Choosing a starter can be one of the best parts of an Indian meal. At Prachee Indian Restaurant Chichester, the starter menu brings together crispy favourites, tandoori dishes, spiced meat, seafood and traditional Indian appetisers, giving diners plenty of ways to begin their meal. Whether you prefer something light, enjoy food cooked in the tandoor or want to try something with a little more spice, there is a starter to suit different tastes.
A starter at Prachee is more than something to have while waiting for the main course. It can introduce you to different spices, textures and cooking techniques, particularly if you choose a few dishes to share.
What Starters Are Available at Prachee Chichester?
The Prachee starter menu covers a good range of flavours and cooking styles. From a simple papadom and chutney selection to tandoori king prawns and spicy lamb chops, there are options for meat lovers, seafood fans and diners looking for something vegetarian.
The selection includes:
- Papadoms
- Chutney selection
- Prachee samosa
- Onion bhaji
- Tandoori chicken
- Chicken chaat
- Seekh kebab
- Chicken tikka
- Lamb tikka
- Tandoori mix kebabs
- Spicy lamb chops
- Jhingah puri
- King prawn butterfly
- Tandoori king prawn
This variety makes the starter section particularly useful for sharing. A table can order several different dishes and sample different flavours before moving on to the main courses.
Traditional Indian Starters for Something Familiar
If you are looking for classic Indian starters, Prachee has several familiar choices.
The Prachee Samosa is a good option for diners who enjoy crisp pastry and a spiced filling. It can be ordered with either spiced mince or vegetables, making it a versatile choice for different preferences.
Another well-known favourite is the Onion Bhaji. At Prachee, onions are combined with fennel seeds and gram flour before being shaped and fried until crispy. The result is a starter with plenty of texture and warming spice.
For a simpler beginning, a Papadom with the Chutney Selection provides a light and crunchy way to start. The selection includes mango chutney, onion chutney, mint sauce and mixed pickle, allowing diners to add different sweet, fresh and savoury flavours to their first course.
These options work particularly well when several people are sharing a table, as they can be placed in the centre and enjoyed alongside other starters.
Tandoori Starters at Prachee
For many Indian food lovers, the tandoor is where a starter becomes particularly interesting. Prachee’s menu includes a selection of dishes prepared using the traditional clay tandoor.
The Chicken Tikka features marinated cubes of chicken cooked in the tandoor, making it a straightforward choice if you want tender, seasoned meat without a rich curry sauce.
The Tandoori Chicken offers something different, with a quarter chicken on the bone marinated in flavoured yoghurt before being grilled in the tandoor.
For lamb lovers, the Lamb Tikka features marinated cubes of lamb grilled in the tandoor. There is also the Seekh Kebab, made from minced meat and cooked on a skewer.
If choosing between several tandoori dishes sounds difficult, the Tandoori Mix Kebabs bring together chicken tikka, lamb tikka and seekh kebab in one starter. It is a particularly good choice for anyone who wants to sample several different tandoori flavours in one dish.
Starters for Lovers of Spicy Food
Not every starter needs to be mild or delicate. Prachee has several choices for diners who enjoy stronger flavours and a little more heat.
The Spicy Lamb Chops are marinated with spices and herbs before being grilled in the tandoor. The combination of seasoned lamb and charred cooking makes this an appealing choice for anyone who enjoys robust flavours.
The Chicken Chaat offers a completely different style of spicing. Diced boneless chicken tikka is combined with onion and cucumber, then cooked with special chaat masala spices and lemon. It brings together savoury, fresh, tangy and spiced flavours in one dish.
For something from the seafood section with a noticeable sweet, sour and spicy combination, Jhingah Puri features tiger prawns coated in a sweet, sour and spicy sauce and served on a thin fried pastry.
These dishes are ideal for diners who want their starter to have plenty of character rather than simply providing a small appetiser before the main course.
Seafood Starters at Prachee
Seafood lovers have several options to choose from, including three different king prawn starters.
The King Prawn Butterfly is a straightforward choice for diners who like a crispy coating. A whole king prawn is mildly spiced and coated in breadcrumbs, creating a combination of tender prawn and crisp exterior.
The Tandoori King Prawn takes a different approach. The king prawn is marinated with spices and herbs before being grilled in the tandoor, giving it the distinctive character associated with tandoori cooking.
Then there is Jhingah Puri, which combines tiger prawns with a sweet, sour and spicy sauce and a thin fried pastry. It is a more adventurous option for anyone wanting several contrasting flavours in one starter.
Having different seafood options also means diners can choose between crispy, grilled or saucy preparations depending on their preference.
Starters for Sharing
If you are dining with family or friends, ordering several starters to share can be a great way to experience more of the menu.
A mixed selection could include a Prachee Samosa, Onion Bhaji, Chicken Tikka and King Prawn Butterfly. This gives the table a combination of pastry, vegetables, tandoori chicken and seafood.
For a more tandoori-focused selection, the Tandoori Mix Kebabs can be combined with Spicy Lamb Chops and Tandoori King Prawn.
Sharing also gives everyone the opportunity to try something they might not normally order. Someone who usually chooses chicken, for example, might discover that they enjoy tandoori lamb or a spiced king prawn.
For larger groups, ordering several starters for the table can create a more relaxed dining experience, with dishes arriving ready to be enjoyed alongside one another.
Vegetarian Starter Options
The starter menu includes choices for vegetarian diners too.
The Vegetable Prachee Samosa provides a crispy pastry option with a spiced vegetable filling, while the Onion Bhaji is another vegetarian-friendly choice featuring onions, fennel seeds and gram flour.
For a simple start, papadoms and chutneys can also be ordered alongside the meal.
These dishes can be enjoyed as individual starters or shared across the table, making them useful options when a group has different dietary preferences.
How Should You Choose Your Starter?
A useful way to choose is to think about the type of flavour and texture you want before your main course.
If you prefer crispy food, consider the samosa, onion bhaji, papadom or king prawn butterfly.
If you enjoy tandoori cooking, chicken tikka, lamb tikka, seekh kebab, tandoori chicken or tandoori king prawn are natural choices.
For spicier and more complex flavours, the spicy lamb chops, chicken chaat or jhingah puri offer something different.
If you enjoy trying several meats, the tandoori mix kebabs provide chicken tikka, lamb tikka and seekh kebab together.
And if seafood is your preference, the king prawn butterfly, tandoori king prawn and jhingah puri each offer a different way to enjoy prawns.
Enjoying Starters at Prachee Chichester
A good Indian meal does not have to begin with a curry. The starter menu at Prachee Chichester offers plenty of opportunity to explore different ingredients, spices and cooking methods before the main course arrives.
From the familiar crunch of an onion bhaji or samosa to the smoky flavours of the tandoor and the sweet, sour and spicy character of jhingah puri, the selection gives diners plenty of choice without making the menu difficult to navigate.
For a relaxed evening meal, starters can be ordered individually or shared across the table. They are also a useful way to try something new without committing to a full main course.
Conclusion
The starters at Prachee Chichester offer much more than a simple appetiser before the curry arrives. With traditional favourites, tandoori specialities, spicy dishes, seafood and vegetarian choices, there is plenty of variety to explore.
Whether you already know your favourite Indian starter or want to try something different, the Prachee menu makes it easy to build a meal around the dishes you enjoy. For a table of friends or family, sharing several starters is also a great way to experience more of what Prachee has to offer before moving on to the main course.
For diners looking for an Indian restaurant in Chichester with a varied starter menu, Prachee provides plenty of choice from the very first course.
