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Dishes of London

Guide

Types of curry: a heat scale from mild to very hot

On British curry-house menus, the dish name usually tells you how hot it is. Korma is mild, madras is hot, and vindaloo is the one you order when you mean it. Once you know the names, you can pick a curry in a few seconds. Below: 12 types on one chart, then each with the East and Central London venues that serve it, 78 venues in all. Prices checked .

Curry heat scale

  1. MildKormaButter chickenKatsu curryMassaman
  2. Mild to mediumTikka masalaSaag
  3. MediumBhunaRogan joshBalti
  4. Medium to hotThai red
  5. HotMadrasJalfreziThai green
  6. Very hotVindaloo

Quick picks: what are you after?

How the heat scale works

The scale follows the conventions of British curry-house menus, so treat it as a guide rather than a set of fixed rules. Heat varies from kitchen to kitchen, and a madras in one restaurant can be quite different from a madras down the road. You can ask for most curries milder or hotter.

This guide puts the curries on East and Central London menus on one scale from mild to very hot. It covers the Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani curry-house standards, plus the Japanese and Thai curries you will also see.

The 12 types, and where to eat them

Korma

Mild

Best for The mildestCreamyNew to curry

Korma is a creamy sauce made with yoghurt or cream and ground nuts, often almonds or coconut. It is rich and smooth rather than sharp.

It is the mildest curry on most menus. It suits anyone who is new to curry or does not like chilli.

On East and Central London menus: 21 venues, 47 dishes; median £12.55, £6.95 to £17.90 across 33 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

  • Spice StationKorma Vegetable · £6.95Chingford
  • MonsoonMixed Vegetable Korma · £7.95Highgate
  • MemsahebVegetable Korma (Very Very Mild) · £8.95Isle of Dogs
  • UdayaChicken Korma · £9.75East Ham
  • Mix N GrillLamb Korma · £10.95Isle of Dogs
  • The Tiffin TinMixed Vegetable Korma · £11.35West Hampstead

And 15 more venues: every curry in East and Central London.

Back to the chart

Butter chicken

Mild

Best for MildButtery tomato sauce

Butter chicken, also called murgh makhani, is tandoori chicken in a buttery, creamy tomato sauce.

It is mild. If you like the idea of tikka masala but want something gentler, this is a safe choice.

On East and Central London menus: 21 venues, 32 dishes; median £14, £8.95 to £21.30 across 21 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

  • Spice StationButter Chicken · £8.95Chingford
  • Biryani guysButter Chicken Tikka Masala · £10.99Old Street
  • Holy CowButter Chicken · £12.55Limehouse
  • Holy CowButter Chicken · £12.55Archway
  • BabujiButter Chicken · £12.95Kentish Town
  • MemsahebButter Chicken · £12.95Isle of Dogs

And 15 more venues: every curry in East and Central London.

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Tikka masala

Mild to medium

Best for A little spiceCreamy tomato sauce

Tikka masala is grilled chicken tikka in a creamy, spiced tomato sauce. It is very closely associated with Britain.

The heat runs from mild to medium, depending on the kitchen. It suits people who want a bit more spice than a korma gives, without a burn.

On East and Central London menus: 23 venues, 52 dishes; median £13.95, £6.95 to £29 across 37 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

And 17 more venues: every curry in East and Central London.

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Saag

Mild to medium

Best for SpinachMild to medium

Saag is a curry cooked with spinach.

It is usually mild to medium, and it suits anyone who wants a gentle curry that is not creamy.

On East and Central London menus: 20 venues, 50 dishes; median £12.95, £5.95 to £17.95 across 33 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

And 14 more venues: every curry in East and Central London.

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Bhuna

Medium

Best for Thick, fairly dry sauceMedium

Bhuna starts with spices fried in oil, then cooked down into a thick, fairly dry sauce that clings to the meat rather than pooling on the plate.

Expect medium heat. It suits people who like a stronger, more intense curry but do not want to go hot.

On East and Central London menus: 20 venues, 80 dishes; median £12.95, £6.95 to £28 across 57 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

And 14 more venues: every curry in East and Central London.

