india cuisine

Indian cuisine is as diverse as country itself is. Indian cuisine varies throughout the country due to huge diversity ranging from geography to ethnic groups, occupation, climate, culture and many more. The brilliant feature of Indian cuisine in general is its ability to soak in various culture which came to its shore throughout its history. Another important aspect about Indian cuisine is that it is still evolving and is not static. Historically speaking, Indian cuisine reflects a 5,000-year history of various groups and cultures interacting with the subcontinent, leading to diversity of flavors and regional cuisines found in modern-day India. The diversity of Indian cuisine is so diverse that it could be understood from a simple fact that there is stark variation in the cuisine in one state itself. For example in Maharashtra people can find traditional Maharashtrian cuisine along with Malvani cuisine and Konkani cuisine which are somewhat different from each other.  Or Uttar Pradesh which is home to Bhojpuri, Avadhi and Mughlai cuisine. Join use in the epic journey of Indian cuisine which will not just satisfy your pallet but also will take you on a journey of history of this wonderful country. 

Karnataka Cuisine

Karnataka is known for its rich history of food includes many vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisines. The cuisine of Karnataka reflects the influences from the food habits of many regions and communities from the three neighbouring South Indian states, as well as the state of Maharashtra to its north. Ghee is widely used here. Some of the popular dishes are Bisi bele bath, Ragi rotti, Akki rotti, Idli-vada Sambar, Vangi Bath, Khara Bath, Kesari Bath, Davanagere Benne Dose, Ragi mudde, Paddu/ Gundponglu, koli saaru (chicken curry- Kannada Style), Uppittu and Maamsa Saaru (Mutton Curry - Kannada style). Apart from this, some popular sweets are Mysore Pak, Holige and Dharwad pedha. Meals served on a banana leaf. 

Uttar Pradesh Cuisine

Uttar Pradesh is renowned for two of the most exotic cuisines: Awadhi cuisine and Mugal cuisine, both of which has made it name globally, having the long history of tradition. The Awadhi cuisine is influenced by the native cooking of the Awadh region which was developed overtime; while Mughal cuisine was brought here by the Nawabs, and has influences of local and Persian food. The Mughal and Awadhi cuisine have become so popular that the biryanis, the koftas and the kheers are have now become standard items on any restaurants serving Indian food all over the world.

Bengali Cuisine

West Bengal is renowned for its bold flavours of delicious and delicate Bengali dishes. Mustard seeds and poppy seeds are wildly used on the Bengali cuisines along with pungent flavoured mustard oil. The common five spice mixture used in Bengali cuisine is known as panch phoron. The Bengali staple foods are rice with fish, egg dishes, vegetable curry dishes and dals.

Madhya Pradesh Cuisine

Madhya Pradesh has the verity of the food as per the regions. In the North and West region of the state, Wheat and meat are common here, in South and East region, rice and fish are widely consumed. Indore is known for its street food including Poha. The capital city, Bhopal is popular for its meat and fish dishes like korma, qeema, rogan josh, biryani and kebabs. The traditional Muslim non-vegetarian cuisines are also popular such as Paya Soup, Bun Kabab, and Nalli-Nihari, you can find these specialties at old Bhopal.

Lakshadweep Cuisine

The cuisine of this region is quite influence of Kerala as Lakshadweep lies in close proximity to Kerala. The foundations of most of the cuisines are Coconut and sea fish. The people of Lakshadweep consume large amounts of coconut water, which is the most abundant aerated drink of this region.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli Cuisine

Dadra and Nagar Haveli cuisines shows the similarity with Gujarati food include rice, roti, vegetables. Apart from this river fishes and crab is also widely consume here. Ubadiyu is a local cuisine which made up with vegetables and beans with herbs along with thatbuttermilk and chutney made up of different fruits and herbs are also consumed at the region. 

