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Indian Food is as varied as the country itself, with every region having its own specialties. It therefore, does not always have to be 'Hot' nor can any one dish be labeled a 'Curry'. (That said, many Indian cuisines can be pungent to those unaccustomed to it. Even if you have eaten at Indian restaurants outside India, remember that many such establishments tone down the spice quotient for Local tastes).
Most of dishes with gravy are normally called Curries but are prepared with a different masala (a combination of spices and seasonings) containing among other things coriander, cumin, garlic, turmeric, chilies, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, cloves cinnamon, bayleaves, saffron, mace and nutmeg; all the aromas ad flavors that brought traders to India for centuries.
A traditional meal in large parts of India is usually served in large metal plate called a "Thali" (when you see the word in a menu, usually prefixed with a region name, it means you're getting a full traditional meal from that region) with a number of small bowls used to hold the gravy dishes. The meal is normally accompanied with unleavened bread, usually wheat-based, in the North, or rice in the South.
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