From hot to not: four Indian dishes to try

They say if you can't handle the heat, you should get out of the kitchen. But thankfully, India has enough variety in its cuisine to allow even the most sensitive palettes to enjoy the adventure.

However, if you're the sort of person who likes their vindaloo off the charts, make sure you explain it clearly to your waiter when ordering. Often they will serve a milder version of a dish to Westerners because our version of "hot" is basically "mild" by their standards. So beware - a super hot curry in India is likely to blow your socks off!

Here's a few of our favourite dishes to try while you're in India:

Papri Chaat 
This popular northern Indian snack is easy to find among street vendors. The word papri is roughly translated to ‘crispy fried dough wafers’. These are smothered in chaat, which means ‘lick’ (as in ‘lick the chutney off’).

The dough wafers are covered with sweet green chutney and yoghurt and then garnished with a mixture of chopped onions, tomatoes and coriander leaves.

Dosas
You've probably tried these wafer-thin filled crepes made from rice flour and lentils at your local Indian restaurant before. But they're nothing compared to the real thing.

A dosa is basically a made-to-order pancake stuffed with meat or vegetables, but in India this common street food staple is elevated to cult status thanks to the freshness of the cardamom laced through the potatoes, and the sour pickle, green chili and coconut chutney the provide for dipping. We dare you to stop at one…

Irani Chai
Although not technically a meal, it's hard to go past this deliciously thick and sweet tea when discussing Indian cuisine.

Irani chai represents a huge part of the Hyderabad Kaayf, or cafe culture, and definitely deserves a mention. Brought over with Irani traders, this special tea is made from brewed tea leaves, boiled milk and sweetened condensed milk. It's served in little glasses and tastes divine.

Malai kofta
This is a rich dish usually served on special occasions, and is basically the vegetarian alternative to meatballs.

The dumplings are super soft, and consist of paneer cheese stuffed with a mixture of cashews, almonds and raisins and served in a creamy tomato gravy. Sometimes the dumplings are made with mashed potato and vegies. Whichever way you get it, order some crispy roti or naan, basmati rice and you've got yourself a new favourite.

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What's your fave Indian dish? Tell us about it in the comments section below, then head to Twitter and Facebook to see what your fellow Gecko’s travellers are saying.

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