Indian cuisine consists of a wide variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to the Indian subcontinent.
Indian cuisine has influenced other cuisines across the world, especially those from Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, the British Isles, Fiji, and the Caribbean.
Here Are 38 Famous Food you should try!
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Naan (leavened Indian flatbread)
Probably it is the most famous Indian bread.
It is normally served with all meals like tandoori chicken or all kinds of kebabs.
Its ingredient list includes yeast, flour, sugar, and water, as well as yogurt and ghee.
Traditionally naan is made in a tandoor, it can be easily recreated in an oven or pan at home.
Naan is served hot and brushed with ghee or butter.
In non-traditional ways, different varieties of naan are available, like garlic naan or cheese naan.
Indian meals aren't complete without naan at its side.
Chapati
Chapatis are made of whole wheat flour known as atta, mixed into the dough with water and optional salt in a mixing utensil called a parat, and is cooked on a tava (flat skillet).
The word chapati means "slap", "flat" which describes the traditional method of forming rounds of thin dough by slapping the dough between the wetted palms of the hands.
With each slap, the round of dough is rotated.
Chapatis served with curries, dry sabjis, chutneys, or dal.
Parotta
The parotta, unlike the paratha, is made with maida flour, which has a higher gluten percentage. Usually, parottas are eaten with vegetables or chicken, mutton, or beef (a spicy curry).
Also, it served during breakfast or lunch with a dal (read: lentil curry) but has recently seen numerous modern updates—stuffed with onions, sardines, and slices of cheese, or served sweet with condensed milk, Nutella, and bananas.
Many people are confused with the paratha and parotta as both are flatbreads and share similar crispy flakiness and layers.
Paratha
One of the most popular unleavened flatbreads in India, parathas are flaky, chewy, and denser than chapatis.
Unlike parottas, whose flakiness is achieved by repeatedly slapping the stretchy dough, the paratha’s flaky, chewy texture is achieved through a series of ghee layering and folding.
Parathas are then baked on a hot tava.
The result is a beautiful crisp flatbread.
Stuffed parathas are made of either whole wheat flour or white flour and stuffed with a variety of stuffings.
The stuffings can be potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, paneer (cottage cheese), and any other vegetables.
Biryani
It is an aromatic rice dish cooked with several spices, like saffron.
Biryani has many forms, it can be cooked with vegetable or protein typically chicken or mutton that's been marinated.
Tandoori Chicken
Tandoori chicken is a popular North Indian dish.
It is a chicken marinated for 12-14 hours in a yogurt and spices, and then roasted in a clay oven called a tandoor.
The signature flavor comes from the tandoor masala, a spice mixture including coriander seeds, ginger, turmeric, Cayenne pepper, red chili powder, or Kashmiri red chili powder.
Chicken Tandoori is served with basmati rice and lemon wedges on the side or Naan.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken tikka masala is a delicious grilled chicken dish with a thick, creamy gravy.
A tomato-yogurt sauce is spiced with chili, garlic, ginger, and garam masala.
The chicken is marinated overnight, grilled, and then gently cooked in a slightly smoky gravy.
It is served with basmati rice with warm naan bread for soaking up the sauce.
Murg Makhani ( Butter Chicken)
Murg Makhani (butter chicken) is a chicken dish it was made "By Chance" by mixing the leftover chicken in a tomato gravy, rich in butter and cream.
The chicken is marinated for several hours in lemon juice, yogurt, and a mixture of Kashmiri red chili, salt, garam masala, and ginger garlic paste.
The chicken is usually cooked in a tandoor, or grilled, roasted, or pan-fried.
It is served in a mild curry sauce that includes butter and with kaali daal (black lentils), naan, and a green salad.
Samosa
Samosas are fried or baked pastries with a savory filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, lentils, and sometimes ground lamb, ground beef, or ground chicken.
Indian samosas are usually vegetarian, and often accompanied by a mint sauce or chutney.
They were introduced to India during the Muslim Delhi Sultanate when cooks from the Middle East and Central Asia migrated to work in the kitchens of the Sultan and the nobility.
Masala Dosa
A crispy, flatbread (similar to a crepe or pancake) made of rice batter, served with a lentil sauce (sambar) and a variety of chutneys.
