Pathia

Think of it as the curry house's answer to sweet and sour: a thick sauce that is sweet, sour and hot all at once, with tomato, chili, sugar and a sharp edge from tamarind and lime juice. It suits anyone who enjoys a dhansak's tang but would rather skip the lentils, and it is lighter than the creamy mild dishes. Its name comes from a Parsi fish stew called pathia, though the British curry-house version has gone its own way.