Cuisine Focus: India

 In celebration of Australia’s wonderful food scene, we’ve compiled a list of the top five feeder countries of international students into the Australian tertiary education sector and listed our favourite places to indulge in the corresponding countries’ culinary delights.

#2. India

Melbourne

Horn Please is an institution in Fitzroy North. Dip your toe in the water with a Mumbai crispy roll (green mango, zucchini and cabbage wrapped in pastry), get comfortable with a free-range butter chicken and close with homemade Kulfi ice cream.  

Sydney

Things are done a little differently at Malabar, in the best possible way. Rogan josh comes in the form of a lamb shank served on the bone, dal makhana contains five different types of lentils and dosai, South Indian crepes, are available with lamb, chicken, prawns or potato.

Brisbane

Brisbane is chock full of Indian haunts but Sultans Kitchen is right up there with the best. Keep things traditional with a whole tandoori chicken and lamb saagwala, or try something a little different, like the beef dhansak, a lentil based sauce with fresh lemon juice.

Hobart

Mother India ensures Tasmanian residents don’t miss out, serving up delicious options like fried cashew rolls filled with potato and cottage cheese, Bengal fish curry and gulab jamun, fried milk dumplings in sweet spiced sugar syrup.

Darwin

The name could use some work but Exotic North Indian Cuisine makes up for it with great value for money. Just $5 will net you four pakoras (onion, potato and spices fried in chickpea batter), while the classic butter chicken goes perfectly with garlic naan.

Perth

Deep fried Bombay chicken wings and tandoori fish tikka are a great starting point for diners at Jewel of the Park but the main event are the range of curries – and there are few better than the mild goat korma.

Adelaide

Indian Temptations serves up exactly what its name suggests and this doesn’t look like changing anytime soon. Kick things off with a samosa chat, navigate your way through beef vindaloo and prawn sambal, and finish with mango kulfi (ice cream).

Canberra

Everyone has their favourite local Indian restaurant but Blu Ginger is a perpetual people pleaser. Decide carefully between the desi chicken, goan fish and lamb rogan josh, or better yet, take some friends and split all three.