Assam Cuisine

Assam cuisines are renowned for its less use of spices and having strong flavours from its use of endemic herbs, fruits, and vegetables served fresh, dried or fermented. Fish is widely eaten at this region. Other Non-vegetarian items include chickens, pigeons, snails, ducks, insects, mutton, silkworms, pork and turtle. Rice beer or rice wine are widely consumed here.

Uttarakhand Cuisine

The statue known for its delicious yet simple cuisine. The milk and milk based items is sparingly utilized here along with that Coarse grain is widely used in Uttarakhand cooking styles. Mostly Uttarakhand foods prepared with pure ghee or mustard oil. Some of the renowned cuisines of Uttarakhand are such as Phanu, Kafuli, Thechwani, Chainsoo, Jholi, Chutney, Roat etc.

Himachal Pradesh Cuisine

It is quite similar to the rest of the north Indian states. They also use bread, rice, vegetable, broth and lentil. The people of Himachal Pradesh preferred the non-vegetation cuisine more than vegetarian. Himachal cuisine is dominated by red meat and wheat bread. Some of the specialities of Himachal include Madira, Pateer, Manee, Chouck, chutney of Til ,Bhagjery. 

Rajasthani Cuisines

Rajasthani food is well known for its traditional food including spicy curries and delicious sweets. The tradition of cooking are based on the natural climatic conditions of this desert land. The less availability of water and fresh green veggies in the state of Rajasthan, which has an adverse impact on its cooking. Usually the Rajasthani cruises are prepared with butter milk, milk and butter or ghee in larger quantities to minimize the amount of water. Red meats are also widely used here. Some of the popular dishes of the region are such as Dal-Bati, Churma, Ghevar, Beans ki sabji, Khaddi, Mirchi Bada, Pyaaj Kachori , Laal maans, Dhungari Hui Chaach etc.

Delhi Cuisine

Delhi is known as the birthplace of Mughlai cuisine in India as it was once the capital of the Mughal Empire. The State has people from different regions of India and thus the city has different types of food traditions, hence its cuisine is influenced by from the various culture and traditions of India, but most common cuisine is Punjabi food. The state is also known for its delicious street food as well, Paranthewali Gali in Chandani Chowk is just one of the culinary landmarks for Parathas (stuffed flatbread), the major street foods are Kababs, kachauri, chaat, kulfi, chole Bhature, Kulche Chole etc. 

Gujarat Cuisine

The Gujrati foods are primarily vegetarian, can vary widely in flavour and heat based on personal and regional tastes. The foods of this region are dishes are simultaneously sweet, salty. Spices used here are seasonally as in the summers, the food prepared with less Garm Masala (blend of ground spices). The typical Gujarati thali consists of roti (rotli in Gujarati), daal or kadhi, rice, sabzi/shaak, papad and chaas (buttermilk). Some other popular dishes are Khandvi, Patra, Khaman, Dhokla, Dal Kadhi, Dal Dhokli, etc.

Kashmiri Cuisine

Kashmiri food is one of the most popular cuisines of India, which flavoured by aromatic spices such as cinnamon, clove, cardamom, aniseed and Kashmiri saffron, Kashmiri chilies and Saffron are common spices in the cuisine of Jammu and Kashmir. The staple food of Jammu and Kashmir is rice. The authentic Kashmiri food was developed over hundreds of years.  Usually Kashmiri Brahmins used the curd along with ginger and asafoetida in their cuisine and Muslims use garlic, egg and onions their foods. The essential ingredients in Kashmiri foods are Meat - Mutton, chicken and fish. The green tea is a traditional drink and it is made with almond and spices known as Kawa. Kashmiri Pulao is one of the unique dish, some of the other popular dishes are Kashmiri Kebab, Rogan Josh, Wazwan, Rajmah, Ladyar Tsaman, Shree Pulao, Mutton Pulao and Kulcha. 

Arunachal Pradesh Cuisines

The Native tribes of Arunachal are non-vegetarians and they use fish, eggs, beef, chicken, pork and mutton. The staple food of the region is rice with fish, meat and leaf vegetables. The most common vegetable is Lettuce. Some popular food of this region is Boiled rice cakes wrapped in leaves and Thukpa is a kind of noodle soup. Rice beer or rice wine are widely consumed here.

