How to Introduce Your Friends and Family to Indian Food

A lot of people simply aren�t used to exotic food, particularly Indian food. As delicious as Indian food is, many Americans simply haven�t had the opportunity to try it before. I recently introduced Indian food to my friends at law school in Boston, none of whom had ever tried or even considered eating it before. They were extremely hesitant to try it at first, but every single one of them ended up loving it so much that the next time we got together we met at a different Indian restaurant!

If you are introducing Indian food or any other kind of exotic food to your friends and family for the first time, you will want to start them off slowly. Don�t introduce them straight away to the most extreme or unusual dishes, but rather dishes that are mild in spice and even in flavor as well. This way your friends and family won�t feel too overwhelmed by trying something new and they will also be more inclined to try something a little more adventurous next time.

So if you are considering introducing your friends and family to Indian food for the first time, consider starting with some of these mild, yet flavorful dishes:

Onion Bhaji

Onion Bhaji is similar to potato fritters but with an onion filling rather than potato. These crispy snacks are great as an appetizer and can be made as spicy or mild as you like. Delicious mango chutney is usually served as an accompanying dip.

Samosas

Samosas are a classic Indian appetizer, and are pastry-like bites filled with your filling of choice. This is a great pick for vegetarians, as you can fill it with veggies, or for meat lovers you can fill it with lamb or beef. Chutney or yoghurt is often used as condiments for this tasty dish.

Garlic Naan Bread

Garlic naan bread is an oven-baked flatbread flavored with garlic leaves and garlic salt. It serves as a fantastic dish for dipping in curry sauce and its fairly mild flavor shouldn�t put off people trying Indian food for the first time.

These are all great dishes that should serve as a gentle introduction to people trying Indian food for the very first time. They are all relatively easy to make dishes too, so even if you�re not a wiz in the kitchen, you should be able to pull these dishes off successfully.