The list is really long and I know for sure why I love my country so much. No matter where we go, we want to come back to India. Lets try to look at the travel in India from the food point of view. Khana 🙂 ‘jahan bhi jana jam ke dabana’.
Cuisines of India
Given that I am a South Indian, born in Mysuru, studying in Bengaluru and my love for Indian recipes is never ending, I think I can definitely talk Indian cuisines.
North Indian – Kashmiri, Punjabi, Awadhi and Muglai
Kashmir , one of the most beautiful region of India and called as heaven on earth is also popular for its heavenly rich and mouth watering preparations – lamb based dishes, Dum aloo and kehwa (tea), biryani to name a few . Kashmiri cuisine is a perfect confluence of three different cooking styles – Kashmiri Pandits, Mughals of Persian origin and Muslims of Central Asian origin. One of the most popular dishes and worth trying if you are a non veg and coming to India is Mutton rogan josh. Kashmiri ceremonial feast is known as Wazwan , 36 course meat based meal. Wow !
Punjabi Cuisine – First thing comes to my mind is makki di roti – sarson da saag. Popular punjabi dishes are rajama chawal (kidney beans+ rice), chole chawal, Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) dishes, Dal makhni,tandoori food.Do try the lassi along with the tandoori food for sure. Eat at a dhaba or genuine punjabi restaurant to get the authentic taste.
Awadhi and Muglai cuisines are from uttar pradesh region of India. Mughlai style of cooking as the name suggests was developed during the Mughal regime. It represents the cooking styles used in North India, Pakistan, and the Indian city of Hyderabad. These dishes are rich in fat,proteins and carbohydrates famous for the exotic use of spices, dry fruits and nuts. Muglai biryani, kebabs, koftas, Shahi korma, Shahjehani murg masala, meat durbari etc etc. You must try kebabs for sure if not anything else- mutton seek kebab, reshmi kebab, hara bhara kebab.
Awadhi cuisine is specifically from lucknow city of UP, one of the culinary capitals of India.It has been the place of nawabs . Awadi cuisine is the outcome of the Indo- Islamic culture which developed as a result of mingling between hindu and muslims in Avadh region while Awadh was politically and socially quite important. This emergence of new style in cooking was marked by experimentation, finesse in the hands of the chefs and sophisticated serving dishes.Cooking on dum (pot) is a distinctive Avadhi technique.
Kakori kebab, Galauti kebab, Avadhi biryani, tunde ke kebab, Murgh Mussallam , kulfi falooda, shami kebab.… hmmmmm hungry kya?? Must try – Galouti Kebab then.
Please note that most of our cities have all these cuisines available irrespective of the region you are in, so come to India with your list of dishes that you would like to try and just order 🙂
East – Bengali, Bihari and Oriya
Spoke a lot about mutton and chicken dishes, now try some fish, you are in bengal and orissa region. Most bengalis love to eat almost everything but then fish is what keeps them alive and gives them necessary omega3 fatty acids, vitamin D3 and energy to discuss politics, state of affairs and Mamta Banerjee 🙂
There are east bengali dishes and west bengali dishes. Poshto from West Bengal and shorshe bata from East Bengal. A little too complicated no?? ok so try these things for sure- Aloo jhinge poshto (poppy seeds preparation) , Shoshe bata maach ( fish in yellow mustard preparation) , ilish bhappa (Hilsa fish preparation) , Chingri Malai Curry (prawns), Roshogolla (sweet dish made out of cottage cheese) and Mishti Doi (Sweet curd)
Actually there are many more for example kosha mangsho, dhokar dalana, chana dal with luchi , chena payesh….we really do eat a lot, you see !! And you too can come to Bengal for the sole purpose of satisfying your taste buds, no harm. Come during Durga pooja ,go to pooja pandal and get in the queue in front of the food stalls. Its also a kind of spiritual level 😉
Bihari cuisine reminds me of Malpua first and then litti chokha, dal puri, parwal ki mithai, the cuisine is mostly vegetarian. Orissa is lot influenced by bengal but the cuisine is synonym with Dalma prepared with lentils and vegetables.
West – Marathi, Gujarati , Rajasthani/Marwari & Goan
Marathi Cuisine – State of Maharashtra is home to popular cities like Mumbai (Bombay) and Pune. And this state touches coastal belt on one hand and central India on the other stretching from western ghats to northern central parts of Deccan plateu. This makes Maharashtra cuisine unique in its own way , dishes range from being mild to very spicy. This is the local style cooking as this region had little or no influence of the other sects. Kadhi chawal (curd preparation with rice), Vada pao & Misal Pao (Indian version of burger), Pao bhaji, Puran Poli (Stuffed Indian bread, stuffing is made out of jaggery, yellow gram & cardamom and is eaten with lot of ghee) , Srikhand (sweet dish made out of sweetened yogurt) and then there are spicy kolahpuri dishes (veg and non veg both) at the other end of the specturm.