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Rogan josh

Medium

Best for Usually lambMedium

Rogan josh is Kashmiri in origin and is usually made with lamb. The red sauce gets its colour from Kashmiri chilli and tomato.

It is usually medium: a step up from a korma or a tikka masala.

On East and Central London menus: 8 venues, 13 dishes; median £13.95, £11.95 to £21 across 5 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

And 2 more venues: every curry in East and Central London.

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Balti

Medium

Best for Cooked quicklyMedium

A balti is cooked quickly and served in a steel bowl, also called a balti. The British balti is associated with Birmingham.

It is usually medium.

On East and Central London menus: 6 venues, 23 dishes; median £11.95, £7.95 to £20.95 across 19 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

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Madras

Hot

Best for HotRed chilli

Madras is a red, chilli-heavy sauce.

On British menus it is hot. It suits people who already enjoy spicy food; ask for it a little milder if you are not sure.

On East and Central London menus: 13 venues, 42 dishes; median £12.95, £6.95 to £22.40 across 29 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

And 7 more venues: every curry in East and Central London.

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Jalfrezi

Hot

Best for HotFresh green chilliesPeppers and onions

Jalfrezi is stir-fried with peppers, onions and fresh green chillies, so it has more bite and texture than a smooth sauce.

It is hot, with the sharpness coming from the fresh green chillies.

On East and Central London menus: 12 venues, 32 dishes; median £11.95, £7.95 to £22.40 across 25 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

  • UdayaVegetable Jalfrezi · £7.95East Ham
  • Spice StationJalfrezi Chicken · £8.95Chingford
  • MonsoonJalfrezi (Chicken or Lamb) · £9.45Highgate
  • MemsahebMix Veg Jalfrezi (Fairly Hot) · £9.95Isle of Dogs
  • Star of IndiaChicken / Lamb Jalfrezi · £11.95Leytonstone
  • White HausChicken Jalfrezi · £16St Paul's

And 6 more venues: every curry in East and Central London.

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Vindaloo

Very hot

Best for As hot as it getsFrom Goa

Vindaloo comes from Goa, from a Portuguese-influenced dish of meat in wine vinegar and garlic. The British curry-house version adds a lot of chilli.

It is one of the hottest standard curries on the menu, so order it when you really want the heat. Phaal is hotter still, but it is rare: it is on none of the menus we have read so far.

On East and Central London menus: 12 venues, 33 dishes; median £11.75, £6.95 to £22.40 across 24 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

And 6 more venues: every curry in East and Central London.

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Katsu curry

Mild

Best for MildSlightly sweetJapanese

Katsu curry is the Japanese one: a breaded cutlet with a thick curry sauce that is mild and slightly sweet.

It is mild, so it suits anyone who wants a comforting plate with no real heat.

On East and Central London menus: 25 venues, 46 dishes; median £13.20, £8.30 to £20 across 39 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

And 19 more venues: every curry in East and Central London.

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Thai green, red and massaman

Mild to hot

Best for Coconut milkGreen is the hottestMassaman is the mildest

Thai green curry is made with green chillies and coconut milk, and it is usually the hottest of the Thai curries. Thai red curry uses dried red chillies and coconut milk, and sits at medium to hot. Massaman is mild and rich, with peanuts and potato.

So for the most heat, go for green. For something in the middle, choose red, and for the gentlest, choose massaman.

On East and Central London menus: 19 venues, 80 dishes; median £12.95, £6.95 to £25.95 across 67 priced dishes. Each venue's lowest plate price, cheapest first:

And 13 more venues: every curry in East and Central London.

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How to order

  • Ask for it milder or hotter. It is the easiest way to get the curry you want.
  • Rice and breads are usually ordered separately.
  • If the heat gets too much, a yoghurt-based raita or a lassi takes the edge off.
  • "Chicken tikka" on its own is the grilled starter, not the sauced curry. Biryani is a layered rice dish rather than a sauce curry, and dal is a lentil dish.

Every curry in East and Central London See them on the map

Where to go: curry by area

More guides

How this guide is made: the descriptions are general food knowledge, checked by hand. Every venue, dish and price comes from the venue's own menu as we read it, and nobody has paid to appear. How we check.