Britain's top ten favourite Indian dishes revealed from Samosas to Tandoori – where does yours rank?

The Irish Sun

02-05-2025

A QUARTER of Brits are eating Indian-inspired foods and snacks more than 100 days a year, according to research.
A poll of 2,000 respondents revealed 32 curries are cooked up annually, and the most frequent Indian snacks to be chomped are onion bhajis and samosas.
2
Samosas came in the top spot for Britain's favourite Indian food, scroll for the full list
Credit: Getty
2
Some Brits even report eating more Indian style foods than traditional native snacks
Credit: Getty
At least 24 takeaways are ordered annually by 30 per cent of Indian-lovers – with tikka masala, korma, and biryani being the most favoured main meals, practically a takeaway every other week.
But it's bad news for bland British favourites, as 54 per cent say Indian flavours have influenced the way they eat.
In fact, the UK's love for Indian flavours runs so deep, one in 10 (nine per cent) reckon they eat more Indian-inspired foods than traditional British snacks and dishes, with 16 per cent eating a balance between the two.
A spokesperson from Peperami, which commissioned the research, has released a chicken tikka skewers range, said: 'Britain is head over heels for Indian flavours.
Read more Food and Drink News
'With a quarter of us tucking into spicy snacks and dishes over 100 times a year, it's clear we're a nation that craves more excitement on our plates.
'Plain, boring foods that taste like cardboard just don't cut it any more.
'Brits want big, punchy flavours, and the poll has shown they're bored stiff when it comes to the British options; it's time for something with a real bite."
The research also revealed 69 per cent like to be experimental and try new Indian-inspired dishes or flavours - while 29 per cent went as far as to say they'd eat such foods every day if they could.
Most read in The Sun
On the spice scale, 63 per cent like it spicy, with 13 per cent keen on foods that are extra hot, and 18 per cent confident they could
It also emerged 32 per cent are bored of their current go-to options, according to the
Chef shares his Chicken Keema Karahi recipe
When considering British snacks, 38 per cent believe they should include healthier ingredients, and 29 per cent would like to see more variety.
Bigger flavour (21 per cent) and more spice (18 per cent) would also be welcomed, with 35 per cent believing most savoury snacks in shops today are 'boring' and 31 per cent seeing them as predictable.
Cheese and onion and salt and vinegar were the flavours considered most overused or uninspired.
Peperami's skewers were launched at The Glades shopping centre in Bromley, where shoppers were tasked with put their hand into a mystery box to pull out prizes from merchandise to a year's supply of the chicken tikka snack.
A spokesperson from the brand added: 'British snacks can be boring – the research findings show us as much.
'And people nowadays are looking for varied flavours and something more exciting.
'A pork pie, scotch egg, or crisps from a supermarket are no longer going to cut it when people want a flavour hit.'
More broadly, when it comes to snacking, five snacks are consumed between meals in a typical week, according to all respondents.
And 40 per cent admit they have the same snacks on a regular basis, occasionally throwing a new one into the mix every so often.
TOP 10 OF BRITS' FAVOURITE INDIAN FOODS
1. Samosas
2. Onion Bhajis
3. Curry
4. Tikka masal
5. Tandoori chicken
6. Butter chicken
7. Korma
8. Biryani
9. Pakoras
10. Balti