Gujarati– Dhokla, Thepla, Phaphda,khakhra land. Gujrati food is primarily vegetarian with high nutritional value. In most Indian tourist places, you will have a restaurant serving Gujarati Thali, Rajasthani thali and Jain thali for vegetarians. Gujarati cuisine is delectable and involves many snacks and chutney preparations. I personally like Gujarati food a lot, my favorite being Dhabeli (Gujarati burger). Gujarati food has an appealing palate pleasing sweet and sour combination. Gujarat being a hot and dry place makes the use of tomatoes, lemon and sugar quite common in its cuisine to save the body from dehydration. Gujarati have their own style of making kadhi. Infact there are some 4-5 types of kadhi (curd based preparation to be had with rice) prevalent in India – Marathi Kadhi, Gujarati Kadhi, Punjabi Kadhi and Rajasthani kadhi
Rajasthani/Marwari – Like Gujarat even Rajasthan is snacker’s paradise and in known for bikaneri bhujia, pyaj kachori, mawa kachori, ghewar and mirchi bada. Besides rajathani cuisine must have items are Dal bati churma, Gatte ki sabji etc. Rajasthani dishes make liberal use of ghee (clarified butter). If you are a non veg , you should tatse Lal maas for sure in rajasthan. Traditional rajasthani thali is a big fat gastronomic delight which includes Indian breads (jwar roti, bajra roti, makka roti etc), khadi, dal, vegetables (dry and curry preparations), chutney, salad, snacks, papad, 2-3 desserts and butter milk. My favorite dishes include Moong dal halwa, Jaisalmer ki dal, Udaipur ka laal maas, Kota ki pyaj Kachori.
Goa– Love sun ,sand, beaches and sea food?? Welcome to the land of Goa. Portuguese inhabitants occupied Goa for almost 400 plus years and hence Goan cuisine is a result of Konkan Hindu influence on one side and Catholic on the other. It’s a potpourri of flavors: beef, pork, vinegar ,coconot, jaggery, cashew/fenny and lots and lots of seafood. Popular recipes include Goan fish curry, prawn balchao, Pork sorpotel, Fish Recheado (Stuffed pomfret), Pork Vindaloo(combination of vinegar, red spices for making this pork curry), Chicken Xacuti, Checken cafreal (portuguese style- includes spices, vinegar and rum) and Rava fried fish (Semolina is used for crunchiness)
Central India – We have grown up eating Poha Jalebi for breakfast and till date I feel Poha (Rice flakes preparation) tastes best in Madhya Pradesh. Central India is Bhopal, Gwalior, Chattisgarh , Malwa and Indore region, Indore being the capital of street food in India. This cuisine is again a unique blend of various influences from all sides including northern and eastern region of India.Wheat preparations (Indian breads) with vegetables, Paneer (cottage cheese ) & Dal (lentils) in veg as well as Meat preparations(biryani, pulao, kebabs,korma, keema) famous in Bhopal belt. Dal bafle is the MP version of rajasthani Dal baati which is particularly popular in Indore-Ujjain region.
North Eastern – People from all other parts Of India perceive Momos, Chowmein, Manchurian and Thukpa to be the North Eastern cuisine however that’s not all. North eastern cuisine is rich and has variety that comes from 7 sister states. This region includes places like Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram etc and has primary influence of Bengal on one hand and Chinese dishes on the other. Rice is the staple food. In Assam you will get Rice with Tengamach (sour fish) but in Sikkim as well as Arunachal , you will find the Thukpa (noodle soup), Chowmein and momos being popular as a result of chinese and Tibetan influence. Most of the grains and vegetables grown there are organic and that’s the best part.
Ever heard of Raja mirchi or Bhut Jolokia, by the way ? It is the hottest chilli in the world as per Guinness World records, grown in Nagaland. Now you can imagine the Naga dishes. Hot really hot !!While Nagaland is famous for its bamboo and meat preparation for example Swachair, manipur is for its fish delicacies. Popular dishes from Meghalaya are jadoh, kikpu, tung-toh, and pickled bamboo shoots. More adventurous can also try rice beer (local preparation of beer out of rice) in north east.