The batter is made of rice and white lentil.
The preparation of the rice crèpe is simple; rice and lentils are soaked in water for five to six hours, to prepare the batter, and then it is cooked on a skillet.
The types of filling in masala dosa vary, but is usually a potato and onion curry, dipped in chutney.
Malai Kofta
Malai kofta (vegetable "meatballs" in a creamy gravy sauce) is the vegetarian alternative to meatballs.
The koftas are made with a mix of potatoes, carrots, beans, peas, and sweet corn, which are cooked and mashed before mixing with spices and paneer (cheese) which is a great addition to any vegetarian meal.
Malai kofta goes very well with naan or jeera rice.
Malai actually means, “cream”.
Chole Bhature
A spiced, curried chickpea dish served with a fried flour bread.
Chole batura is breakfast, lunch, evening snack, or dinner.
The ingredients are chickpeas, onions, and tomatoes, along with garlic and ginger pastes.
It is served hot along with Indian bread like poori or bhatura.
Chole is the side dish prepared with chickpeas, Baturas are deep-fried round Indian bread made of white flour.
Palak Paneer
Paalak means spinach and paneer mean cottage cheese.
Cottage cheese is either boiled in saltwater or pan, fried a little, and added to spinach gravy.
The spinach gravy is prepared by blending the slightly boiled Spinach along with ginger, garlic, green chili, and onion.
It is served with flatbread.
Papdi Chaat
Papdi chaat is a popular traditional fast food.
Papri chaat is traditionally prepared using crisp fried dough wafers known as papri, along with boiled chickpeas, boiled potatoes, dahi(yogurt), and tamarind chutney and topped with chaat masala.
The papdi is typically prepared with refined white flour and ghee or oil. Mint, cilantro, and spices may also be used
The dish has sweet, sour, tangy, and spicy flavors and a creamy and crunchy texture.
Alu Gobi
Alu Gobi is a vegetarian dish.
It is made with potatoes (aloo), cauliflower (gobi), and Indian spices.
It is ingredients include turmeric, curry leaves, kalonji, garlic, ginger, onion, coriander stalks, tomato, peas, and cumin.
Rogan Josh
A lamb curry dish popular in the Kashmir area.
It is often made using goat meat instead of lamb.
The ingredients are spices, tomatoes, ginger, fennel seeds, garam masala, bay leaves, turmeric, dry red chilies, and garlic.
Although the recipe can vary from place to place, the underlying essence remains the same.
Rogan Josh served with butter naan or paratha.
The literal translation for Rogan Josh, the name of this dish from Kashmir is "red lamb."
Matar Paneer
Matar Paneer is a vegetarian north Indian dish consisting of peas and farmer’s cheese (paneer) in a tomato-based sauce and spiced with garam masala.
It is often served with rice, naan, paratha, poori, or roti (depending on the region).
Various other ingredients are often added, such as "aloo" (potato), corn, yogurt, or cream.
Tunde Ke Kabab
This dish is made of minced meat, cooked with around 150 different spices.
Ingredients include finely minced buffalo meat, plain yogurt, garam masala, grated ginger, crushed garlic, ground cardamom, powdered cloves, melted ghee, dried mint, small onions cut into rings, vinegar, sugar, lime.
Other variations for this dish are made using Chicken or mutton.
Vada Pav
Vada pav is a vegetarian potato patty, chili garlic, turmeric, and mustard seeds are added to the sandwich.
It is considered to be a snack meal.
Dhokla
It is a vegetarian savory snack in India.
It is made from rice and chickpeas. The fermented rice batter is mixed with chickpeas and steamed, and then served garnished with mustard seeds and coriander.
Dhokla can be eaten for breakfast, as main course, as a side dish, or as a snack along with a cup of tea.
Momos
Momo is a type of dumpling in India.
It is similar to Chinese baozi and jiaozi, Mongolian buuz, Japanese gyoza, and Korean mandu, but heavily influenced by cuisine of the Indian subcontinent with Indian spices and herbs.
Nethili Varuval
It is a dish of anchovies dipped in a paste of turmeric and red chilies and fried, native to the South Indian region Chettinad.
It is served as an appetizer.
Kati Roll
A wrap of kebabs, eggs, vegetables, and spices rolled into paratha.
