• Curry powder is a common spice in Indian food.curry image by guy from Fotolia.com
  
  Adding Indian foods to your usual menu is an ideal way to eat more legumes and vegetables, explore new flavors and learn to cook with different spices. Indian cuisine is a regional cuisine, with substantial differences across the Indian subcontinent. Dishes rely heavily on lentil, chickpeas and other legumes, but chicken, fish and lamb dishes are also commonly enjoyed. From simple curries for a weeknight dinner to a full blown Indian feast, explore the variety and depth of flavor in Indian meals.
  
  

Beans and Legumes

• Beans and legumes play a significant role in the Indian diet throughout the country. Daal, or lentils, are especially popular. There are several varieties of lentils used in Indian cooking, but yellow or red ones are the most common. These can be spiced in various ways and are typically served cooked to a thick, soupy consistency. Chickpeas and kidney beans are also common. Chana masala is a popular chickpea dish, while rajmah chaval is a kidney bean stew. Serve bean or legume dishes alongside a starch and a vegetable, or as part of a larger thali or meal platter including meat.
  
  

Chicken, Fish and Lamb

• While beef and pork are not commonly eaten in India for religious reasons, chicken, fish and lamb do appear on Indian menus. Some popular dishes, like tandoori chicken, cannot be easily replicated at home. Try making chicken tikka masala, butter chicken or chicken biryani. While you will need a variety of spices, the dishes themselves are well suited to home cooking. For an exotic spin on your usual fish fry, add Indian seasonings to your breading and serve with rice and vegetables. Lamb may be seasoned and grilled on skewers, deep fried into balls or served in rich, tomato-based sauces for an authentic Indian flavor.
  
  

Vegetables

• Vegetables play a major role in the Indian diet across the country. Vegetable dishes frequently feature tomatoes, peas, cauliflower, potatoes, eggplant, green beans or other seasonal vegetables. Various types of korma, or vegetable stew, are served using tomatoes and paneer cheese along with vegetables. Potatoes, or aloo, are combined with various vegetables in both stews and dry curries. Paneer, milk, cream, coconut or nuts may be added to vegetable dishes.
  
  

Accompaniments

• A starch accompanies every Indian meal. In some areas, wheat breads like naan or roti are common, while rice is served in other regions. Basmati rice is favored and can be served plain or with onions and toasted nuts. Chutneys and cooling raitas made of yogurt and cucumber may be served with the meal to add balance and flavor. Deep fried samosas filled with potatoes and peas or vegetable fritters, called pakora, may be served at mealtime or as a snack.