Vegetarian Curries

Gravies to eat with rice or bread, drawn from both ends of the country. Vegetable kurma is the South Indian one — coconut-based, mild, the thing that comes with parotta. Baghaar baingan is Hyderabadi: small aubergines in a dark sesame and peanut gravy, one of the few dishes the Nizams' kitchens are still best known for.

The rest lean north. Saag paneer and methi chaman are both greens and cheese, spinach in one and fenugreek in the other. Paneer tikka masala and channa masala need no introduction, and dal is dal.