Indian Restaurant Condiments
Hello there Serious Eaters...
I am on an Indian food kick and would like to know...does anyone know the names of the various condiments served at Indian restaurants? Our local place offers three with meals and appetizers...one is bright green, one an oniony mixture, and the third a brown sauce that I think the third might be tamarind but am not sure...are these mixtures found in Indian restaurants all around? Any feedback would be helpful. Thanks.
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8 Comments:
the brown one is tamarind, and it to be used as a dipping sauce for pakora, though i prefer to use the bright red oniony mixture with my pakora. the bright green one is a cilantro dipping sauce, to be used with samosas. so yeah, what's the oniony mixture and what's it for?
kristygarr at 11:56AM on 06/16/09
If I catch what you're saying correctly, I think the oniony one is the raita (cucumber + yogurt). Is it mostly white and almost tastes like tzatziki? Or are you referring to the onion chutney?
I dip my nan in all three of them (separately). YES! Even the cilantro one!! Where we go each weekend, rain, sleet, or snowstorm, the cilantro dip is not overly cilantro-y.
I'm sure someone will get back to you on the exact names of the condiments...
Cassaendra at 2:10PM on 06/16/09
They're all traditional chutneys , and most Indian restaurants will serve the tamarind (brown) and cilantro-mint (green) at a minimum. If the onion-y one is more crunchy and dry, it's an onion chutney, and, in my experience, is not available at all restaurants. If it's creamy like tzatziki, as kristgarr said, it's raita, and will also be on every Indian menu. Pickles are also standard Indian condiments, especially lime and carrot.
mendicity at 3:52PM on 06/16/09
The oniony one is usually pink, but I've never known why. I'd really like to find out. In my experience, raita isn't usually on the free condiment tray, but something you order separatley (or scoop up at the buffet).
Embackus at 4:48PM on 06/16/09
Onion relish made with red onions and tomato paste?
finsbigfan at 5:09PM on 06/16/09
Thanks so much for all of your responses. I would say the three at our local place are a mint cilantro sauce, a tamarind sauce, and a red onion chutney. I am searching recipes and am going to try them soon...I'll keep you posted. Thanks again!
sammie at 10:05AM on 06/17/09
Not to be too snarky, but why didn't you just ask someone on the staff at the restaurant? If it's anything like the local Indian places I go, they LOVE to talk about the food.
Bakerloo Line at 12:20PM on 06/17/09
I tried to ask our young waiter last time we went and he just looked at me and shrugged...
sammie at 4:34PM on 06/18/09