As winter creeps in, people seek comfort in hearty meals that make them feel good while rendering a sense of well-being, meaning comfort food. This is a big opportunity for your Indian restaurant to serve just that. So, listen to your customers’ calls and spruce up your kitchen with the right dishes.
To help you out, we’ve shared six must-have winter comfort foods every Indian restaurant should offer. So, make your restaurant stand out by satisfying your customers’ wintery cravings, possibly putting yourself at the forefront of the top restaurant award judges to win an accolade too.
Now, explore the list below comprising the six comfort dishes with a mix of Indian and British favourites.
Saarso Da Saag & Roti: A Hearty Curry
We’ll start with the Punjabi origin and crowd-favourite, Saarso da Saag, a popular comfort food that soothes the chilly winter with its spicy and deep delicacy. It’s made of mustard green and hot spices; Saarso means mustard while saag means greens like Palak (Spinach) or other leafy veggies.
Saarso da Saag offers health and taste, giving many Indians a nostalgic vibe while enjoying this curry with Rotis or flatbreads. British foodies will love this authentic dish too if it caters to their preferences for heat level and graviness.
Mince & Dumplings
A classic British staple, Mince and Dumplings is a must-have dish for Indian restaurants to serve many customers this winter. Let your customers enjoy this super delicious treat made of beef, onion, and baked dumplings in rich and thick gravy.
Remember, people love dumplings that are hard-crusted or soft on the outside. So, keep both options available while asking the customers before preparing the dumplings along with the mince.
Tandoori Chicken: A Grilled Delicacy
Tandoori Chicken is a year-round favourite for both Indians and British. It will blow away the winter chills with its smokey aroma while its juicy texture increases the cravings of your customers. This dish is a promise to fill their mouth and heart with the ultimate taste and cosiness.
The marinated chicken mixed with spices, lemon, and yoghurt, and grilled inside the tandoor (an Indian clay oven) makes the best-grilled delicacy one can enjoy. Undoubtedly, Tandoori Chicken should be the top pop-up in your restaurant’s ordering system as a comfort food.
Steak & Kidney Pie
Pies are a British favourite, and one of the surefire pie dishes to make it to your winter comfort food list is Steak and Kidney Pie. Indian restaurants are quite good at making steaks now to satisfy the locals, and it’s something people in the UK will seek to fulfil their winter meal experience.
Like Tandoori Chicken, Steak and Kidney Pie must also show up on your online food ordering system throughout the winter season. Hire expert professionals like ChefOnline to put things in the right places on your restaurant’s website.
One more thing; the locals prefer Beef kidney in pies due to its earthy flavour and tenderness as opposed to beef meat or pork. Keep that as a note.
Samosas: Spicy Treats
What can be more delectable than a plate of smokey and savoury Samosas to warm up your customers on a winter morning or evening? These crispy triangles with fillings like spiced potatoes, onions, cardamom, cumin, and sometimes, meat can blow any foodie’s mind.
When each bite of a Samosa can light up the frosty moments of your customers passing in your restaurant, this easily makes it the top choice in your winter comfort food list. Make sure some crispy and shiny Samosa photos are aptly highlighted in your restaurant’s ordering system throughout the season.
The Cornish Pasty: Loaded with Happiness
Turning back to another British winter comfort food, the Cornish Pasty, a pie which is a love of the British as a gourmet, scrumptious treat. With its crusty outer layer bitten into an override of delicious fillings like chicken, steak, corned beef, and cheese, it’s a must-have dish for an Indian restaurant like yours this winter.
Serving the Cornish Pasty should vary in terms of who you’re serving it to. Indians will love to have a dipping sauce or chutney to enhance the flavour of their pasty, while British locals nowadays may love it without anything extra.
Apple Kheer: A Fruity Delight
Apple Kheer can be an amazing addition to your winter comfort food list. This creamy, sweet, and luscious dessert can enlighten the customers’ moments at your restaurant. One of the best parts of championing this dish in your winter list is its simplicity in preparation.
Things that go into this delicious treat are fresh and juicy apples, butter, milk, saffron, spices (cardamom, clove, cinnamon, etc.), dry fruits, sugar or condensed milk, etc. The making process is simple and quick. You can serve it to your customers warm or chilled as they want it.
Trifle: A British Nostalgia
Let’s take your customers on a nostalgic ride with the simple yet delectable Trifle treat— a must-have dish for an Indian restaurant to surprise and indulge Londoners and foodies from diverse backgrounds. This will add to their festive spirit while enjoying this soft and sweet delight with their loved ones.
Layered with sponge cakes, cream, fruits, and custard, Trifle will make your customers happy, from children to adults. Flag it with some crispy and tasty chocolate shells upright to make it an ultra-favourite to the eyes and taste buds alike.
Did you realise that Trifle could be an open canvas for creativity? You can recreate the classic Trifle with a different recipe and presentation to catch some judges’ eyes, competing for a prestigious restaurant award along the path.
Wrapping Up
Load your food cannon with these six warm and scrumptious dishes this winter to attract customers. It’s an opportunity to not only highlight your Indian restaurant in a festive season but also enhance customer experience.
Each must-have dish we’ve mentioned in this guide has endless ways to be made and served in front of your customers. So, tickle your creative chef-bone to masterfully awe your loyal and new customers this winter. What other soothing winter comfort foods do you have in your mind? Share with us.