Andhra Pradesh Cuisine

Andhra Pradesh is known for its spicy food as the people of the region use the lots of spices and also the widely use of tamarind which is similar to South Indian foods. Seafood is common in the coastal region. The staple food of Andhra is Rice. They also consume Pappu (dal) and Pulusu (Stew) and spicy vegetables or curries. They also use leafy greens, vegetables such as bottle-gourd and eggplant. Hyderabadi food is based heavily on non-vegetarian ingredients. Hydrabadi Biryani is one of the most popular dish of the region.

Kerala Cuisine

Kerala cuisine reflects its rich tradition. The food of the region is mostly vegetarian and Non-vegetarian in most Malabar area. The commonly used Kerala food consist of Rice with fish curry made of Sardines, Mackerel, King fish, Seer fish, Pomfret, Prawns, Shrimp, Sole fish, anchovy, Parrot Fish etc. As Kerala has large water bodies, river fish and lake fishes are abundant, and constitute in regular meals. A number of breakfast with non-vegetarian is common in Malabar and in Central Kerala. Malabar paratha with curry and Malabar biryani is most popular dish of the region. The frequently used spices are Chillies, curry leaves, mustard seeds, tamarind and asafoetida. A pure vegetarian meal served with boiled rice and a host of side-dishes served especially during special occasions and festivals is known as Sadya, which is most popular.

Punjabi Cuisine

Punjabi cuisine is known for its traditional rich in flavours and has lots of ghee (clarified butter) and spices. The milk products are widely consumed in the daily diet such as Butter milk, Lussi, milk, paneer etc as Punjab is one of the most important state for Milk production. The most common staple in this region is Wheat, hence there have variations of breads including makki ki roti (maize bread) and the stuffed aloo paratha (potato bread). Apart from this some other most popular dishes of the region are such as rajma-chawal (kidney beans with steamed rice), sarson saag (mustard leaf curry and kadhi (gram flour and yoghurt curry). Chicken & mutton dishes prepared as Mughlai style is also one of the favourite non-vegetarian dish among the people of Punjab such as tandoori chicken.

Goa Cuisine

Goa is known for its delicious Goan food, mostly sea food and Meat. This beautiful tropical region is popular for its intense flavour and Spices. Steple food of the region is rice and fish apart from this Kokum is widely used in Goan cuisines.  The Goan cuisine was influenced by four hundred years of Portuguese colonialization, and modern techniques.  Some popular seafood include pomfret, shark, tuna, and mackerel. Among the shellfish are crabs, prawns, tiger prawns, mussels, lobster and squid. Apart from Kokum, jaggery is also widely used here. The vegetarian foods are not so spicy, less onion and garlic are used. It also includes more vegetables, such as lentils, pumpkins, gourds, bamboo shoots and roots.

Chandigarh Cuisine

Chandigarh is the capital of Punjab and Haryana, hence the food of this region is influenced by the both regions. Apart from this it has also a cosmopolitan food culture, so major north Indian foods are consume here. Some major cuisines are Paratha, Makke ki Roti, sarson ka saag, Dal Makhni etc.

Maharashtra Cuisine

Maharastrian Cuisine offers the wide range from having mild to very spicy dishes. The staple food of this region are Wheat, rice, jowar, bajri, vegetables, lentils and fruit. Peanuts and cashews are also used in the traditional Maharatrian food. The cuisine of Maharashtra can be divided into two major sections—the coastal and the interior. The food of Konkan region has its own traditions of cuisine, a combination of Malvani, Goud Saraswat Brahmin, and Goan cuisines. In Vidarbha and Marathwada regions of Maharastra have their own distinct cuisines. Some of the popular dishes are Puran Poli, Ukdiche Modak, Batata Wada, Msala bhat, Pav Bhaji, Wada pav and Shrikhand,

Daman and Diu Cuisine

The food of Daman and Diu is similar to the food of Goa and Gujrat. Daman and Diu is a coastal region, hence sea foods are the main food on this region. Rotla, saag, chokha and curry are commonly used. Puri, Lapsee, Potaya, Dudh-Plag, and Dhakanu, these cuisines are prepared during the festivals.

