When ordering an Indian takeaway from Coulsdon, you’ll always be able to ascertain how hot a dish will be by the spice level rating beside its title, or the words ‘very mild’,’ ‘very hot’, and so on.

For example, the vindaloo is usually the hottest curry on the menu and sometimes cooked with super-hot ghost chillies. It’s certainly not a dish for the faint-hearted!

We’ve devised a guide to the UK’s top six most popular curry dishes, ordered from mildest to chilliest. 

1. Korma

Heat Rating: Very Mild

Dating back to Northern India and Pakistan, Korma is typically served with rice and chicken, involving zero spice whatsoever. This makes it the mildest Indian curry, its flavours more creamy and sweet in taste instead of spicy and rich. In a Korma, the main ingredients include coconut milk, nuts (cashews or almonds), and yoghurt. In terms of curry powder, only a mild one is used to cover the chicken along with mild aromatic spices like cinnamon, cumin, cardamom and ginger. 

2. Pasanda

Heat Rating: Very Mild

Originating in Pakistan, the Pasanda is fairly similar to a Korma. That said, a Pasanda is prepared with a little spice and made with lamb rather than chicken. Seasoning-wise, cumin, garlic and peppercorns are used. The meat used in the dish must be sliced into strips and marinated in yoghurt. Once cooked, this dish is garnished with almonds flakes and served with a side of naan bread. 

3. Biryani

Heat Rating: Medium

Biryani is made up of either meat or veg with rice, which differs considerably from other Indian curries that can include rice on the side if desired. This dish often scores a ‘medium’ rating on takeaway Coulsdon menus, with more of a tomato-oriented flavour as opposed to a creamy consistency. It’s a popular dish among vegetarians and meat-eaters alike and usually, the meat in Biryani can be switched up for either grilled veg or seafood. If you prefer a sweeter taste, chefs typically throw in fruits like pineapples, apples or even cashews.

4. Tikka Masala

Heat Rating: Medium

A Tikka Masala is one of the UK’s most popular curries thanks to its thick, creamy, tomato-infused sauce and seasoned meat. A classic cylinder clay or metal oven, known as a Tandoor, is used to cook boneless chicken and uses wood fire which gives it its famed smoky flavour. The meat is simmered in the creamy tomato sauce which is seasoned with ginger, garlic, and chilli.

5. Jalfrezi

Heat Rating: Hot

 This curry is made up of what was traditionally ‘scraps’ to produce a spice-infused dish fried with a raft of herbs. At home, a Jalfrezi is usually stir-fried using onions, green peppers, and lots of fresh chillies to form a base before adding your preferred meat. Moments before plating up, a splash of thick, spicy sauce is poured in, which is what makes it one of the hottest Indian curries around.

6. Vindaloo

Heat Rating: Very Hot

And finally, the Vindaloo is the fieriest curry of them all. Even though Vindaloo is on menus at takeaways in Coulsdon and beyond, it was actually invented in Portugal, beginning as a basic dish using garlic and wine vinegar. Over time, after being brought into Goa in India, an increasing amount of chilli powder has been included, making the beef, lamb or pork Vindaloo one of the hottest dishes on the planet.