Everyone has an opinion on the top 5 Indian dishes, and the argument is best settled over a shared table. At Sitar Indian Cuisine in Durham, North Carolina, we have watched the same plates win that argument for more than 26 years. The five below come up again and again , on the daily buffet, in delivery orders, and in the recommendations our regulars make to first-timers. They are also the dishes most newcomers to Indian cooking try first, and together they show off the range of Indian food better than any single regional menu could: creamy North Indian curries, slow-cooked layered rice, smoky tandoori grills and the crisp, plant-forward cooking of the South. Here is our list , and the best part is that you can taste most of it in a single visit.
The Top 5 Indian Dishes, According to Our Chefs
Every dish below is among the most popular Indian food our chefs cook each week. They show up on the daily buffet and on the tables of regulars who have been dining with us since 1998. New to Indian cooking? Our beginner’s guide to Indian cuisine is a good place to start.
1. Butter Chicken
Butter chicken is the dish that introduces most people to Indian food. Tender chicken simmers in a rich tomato and butter gravy that is creamy, mildly spiced and deeply comforting. It was invented in Delhi in the 1950s and has since become one of the most famous Indian dishes outside India. Our buffet serves chicken tikka masala, its close cousin in the same tomato-gravy family, every single day. Learn more about its history on Wikipedia.
2. Biryani
Biryani is the celebration dish of India. Fragrant basmati rice is layered with spiced meat or vegetables and slow-cooked so every grain carries flavor. It is the most-ordered dish on Indian food delivery services, and it appears at weddings, festivals and family dinners across the country. The word comes from the Persian biryan, meaning “to fry” or “to roast”. For the full story, Wikipedia has the details.
3. Tandoori Chicken
Tandoori chicken shows the power of the tandoor, the clay oven at the heart of North Indian cooking. Chicken is marinated in yogurt and spices, then roasted at high heat until smoky, charred and juicy. It works as a starter, a main course and a buffet favorite all at once , and it is on our buffet daily.
4. Masala Dosa
South India answers with the masala dosa: a crisp, golden crepe made from fermented rice and lentil batter, wrapped around spiced potato. It is served with coconut chutney and sambar, and it shows how much Indian cooking changes from north to south. Curious about the difference? Our North Indian vs South Indian food guide breaks it down.
5. Saag Paneer
Saag paneer is a vegetarian classic. Soft cubes of paneer, an Indian cheese, are cooked in a slow-simmered sauce of spinach and mustard greens, finished with garlic and gentle spices. It is comfort food for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, and it is a regular on our veggie buffet line.
Try Them All at Durham’s Indian Restaurant Buffet
You do not need five separate restaurant visits. Since 1998, Sitar has been the Indian food restaurant Durham diners recommend to newcomers, and our daily Indian restaurant buffet rotates through most of this list alongside regional specials like Fish Malabar, channa masala and cabbage thoren. See what is on the buffet today, or read about lunch and dinner buffet times.
Vegan Indian food gets its own night here too. Every other Thursday, our vegan dinner buffet serves plant-based curries, lentil dishes and greens , no paneer, no cream, no compromise on flavor. It is one of the most popular Indian food nights on our calendar, so book ahead.
Order the Top 5 Indian Dishes for Delivery
The top 5 Indian dishes taste just as good at your table as they do in ours. Sitar Indian Cuisine delivers across Durham through DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub, so butter chicken, biryani and the rest of the menu arrive hot, cooked the same way our chefs make them for the dining room. It is the easy answer for a weeknight when you want the comfort of Indian food without the trip.
Planning something bigger? Our catering service brings the same dishes to birthdays, anniversaries, corporate events and weddings , from a tray of biryani for the office to a fully staffed buffet for a large celebration. Whatever the occasion, the top 5 Indian dishes scale from a single delivery box to a full spread.
The Final Word on the Top 5 Indian Dishes
Lists like this are meant to be argued with, and that is part of the fun. What makes these five stand out is the range they cover: the creamy North Indian gravy of butter chicken, the festive layers of biryani, the smoky char of tandoori chicken, and the crisp, plant-forward cooking of the South in masala dosa and saag paneer. Together they are a short course in Indian cuisine , and a good starting point for building your own list.
The easiest way to start is at Sitar. The daily buffet is the lowest-pressure introduction to Indian food we know, the vegan dinner buffet runs every other Thursday, and delivery brings the same dishes to your door. However you taste the top 5 Indian dishes, we hope the first bite begins a long relationship with Indian cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular Indian dish in the world?
Biryani is the most-ordered dish on Indian food delivery services, while butter chicken is the most famous Indian dish outside India. Both made our top five for a reason. See our roundup of the most popular Indian food in Durham for the local view.
Is Indian food vegetarian-friendly?
Very. Much of Indian cuisine is naturally vegetarian , saag paneer, channa masala, daal and dozens of lentil and vegetable dishes. Sitar also runs a dedicated vegan dinner buffet every other Thursday, so plant-based eaters get a full spread of their own.
Where can I try the top 5 Indian dishes in Durham?
At Sitar Indian Cuisine in Durham, NC. Most of the list appears on our daily buffet, so you can compare all of them in one sitting , and come back next week when the rotation changes.