In addition to the appetizers you order, some Indian restaurants here also serve papadams, flat, dry wafers made of lentil flour. Like Mexican tortilla chips, these crispy crackers taste best with a little sauce the same ones you use with the appetizers. One of the most common in India is mulligatawny, which usually contains lentils and can be made with or without meat. An alternative is coconut soup, which is sweet and often made with cream. They're usually tinted bright red.
Curries are elaborate stews made with special mixes of spices called masalas.
Coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, cloves, mace, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom and ground chili powder all make appearances in different curries. Jalfrazie dishes are curries with fresh vegetables. Green peppers, tomatoes and onions are the most common. Vindaloos are the spicy curries popular in southern India. Many of them have an underlying sharpness that comes from vinegar.