A Beginner’s Guide to Eating at 7 Monks Cafe

If you’ve never had Indian food before, looking at the menu can feel like a lot.

You see butter chicken, tikka masala, biryani, samosas, naan, curries, wraps, and probably at least a few words you’ve never heard before.

And then comes the pressure.

What do I order?

Is this spicy?

Do I eat this with rice?

Am I supposed to use the naan for something?

First of all, there are no rules.

You do not need to know anything about Indian food before eating it.

But if you want a little help getting started, here’s how I usually explain it.

This is actually the easiest way to choose.

If you like creamy comfort food, start with something like butter chicken.

If you like stronger tomato and spice flavors, chicken tikka masala might be more your style.

If you love rice dishes, try biryani.

If you want something crispy to snack on first, get samosas or pakora.

And if you’re the kind of person who wants bread with everything, you already know what I’m going to say.

Get the naan.

You don’t need to understand the entire menu.

You just need to know what kinds of food you already enjoy.

This is probably the biggest misconception.

Indian food uses a lot of spices, but that does not mean everything is hot.

Spices add flavor.

Chili adds heat.

Those are not the same thing.

Cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, ginger and garam masala can make food taste warm, earthy, fragrant or rich without making your mouth burn.

So if you don’t like spicy food, just start with something milder.

You are not missing the point of Indian food by doing that.

If you’re nervous, don’t force yourself to choose the dish that sounds the most adventurous.

Start with something that has flavors or textures you already know you like.

Samosas are a good example.

Crispy pastry.

Potato filling.

Spices.

Very easy to understand.

Butter chicken is another.

Creamy sauce.

Chicken.

Tomato.

Rice.

Nothing about that is particularly intimidating once you break it down.

Sometimes the names make Indian food sound more unfamiliar than it actually is.

I get questions about this more often than you might think.

You can absolutely spoon curry over basmati rice.

You can eat them separately.

You can take a little rice and a little curry in the same bite.

There is no food police coming.

Personally, I like having some rice underneath the curry so it catches the sauce.

The rice should still keep its texture, but you want it to soak up just enough flavor.

That is one of the best parts.

Naan is not decorative.

Please use it.

Tear off a piece.

Scoop up some curry.

Dip it into the sauce.

Use it to grab the last little bit from the bowl.

Whatever works.

There is something extremely satisfying about getting to the end of a curry and realizing the naan can take care of the rest.

No sauce left behind.

Indian food is one of those cuisines where vegetarian food has always been a major part of the cooking.

It’s not just meat dishes with the meat removed.

Vegetables, lentils, chickpeas, paneer and spices have been at the center of Indian meals forever.

So if you’re vegetarian, you do not have to settle for a side salad and fries.

There are plenty of dishes where the vegetarian ingredients are the whole point.

Dietary restrictions can make trying a new restaurant feel even more confusing.

The easiest thing to do is ask.

Some dishes may naturally fit what you need.

Others might have dairy, bread or ingredients you wouldn’t expect.

It’s always better to double-check than assume based on the name of the dish.

And if you don’t know what something is, ask that too.

Nobody expects you to already know.

This is probably my favorite way to eat.

Instead of everyone ordering one dish and protecting it like their life depends on it, get a few different things and try everything.

One curry.

One rice dish.

Some naan.

A couple of appetizers.

Maybe something vegetarian.

Then everyone gets to figure out what they actually like.

This is especially good if you’re trying Indian food for the first time because you’re not committing your entire meal to one unknown dish.

You might discover that the thing you almost didn’t order is your favorite.

I know mango lassi is technically a drink.

But emotionally, it feels like dessert.

It’s creamy, cold, sweet and made with mango and yogurt.

It also pairs really well with Indian food, especially if you accidentally order something a little hotter than you expected.

Think of it as part drink, part dessert, part emergency backup plan.

If you want the simplest possible starting point, I’d probably go with:

Samosas

Butter chicken

Basmati rice

Garlic naan

Mango lassi

That gives you a little bit of everything.

Something crispy.

Something creamy.

Something fluffy.

Something garlicky.

Something sweet.

Then the next time, you can get a little more adventurous.

Actually, there is one rule.

Order what sounds good to you.

You don’t have to choose the hottest dish.

You don’t have to pronounce everything perfectly.

You don’t have to know which region of India something comes from before you’re allowed to enjoy it.

Food is supposed to be eaten, not studied for an exam.

Start with something familiar.

Try one new thing.

Steal a bite from whoever you’re eating with.

And figure out what you like from there.

That’s really all there is to it.