? Kaleji in English, why it is cooked at Eid, and how to keep it tender.
Recipe collections
- Karahi recipes Six karahis, from a 15-minute black pepper chicken karahi to slow-cooked lamb.
- Biryani recipes Chicken, Karachi, chicken 65, mutton chops, beef kofta and fish biryani.
- Winter curry recipes Nihari, paya, slow-cooked mutton curries and Burmese noodle soups.
- Diwali recipes Vegetarian curries, snacks and sweets for Diwali.
- Ramadan recipes Iftar snacks, mains and suhoor ideas.
- Eid recipes Mutton curries, biryanis and sweets for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
Burmese food
For mohinga, tea leaf salad, Burmese curry and the story behind Thami Letto, see our Burmese food guides.
Popular recipes
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken tikka seared in a hot pan, then simmered in a creamy tomato sauce with double cream and fenugreek.
Classic Chicken Korma
A mild, classic chicken korma made with yoghurt, crispy fried onions and whole spices, finished with kewra water.
Tender Yemeni Chicken Mandi
Yemeni chicken mandi: spiced chicken halves with a smoky flavour, served over fragrant rice.
Mutton Paya
Mutton trotters slow-cooked in a rich, spiced broth until soft and gelatinous. A warming breakfast or winter meal.