Odisha Cuisine

Odisha or Odia cuisine uses relatively less oil and is less spicy. The staple food of Odisha. The people of this region mostly cook their food with Mustard oil and ghee is preferred in temples. The typical Oriya meal consists of rice, dalma, one vegetable or non-vegetarian curry (with gravy), dried curries or bhajas and a khatta. Apart from this they also consume Enduri pitha or mitha dahi or some paneer based sweets, many sweets of the region are based on Chhena. Odia cuisine typical to the region are plantains, jackfruit, and papaya. Garlic and onion are also used, but is avoided in temple regions such as Puri. Some of the popular dishes are Pakhala, Palau, Kanika, Ghee Rice, Dalma, Chaatu Rai, Saaga bhaja, Enduri pitha, Chitau pitha, Arisa pitha etc.

Bihar Cuisine

Bihar Cuisine is combination of Bhojpuri cuisine and Mithila cuisine. Bhojpuri foods are mostly mild and less spices used, but according to individual choice, it could be but could be spicier. The people of this region enjoy eating both vegetable and meat dishes. The cuisine is heavily influenced by Mughlai cuisine and its neighbouring Awadhi cuisine. Litti chokha, a baked salted wheat flour cake filled with sattu (baked chickpea flour) and some special spices are the most renowned dish of the region. Another popular dish are Dalpuri, Malpua, Balushahi and sweet Khaja.

Chhattisgarh Cuisine

The staple food Chattisgarh is rice. Many Chhattisgarhi tribes consume drink liquor brewed from the Mahuwa flower. The tribes of Bastar region of Chhattisgarh eats mushrooms, bamboo pickle, bamboo vegetables etc as per the availability.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands Cuisine

The major food of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is Seafood including raw fish and fruits have long been a staple food for this region. Immigration from mainland of India, however, has resulted in variations in the cuisine.

Meghalaya Cuisine

The food of Meghalaya is unique from other North East states of India. In the Khasi and Jaintia Hills districts, the main foods are such as tung-rymbai, pickled bamboo shoots and jadoh, ki kpu. They used Spiced meat pigs, fowl, ducks, chickens and goats. Minil songa (steamed sticky rice), sakkin gata, and momo dumplings are the other popular dishes of Meghalaya. The tribes of Meghalaya drinks Garos ferment rice beer.

Puducherry Cuisine

The union territory of Puducherry was once a French colony for around 200 years, hence here we can see the influence of French cuisine in this region. As the major population of this region is Tamil, hence Tamil cuisine is also followed here. Apart from this the influence of the food tradition of the neighbouring states are also seen here, such as Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Some favourite dishes such as curried vegetables, coconut curry, tandoori potato, soya dosa, podanlangkai, stuffed cabbage, and baked beans etc.

Sikkim Cuisine

The Sikkim cuisine is one of the popular cuisines which is the blend of Nepal and North-East India. Sikkimese are traditionally rice eaters. Nepalese cuisine are very popular in Sikkim because Sikkim is the only state of India with an ethnic Nepali majority. The Staple of the Sikkim is Rice, apart from this Meat and dairy products are also consumed depending on availability. Finger millet, wheat, buckwheat, barley, vegetable, potato, soybeans, etc. are grown here. Some of the popular dishes are such as Momo, Tomato Achar , Thukpa /Gya-Thuk (Noodle soup), Kinema curry , Gundruk and Sinki Soup, Gundruk ko Achar and Chhurpi Soup (Traditional cottage cheese) etc.

