Indian food is widely underappreciated in the US today, despite being one of the most exciting and varied cuisines of the world. Many people dismiss all Indian food as being spicy or having a consistency like curry that requires plates and cutlery. These four famous Indian finger foods can be made as mild or spicy as you like, and they're easy to snack on while mingling.
Samosas
Samosas are one of the best known Indian snacks outside of India because of their appealing popover shape and the flavorful fillings contained within a golden fried shell of dough. The pockets can be filled with practically any kind of filling, but mixed fillings of potato, meats like lamb or beef, peas, and spices are the most common. Other varieties include more unusual fillings, such as macaroni and cheese, fruits and nuts, and even plain cooked rice. Since samosas require the right kind of dough and are a little tricky to fold up correctly, they're best made by an Indian restaurant or caterer and heated up for the party.
Flatbread
Indian cuisine has so many great flat breads, with varying qualities to best match your dips or other appetizers, that it's hard to pick just one to recommend. Naan is the soft and fluffy bread most diners have tried at least once, but the firmer and unleavened roti is great for making wraps, while chapati are even puffier and make a great base for sliced meats and cheeses. Serving a range of different flat breads is a great way to let guests pick their own favorites and experience new foods.
Tikka
While you may have heard of chicken tikka before, the term tikka itself refers to foods cooked on a skewer much like a Turkish shish kebab. The Indian variety mixes marinated meats and vegetables, or even marinated firm cheeses, to create delicious meals that travel easily without making a mess. While most tikka dishes are based around at least one type of meat, it's also easy to find cheese and potato based combinations with no meat at all.
Panipuri
Panipuri consists of a crisp and hollow round puff of batter, known as the puri, which is filled with a mashed mixture based on chickpeas and flavored with tamarind for a tangy sweetness. The light and crunchy shell holds everything perfectly and looks great on a table filled with appetizers. There are many other puri fillings available as well, including sweeter varieties with fruit, to match the rest of your menu.
Contact a restaurant, like Deccan Spice, for more dishes.