South Indian- Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh, Kerala
South Indian food has earned much fame across the globe, particularly for scrumptious dishes like Dosa, Vada, Idli, Uttapam and Sambar. South Indian meals comprise cuisines of five South Indian states namely Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, along with several local cuisines within these states. The region offers a wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes with each state holding its own uniqueness and food habits. Some authentic and popular South Indian dishes that are sure to delight taste buds include Chakra Pongal, Sambar and Vadai from Tamil Nadu; Rava Idli from Karnataka; Kadala Curry and Appam from Kerala; and Kebabs and Biryanis from Andhra Pradesh.
Cuisines from Tamil Nadu
The staple food of Tamil Nadu is rice which forms part of a typical Tamil meal and savoured with different mildly or richly spiced vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Although most of the Tamilians barring the Brahmins and certain non-Brahmin communities are non-vegetarians, they usually consume vegetarian meals with meat intake being quite infrequent compared to other non-vegetarians across the globe.
The various Tamil dishes can be categorised in different groups starting from the regular meals, the light meals, snacks, desserts and different accompaniments.
Karnataka Cuisine
The state of Karnataka offers a wide range of appetizing platters and boasts of some lip-smacking dishes such as Masala Dosa, Idli and Vada that originated in the temple streets of the city of Udupi. The dishes of the region are less spicy as compared to other South Indian states and contains liberal amount of palm sugar and jaggery with the exception of Northern Karnataka cuisine which is real hot.
The cuisines of the state vary according to different regions. Roti made of pearl millet and sorghum and rice are staple of North Karnataka cuisine which is usually taken with spiced and stewed lentils, spiced vegetable salads and eggplant dishes. Spicy condiments like pickles and chutneys are the common accompaniments of this cuisine which is famed for its spicy and hot nature. Seafood, coconut and coconut oil forms an integral part of coastal Karnataka cuisine. The gassi or gravy items prepared with chicken, meats and fish are taken with rice, the staple grain of the region. Preparations like Saaru, a dish like Rasam and Huli, a dish of vegetables and lentils made with different spices and coconut and then tempered with asafoetida, curry leaves and mustard are taken with rice. Side dishes like playa, accompaniments like gojju, tambli and happala forms part of the meal. Pork, meats and chicken are used to prepare a variety of Coorg cuisine that witnesses an extensive use of Kokum while rice remains the staple. Steamed rice and the nutritious Ragi Muddle made of ragi (finger millet) flour and water are the staples of old Mysore cuisine, also referred as South Karnataka cuisine. The usual South Karnataka dishes include saaru, uppinakai, huli, and gojju among others.
Kerala Cuisine
Kerala cuisine is varied, but best categorised according to the different local communities. The more famous ones are the Malabari Muslim dishes and the Syrian Christian dishes. Availability of coconut which is also the prime export item of the state has made it a fundamental component of Kerala cooking whether used as an ingredient or in oil form extracted from the nut. Availability of seafood in the coastal belt of the state makes it almost a daily consume. The common breakfast items include dosai, idli, porotta with mutton or chicken curry, vegetable stew, duck roast and chicken or mutton stew among various other dishes.
Different vegetarian dishes include aviyal, sambar, rasam, kichadi, pachady and olan to mention a few. There is a wide variety of non-vegetarian dishes with some of the popular ones being Malabari Fish Curry, Pork Mappas, Malabar Biriyani, Meen Thoran – a fish preparation with coconut, Duck Curry, Pork Vindallu, Shrimp Coconut Curry, Fish Fry and Fish Curry. The various snacks items are banana fry, cutlets, cakes, halwas and payasam among others.
Andhra Cuisine
Many of the exquisite and delectable cuisines of Andhra Pradesh indicate a profound influence of culinary styles of the Mughals on the cuisines of this place. The mouth-watering Andhra delicacies like Biryani, Kebabs and Kurmas among others that are usually heavy, spicy and hot in nature are sure to satiate the gastronomic enthusiasts. The traditional cuisines of Andhra are considered the spiciest among all other Indian cuisines and witness liberal use of tamarind and chilli powder that give the dishes a distinct tangy and hot flavour. Diverse ranges of cuisines are available in Andhra that differ mostly based on different regions. While the food of Rayalaseema district is quite similar to that of Tamil Nadu and eastern Karnataka due to its close proximity with these regions, the staple diet of the Telangana region, which has evolved into a new state, is rotis made of jowar and bajra. The Andhra costal region offers varied cuisines with unique flavour, courtesy the more fertile lands of the belt and also due to availability of variety of seafood.
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