Indian food appetizers cover a wide range of fried, grilled, and chaat-style small plates built to be shared before the main course, or eaten on their own as a snack. Samosas, pakoras, tandoori skewers, and vada pav all fall into this category. Here is what belongs on an Indian appetizer order, and where to get it made fresh.
Indian food appetizers span fried starters like samosas and pakoras, grilled tandoori skewers, and chaat-style small plates like aloo tikki and papdi chaat. Most are vegetarian by default, built around potatoes, chickpeas, and lentils, with tandoori chicken and kababs as the main non-vegetarian options. Curry Up Now serves this category through the Deconstructed Samosa, Chutney Crunch Chicken Nuggets, Sexy Fries, Vada Pav, and Samosa Chaat, all halal by default and available for individual orders or catering trays. Locations run across California, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
Indian food appetizers are the small plates served before a main course, or eaten as a standalone snack. Most fall into three categories: fried starters, tandoori-grilled skewers, and chaat, the tangy, chutney-topped small plates that anchor Indian street food culture.
The line between an appetizer and a full Indian street food dish is often just context. A samosa served before a thali is an appetizer. The same samosa sold from a street cart, eaten on its own, is the meal.
Fried starters. Samosas, pakoras, and vada pav lead this category. The samosa is a fried pastry filled with spiced potatoes and peas. Pakoras are vegetable fritters, usually onion, potato, or spinach, dipped in chickpea flour batter. Vada pav is a spiced potato fritter served in a soft roll, originally a Mumbai street food staple.
Tandoori-grilled skewers. Chicken tikka, paneer tikka, and seekh kabab are marinated in yogurt and spice, then grilled in a tandoor oven. This is the main non-vegetarian appetizer category, and it also covers most vegetarian protein options through paneer.
Chaat-style small plates. Aloo tikki, papdi chaat, and samosa chaat build on a base of fried or boiled elements, topped with yogurt, tamarind chutney, mint chutney, and crunchy sev. These are more involved than a simple fried starter but still built for quick eating.
The Curry Up Now menu covers all three appetizer categories:
Appetizers that travel well and hold their texture matter most for catering. Samosas, tandoori skewers, and Sexy Fries all hold up over the drive to an office or event, which is why they are common catering picks. Curry Up Now catering builds these into individual boxed meals or shareable family-style trays for groups from 10 to 500 people, with halal, vegan, and gluten-free options covered from the same order.
Ordering only fried items. A mix of fried, grilled, and chaat-style starters gives more range in texture and spice than an all-fried order.
Assuming everything is vegetarian. Most classic appetizers are plant-based, but tandoori chicken and kababs are common on the same menu, so check before assuming.
Not checking spice level before a group order. Chaat-style starters can range from mild to sharp depending on the chutney ratio. Ask ahead for a catering order with mixed spice tolerance.
Curry Up Now started as a single food truck in Burlingame, California in 2009, founded by Akash and Rana Kapoor, built on the idea that Indian street food, including its classic starters, deserved a fast, made-to-order format instead of a buffet tray. That same standard applies to every appetizer on the menu today, made fresh at the counter, not held.
★★★★★
"We had an amazing experience in curry up now San Mateo. We had planned Tikka Thali, Katti roll, kachiri chat and holy moly fried Ravioli. Had got complimentary tea and biscuits. Amazing food and service."
Shruti phadnis, Curry Up Now San Mateo
Every location keeps meat halal by default and treats vegan and gluten-free as permanent menu categories. For more on how the format compares to a full-service Indian restaurant, read what fast casual Indian food actually means.
Curry Up Now operates locations across California, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky, with new openings added regularly. The full, current list of addresses is on the Curry Up Now homepage.
Common Indian food appetizers include samosas, pakoras, vada pav, tandoori chicken or paneer skewers, and chaat-style small plates like papdi chaat and aloo tikki. Most are fried, grilled, or built around a chutney.
Many are, since dishes like samosas, pakoras, and most chaat are built around potatoes, chickpeas, and lentils. Tandoori chicken skewers and kababs are the common non-vegetarian appetizer options.
The samosa is generally considered the most popular Indian appetizer, a fried pastry filled with spiced potatoes and peas, served with tamarind and mint chutney.
Samosas, chicken or paneer tikka skewers, and chaat platters travel well and hold their texture, making them common choices for catering. Curry Up Now catering builds these into individual boxes or shareable trays.
It depends on the kitchen. At Curry Up Now, all meat used in appetizers like tandoori skewers and Chutney Crunch Chicken is halal by default.
Yes. Most classic Indian appetizers are naturally plant-based or can be made vegan, including the deconstructed samosa and vada pav, which Curry Up Now builds without dairy on request.
Many Indian appetizers, like samosas and pakoras, are also street food staples. The difference is context: an appetizer is served before a main course, while the same dish sold from a street cart is often the entire meal.
Curry Up Now's starter-style menu includes the Deconstructed Samosa, Chutney Crunch Chicken Nuggets, Sexy Fries, Vada Pav, and Samosa Chaat, all built fresh at the counter.
Curry Up Now operates 12 plus locations across California, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky, with individual and catering-sized appetizer orders available at every location.
Indian food appetizers range from fried samosas to tandoori skewers to chaat-style small plates, and the best ones are made fresh, not held. Curry Up Now builds this category into a fast casual menu you can order solo or scale up for catering. Find your nearest location and order it fresh.
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