Telangana Cuisine

It is mix of Hyderabadi and Telugu Cuisine. The foods of Hyderabad are based heavily on non-vegetarian ingredients, although Telugu cuisines are blend of both vegetation and non-vegetarians. Rice is the staple food of the region. Spices, chillies, tamarind and lime juice are abundantly used in Telangana cuisines. The most popular dishes are such as Biryani, Haleem, Baghara baingan and Kheema. Pickles are also the major part the food, gongura (a pickle made from red sorrel leaves) is the most popular pickle of the region.

Manipur Cuisine

The typical features of Manipuri cuisines are spicy, extensively uses the chili pepper. The staple food of Manipur is Fish, Black rice and leafy vegetables.  They don’t use Garam Masala and less use of oil makes it quiet healthy, simple and organic. The Manipuri people love to maintain a kitchen garden where they grow several flavoured herbs and roots that are exclusive to this region such as maroi napakpi, awa phadigom, maroi nakuppi etc.  Some popular dishes are such as nga-thongba (fish curry), chagem pomba and Chamthong.

Tamil Nadu Cuisine

Tamil Nadu is renowned for its delicious traditional food. Tamil Nadu’s staple food is steamed rice and most of their food consists of grains, lentils and vegetables which play a significant role in Tamil cuisine. Lentils are also consumed widely. Tamarind rather than amchoor is the favoured souring agent of Tamil cuisines apart from this Coconut, asafeotida are the most important ingredients for the Tamil Nadu cuisines. Tamil Nadu is known as Vegetarians paradise as there has the apple options of vegetarian foods some of the most popular cuisines are Pongal, Idli, Dosa, Sambar and Rasam. As the other south Indian dishes, coconut oil is extensively used to cook the Tamil Cuisines. The traditional way of having a meal involves being seated on the floor and food served on a banana leaf. The non-vegetarian cuisines are includes curries or dishes cooked with mutton, chicken or fish.

Nagaland Cuisine

The main cuisine of this region is meats and fish, which are often smoked, dried or fermented. The Naga tribes has their own cooking tradition. The common dishes of this region are "fermented bamboo shoot" (made from the tender shoot of the Bamboo tree) with fish and pork. The staple food of Nagaland is rice. They also eat Mithun, Dogs, Cats, Fish, birds and crabs. Chillies, garlic and ginger leaves are widely used in cooking with meat apart from this Sichuan pepper is a popular spice used by the people of Nagaland.

Tripura Cuisine

The majority of Tripuri are non-vegetarian, although they have a minority of Vaishnavite vegetarians. The staple of Tripura are rice, fish and vegetables. The major ingredients of Tripuri food is such as chicken, pork, mutton, turtle, fish, shrimps, crabs, and frogs. The food of Tripura consist of dry and fermented fish, prepared without oil, making it healthy. Some of the popular foods are Chakhwi, different assortments of Mwkhwi, Champrai, Gudok, Khalok, Utmai fish curries, stews along with bamboo shoots, herbs and meat roasts.

Jharkhand Cuisine

Prepared exclusively in tribal regions, Jharkhand cuisine uses oil and spices occasionally, except for pickle.  Rice is a staple food of Jharkhand , a large variety of recipes are prepared with different types of rice in Jharkhand, including recipes like Dhuska, Pittha, and different kinds of Rotis prepared with rice. Baiganee Chop (made with eggplant), Thekua (A sweet dish made of sugar, wheat, flour and chopped coconuts) are some of the most popular dishes of this region.

Nagaland Cuisine

The main cuisine of this region is meats and fish, which are often smoked, dried or fermented. The Naga tribes has their own cooking tradition. The common dishes of this region are fermented bamboo shoot(made from the tender shoot of the Bamboo tree) with fish and pork. The staple food of Nagaland is rice. They also eat Mithun, Dogs, Cats, Fish, birds and crabs, Chillies, garlic and ginger leaves are widely used in cooking with meat apart from this Sichuan pepper is a popular spice used by the people of Nagaland.