There are many people ignorant or afraid of curry, even in Britain. Perhaps it would help those, and visitors from abroad who have often grown to adulthood without exposure to Indian cuisine, if we put together a guide to the different heats, flavours and ingredients of the commonest curry types. I know what I'm about to say is incomplete and quite possibly wrong in places - please add comments so that we can extend it.

The first thing to say about curry is, it doesn't have to be hot. Many of the most delightful curries are the least spicy, and there is often more "heat" in Chinese cooking, or even European dishes such as pepper steak or a goulash. This list will be ordered roughly from the mildest to the strongest, though another useful tip is that you can ask for a strength you're happy with. Most Indian restaurants will try to oblige - they want repeat business, after all.

The second thing is that the term "Indian" is used very loosely - many of these restaurants are actually run by people technically from Pakistan, Bangladesh, or even Sri Lanka. The food heritage is shared across the sub-continent, and most restaurants serve dishes from right across the region (Kashmir, Madras, etc.). The normal rule is that food from nearer the equator is hotter - watch out in a Sri Lankan restaurant, it can blow your socks off!

The final thing to note is, Indian food doesn't have to have a sloppy sauce - those that do are classic "curries", those that don't are usually "tandoori" food - baked in a traditional clay oven, or tandoor. I'm hoping to add tandoori dishes, starters and sides at a later date.

The dishes below are usually offered with chicken (recommended for the beginner), "meat" (which will be lamb), or prawns (a waste of time). If the menu specifies the "meat" as mutton or goat, it is well worth a try if you like a richer, gamier flavour.

Mild Curries

Korma

The classic "beginner's" curry, with almond. Can be over-sweet or bland to the more experienced palate, but often a worthy dish.

Tikka Masala

The meat (usually chicken) is cooked in a mild, buttery sauce. Safe.

Kashmir or Malaya

The nearest thing to "amateur" curries with lashings of raisins, pineapples, banana or lychees making it sweet and sometimes rather sickly. Rather like a warmed-up "coronation chicken".

Pasanda

The King of the mild curries, a royal dish with a creamy sauce containing almonds and coconut. Often also contains wine (white with chicken, red with lamb). Highly recommended, especially for people who have been eating vindaloos for years and suffering from them quite badly.

Medium Curries

Dopiaza

The name literally means "double onion" - there should be plenty cooked in the sauce, and plenty of raw onion sprinkled on top. Not recommended if you have romantic intentions later in the evening, but great if you're sharing a caravan with a bunch of mates and wish to develop a wordless form of communication. Safer for non-smokers.

Rogan Josh

Fairly traditional curry with lots of tomatoes.

Bhuna

Similar to a Rogan Josh but with a thicker, drier sauce.

Balti

In this dish the ingredients are cut into large chunks and the sauce is thicker than a standard curry, because it is served not with rice but with a Naan bread which doubles as the tool for eating it. Originally introduced as a "premium" dish (presumably because it is served in a cast-iron pot) and consequently overpriced, now it is less trendy it is finding a worthwhile place on most menus.

Karahi

The precursor to the Balti in terms of being served in a sizzling, red-hot dish, it is usually a pound or two more expensive than a standard curry without tasting discernibly nicer. Aimed at those who place aural stimulation above taste and smell.

Gosht

Lika a standard curry but with okra.

Saag

Lika a standard curry but with spinach.

Murgh Massala

This is a "special" and sometimes has to be ordered in advance. Unusually, it combines the two main meat types; it consists of large pieces of chicken (or in extreme cases, an entire baby chicken) in a sauce made with minced lamb. The only dish which can retain its dignity whilst containing raisins.

Biryani

A dry dish of rice cooked up with curry powder and some meat. Can be very fragrant and delightful - or can be made from leftovers. Only eat it in a restaurant you know and trust.

Hot Curries

Jalfrezi

Cooked with a large quantity of peppers (capsicums), this dish is one of the most visually appealing, and the taste can be anything from a lively medium to a challenging heat, depending on the amount of green chilli used. Quirky.

Dhansak

This dish is actually of Persian origin, and contains lentils. If you can stand the methane-loaded after-effects it can be one of the tastiest dishes.

Ceylon

This dish is hot and sour, although it contains coconut, which should make it sweeter and cooler. Never quite as exciting as it sounds.

Madras

This one should be hot but flavoursome - not just a basic curry loaded up with chilli powder. It is unusual because it actually contains the leaves of the curry plant whose name has been purloined for the entire genre.

Very Hot Curries

Vindaloo

Must contain potatoes ("aloo") to be genuine. Often blisteringly hot, the spuds help to take some of the edge off, but a lhassi is also recommended with this dish. Build up to it slowly, but the taste can bring a reward worth a little suffering.

Phal

Don't order this dish unless you are a rugby player and have tarnished your macho image, perhaps by having a picture of Leonardo di Caprio in your locker, and you now wish to be rehabilitated. You will sweat profusely, it will hurt, and you won't enjoy it. If you must eat one, put your toilet paper in the fridge before you go to bed, as the chilli is not broken down by your digestive system.