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Interesting Indian Sides to Add Some Spice to Your Plate

Interesting Indian sides to add some spice to your plate

You can't beat an Indian takeaway. Around the globe, it must be one of the most popular cuisines to be ordered in. Great for a meal to share with friends, but equally good to order when you're at home alone, the wide range of flavours in Indian cooking means that there's always something new to try.

We're lucky to have a huge choice of Indian restaurants here in Dubai, and the very best of them are now part of the Deliveroo family, so you can order their dishes to be brought straight to your door.

But when you're ordering, it's not just about whether to have a Jalfrezi, a Rogan Josh, a Madras or a Korma. Don't forget about the side dishes that you might not usually think of putting alongside your curry and rice or naan - if you do, they'll add a whole new dimension to your meal.

1. Refreshing Raita

Raita is a classic Indian side dish that you might not always think of ordering alongside your curry and rice. It's basically a combination of fruit or veg, yoghurt and spices. However, it's a great way to add contrast to the heat of the curry that you've chosen, and when you get a mouthful that combines the curry, the rice and the raita, the flavours and textures really complement each other well.

Try the Kachumber Raita with pomegranate at Moombai & Co on Sheikh Zayed Road. This is a mix of hung yoghurt that includes greens and pomegranate and roasted cumin.

2. Dhal, Dal, or Daal

We've all heard of dahl (and its various spellings), but how often do you actually order it? When there are so many exciting things on an Indian menu, a dish which is made essentially from lentils can seem like it might be a little bland. That couldn't be further from the truth. True, the lentil may be pretty ordinary on its own, but cooked with a range of spices and other ingredients as varied as kidney beans, coconut, lime and double cream, a dahl is far from bland and can bring out the flavours in other dishes you eat it with.

At Junoon restaurant, we recommend the Yellow Daal Tadka, which is masoor, channa and toor daal, with green chilli, turmeric and cumin. You'll never write off dahl again!

3. Super Saag Aloo

When you picture a curry, you don't always think about getting one of your five a day in there, but by adding saag aloo as a side dish, you get a healthy portion of spinach with your meal.

Aloo means potato, and saag means leaf-based, so it's not difficult to work out the principle ingredients in this dish. Although the leaves are often spinach, they can sometimes be mustard leaf or collard greens. Saag is very common in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. However, you'll find saag dishes all over India, and indeed the world.

At Arjee Bhajee, you can order Saag Aloo. If greens aren't your thing, why not order Aloo Gobi instead? That's a side dish of seasoned and fried potato and cauliflower. Either make a perfect accompaniment to any main Indian course.

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Of course, these are just a few of the different sides you can add to your favourite Indian dishes. But maybe we've got you thinking out of the box when it comes to your usual curry order....

Ready to add a new dish or two to your Indian takeaway regime? Check out these side dishes and more at Deliveroo.

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