What’s the difference between north and south Indian cuisine; where can you find perfect paranthas and beautiful butter chicken? We set out on an Indian odyssey, to bring you a list of the best Indian restaurants in the country.

“If you give four Indians one recipe and just let them use the oil of their choosing, every single meal will be entirely different,” explained twice Michelin-starred chef, Athul Kochhar, in his Good Food & Wine Show demonstration in Cape Town last weekend.

“The north Indian will reach for ghee, the south Indian coconut oil, the east mustard oil and the west, cold-pressed sesame oil.”

In a country with languages and dialects numbered in the hundreds, and a plethora of different religions and ethnic backgrounds, it’s no surprise that Indian cuisine varies wildly.

Broadly speaking though, what are the differences between north and south Indian cuisine?

While each state has its own specialities, there is generally speaking, a big difference between north and south. Influenced by Middle Eastern cuisine, food in northern India is usually accompanied by unleavened breads like chappatis, parantha and pooris, while southern Indian food is predominantly rice-based.

North Indian curry is also less likely to blow your head off than south Indian cuisine. It’s less spicy and more rich in dairy products like panneer, while southern Indian cuisine contains lashings of coconut , more seafood as well as more vegetarian options, due partly to the influence of the Brahmin religion. The north is also the home of tandoori cooking, where meat is marinaded in yoghurt and baked at very high temperatures in a tandoori oven.

Getting hungry? Without further ado, here is our list of the best Indian restaurants in the country:

Joburg

Al Makka
Specialises in north Indian cuisine
Try: grilled chicken curry
Average main course: R70

Bismillah
Specialises in Indian and Pakistani food.
Try: chicken Tikka Masala
Average main course: R40

Bukhara
Specialises in north Indian cuisine, but also serves a few south Indian dishes.
Try: lamb Rogan Josh
Average main course: R130

Ghazal
Specialises in north Indian cuisine.
Lamb Korma or the Chicken Tikka Masala
Average main course: R70 – R90

Karma Nirvana
Specialises in Indian fusion cuisine rather than traditional dishes.
Try: chicken Tikka Masala
Average main course: R80 – R90

Mantra
Specialises in north Indian cuisine.
Try: Kadai Vegetables, the chef’s speciality.
Average main course: R80

Parkers Grill
Specialises in north Indian and continental cooking.
Try: oxtail curry
Average main course: R80

Shayona
Specialises in pure vegetarian Indian food, from the north and south.
Try: the lunch special, including roti, two curries, rice, dal or Kadhi and Papad
Average main course: R20 – R45

Sitar
Specialises in north and south Indian cuisine.
Try: the chicken Vindaloo, cooked with potatoes and a hot gravy
Average main course: R80

Shunarga
Specialises in north and southern Indian cuisine
Try: mutton Bhindi Gosht
Average main course: R60

Spiceburg
Serves food from the north and south of India.
Try: Chettinad chicken, lamb or prawn
Average main course: R50 – R95

Thava restaurant
Specialises in south Indian cuisine.
Try: Kasturi Chicken
Average main course: R80 – R95

Pretoria

Geet
Specialises in fusion food, from the whole of India.
Try: lobster masala
Average main course: R100 – R120

Namaskar
Specialises in north Indian cuisine.
Try: crab curry
Average main course: R85

Oriental Palace
Specialises in north Indian and Pakistani cuisine.
Try: lamb Karahi Gosht
Average main course: R70

Tranna
Specialises in north Indian cuisine.
Try: lamb curry
Average main course: R80

Durban

Gateway to India
Specialises in north Indian cuisine.
Try: any of the tandoori items
Average main course: R90

Jewel of India
Specialises in north Indian cuisine.
Try: prawn curry
Average main course: R150

Spice
Specialises in fusion Indian cuisine
Try: the slow-roasted duck
Average main course: R102

Vintage India
Specialises in south and north Indian cuisine.
Try: the prawns in braised garlic and ginger
Average main course: R75

Brittania Hotel
Specialises in Durban-style curry.
Try: peri-peri prawn curry with a tomato chutney base
Average main course: R40

The Victory Lounge
Specialises in south Indian cuisine
Try: braised mutton
Average main course: R35

Sea Belle
Specialises in Durban-style curry
Try: prawn curry
Average main course: R99

Cape Town

Bhandari’s
Specialises in north Indian cuisine.
Try: lamb Rogan Josh and the butter chicken
Average main course: R100

Bihari
Specialises in north Indian cuisine.
Try: lamb Rogan Josh and butter chicken
Average main course: R100

Bombay Chilli
Specialises in north Indian cuisine.
Try: Kadai Chicken
Average main course: R80

Bukhara
Specialises in north Indian cuisine.
Try: lamb Roghan Josh
Average main course: R150

Curry Quest
Specialises in south Indian cuisine
Try: butter chicken and deboned lamb
Average main course: R50

Eastern Food Bazaar
Serves the whole spectrum of Indian cuisine, including north, south and Cape Townian adaptations.
Try: curry from more than one of the different stalls
Average main course: R25

Kabab Mahal
Specialises in north Indian cuisine.
Try: meaty Malai chicken and the Kasturi kebab
Average main course: R100

Maharajah
Specialises in north and south Indian cuisine.
Try: lamb off the bone
Average main course: R80

Maharajah pure vegetarian foods
Specialises in north and south Indian cuisine.
Try: vegetarian curry
Average main course: R30 – R65

Masala Dosa
Specialises in south Indian cuisine. Try: dosa served with potato curry, coconut chutney and sambar Average main course: R50

By Katharine Jacobs

Research by Jana Cilliers