A traditional street food is popular across India.
Pani puri
It consists of a round, hollow puri, fried crisp and filled with a mixture of flavored water (commonly known as imli pani), tamarind chutney, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion, or chickpeas.
Baingan Bharta (mashed eggplant)
It is a vegetarian dish that is prepared by mincing eggplant that is grilled over charcoal or direct fire.
This infuses the dish with a smoky flavor.
The smoked and mashed eggplant is then mixed with cooked chopped tomato, browned onion, ginger, garlic, cumin, fresh cilantro (coriander leaves), chili pepper, and mustard oil or vegetable oil.
Traditionally, the dish is often eaten with flatbread specifically roti or paratha, and is also served with rice, a yogurt salad.
Kakori Kebab
It is made with the finest meat of the lamb and a few spices and then charcoals grilled on a skewer.
These kebabs are soft and tender, served best with coriander chutney.
It derives its name from the city of Kakori on the outskirts of Lucknow.
It is commonly served with Roomali Roti (a very thin bread), onion and a mint chutney (sauce).
Dessert
Gulab Jaamun
Small balls of dried milk are deep-fried and dipped in a sugary syrup, which is usually flavored with saffron and rose water.
Gajar ka halwa
Gajar ka halwa is a dessert made from grated carrots, which are first simmered in milk and cardamom.
The mixture is then fried in ghee and sugar.
Finally, the dish is garnished with pistachios, almonds, cashew nuts, and raisins.
The dessert started becoming popular during the Mughal period and today, it is served during both Hindu and Muslim festivals in India, including Diwali and Eid al-Fitr.
Rasmalai
A juicy creamy dessert, it is often described as a cheesecake sans the crust.
Prepared from cheese curd, the yellow or white balls are cooked in thickened milk and sugar syrup, garnished with saffron, pistachios, kheer, and cardamom.
Ras meaning juice and Malai stands for cream),
Shrikhand (Sweet Greek Yogurt)
A creamy dish prepared from yogurt, cardamom, nuts, and saffron as a garnish. It has a sweet and sour taste, and it is the perfect dessert on a hot summer afternoon.
Kheer
A sweet pudding prepared instantly and easily.
Its ingredients include rice and milk.
It is made by boiling rice with milk and sugar and garnished with saffron, cardamom, dry fruits, nuts, Kheer, cashew, raisins, pistachio, almond, and are all different variants of Indian milk puddings.
In South India, rice is replaced with vermicelli and the dish is called seviyan.
Boondi ka Laddo
Round, yellow-colored ball-shaped sweets, eaten on special days like Diwali or Raksha Bandhan, Made from chickpea flour, flavored with cashews, saffron, raisins, and a dash of cardamom.
Some other variations of this sweet include Besan laddo (made from gram flour), coconut laddo (prepared using coconut) and Semolina laddo (having semolina as its main ingredient).
Laddus are also the most common sweet offerings made to God.
Jalebi
It is a spiral-shaped sweet made by deep-frying flour and finally dipped in sugar syrup.
Jalebi is tastes best when served warm.
Popular in India as well as other Asian and African countries, it has a host of other names like jilapi (Bengali), jilabi (Marathi), Z’labia (Tunisia), and Jeri (Nepal).
Seviyaan – Vermicelli Milk Pudding
A milk pudding includes roasted vermicelli, and milk, while some even add ghee for an additional aroma. Pistachios, raisins, cashew, pistachio, and almond are added as a garnish.
Mostly eaten during Ramadan and Eid, it can be had chilled or steamed.
Kulfi
Kulfi is the Indian version of ice cream.
It is made from thickened milk, almonds, pistachios, and saffron.
Rasgulla
Rasgulla is also made from chenna (cheese curd).
These spherical dumplings are cooked in sweet syrup until the juice gets inside the dough.
Mysore Pak
The dessert is made from flour, sugar, a generous amount of ghee, and cardamom.
The texture of this sweet is similar to fudge.
often served during auspicious occasions like weddings or baby showers.
Drinks
Masala Chai
Made by brewing black tea with a mixture of aromatic spices and herbs.
Traditionally it is prepared by a decoration of green cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, ground ginger, and black peppercorn together with black tea leaves, combined with steaming hot milk.
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