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Thali

🇮🇳 The food of India

262 dishes from India, best known first, across 60 cities and regions.

Indian cooking brings together a huge range of regional and religious traditions, shaped by centuries of trade, migration, and local crops. Meals center on grains like rice or wheat, paired with lentils, vegetables, and carefully chosen spices. Distinctive techniques and a deep vegetarian tradition set it apart from other world cuisines.

  • Lentils and pulses are used in many forms, including whole, split, or dehusked.
  • Two unique techniques: frying spice pastes and adding fried spices to dishes.
  • Street foods like vada pav, kati rolls, and idli vary by city.
  • Vegetarianism is widespread, especially in Gujarat and among Jains.
  • Festival foods include sweets like kheer, halwa, and puran poli.

The cooking of India

Indian food is shaped by thousands of years of cultural exchange, migration, and religious practice. Its character comes from the interplay of local grains, lentils, and vegetables, with a wide palette of spices such as turmeric, cumin, and cardamom. Cooking methods range from slow stewing to frying spice pastes or adding fried spices to finished dishes. The cuisine is known for its regional variety, from coconut-rich southern stews to wheat-based breads in the north. Vegetarianism is widespread, influenced by Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist beliefs, while Muslim and Christian communities contribute their own dishes. Food is often prepared with simple tools, but the process can be labor-intensive, involving grinding and blending.

Staple foods in India

Core foods are rice, wheat (often as flatbreads), and lentils, with pulses like mung, pigeon pea, and black gram used in many forms. Oils vary by region: coconut in the south, mustard in the east, peanut in the north and west. Spices are essential, with each region using its own blends. Vegetables, pickles, and dairy products like yogurt are common accompaniments.

Snacks and street food in India

Street food is highly regional. In Mumbai, vada pav (a spiced potato fritter in a bun) is popular. Kolkata is known for kati rolls, which wrap spiced fillings in flatbread. Chennai’s streets offer idli (steamed rice cakes) with sambar (a lentil stew). Delhi’s Muslim heritage brings kebabs and other meat snacks.

From region to region in India

Northern India favors wheat breads, lentils, and dishes cooked with the dum pukht technique, where food is sealed and slow-cooked. Kashmir is known for rich meat dishes. Western India features vegetarian stews and sweets, with Goan food blending Indian and Portuguese influences. The east relies on rice, fish, and mustard, while the south uses rice, coconut, and steaming. Each region’s climate and dominant religion shape its food.

Festival and religious food in India

Festivals bring special foods. During Diwali, sweets like kheer (rice pudding) and halwa are made. Holi sees puran poli (sweet stuffed bread) and gujia (sweet dumplings). For religious offerings, food is presented to deities and then shared as prasāda. Fasting days allow only certain foods, such as dairy, fruits, and starchy roots.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Indian cuisine", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Thali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Cities and regions of India

Kerala 14Hyderabad 12Maharashtra 12Tamil Nadu 12Kolkata 11Odisha 11Punjab 11West Bengal 11Gujarat 10Karnataka 10Andhra Pradesh 8Bihar 8Delhi 8Lucknow 7Rajasthan 7Uttar Pradesh 7Bengal 6Mumbai 6Goa 5Kashmir 5Assam 4Bhopal 4Madurai 4South India 4Awadh 3Braj 3Chennai 3Jammu 3Jharkhand 3Mathura 3Tripura 3Arunachal Pradesh 2Bardhaman 2Bhuj 2Deccan 2Dharwad 2Haryana 2Himachal Pradesh 2Kochi 2Kodagu 2Kozhikode 2Malabar 2Mysore 2Nabadwip 2New Delhi 2Pune 2Puri 2Sikkim 2Telangana 2Udupi 2Uttarakhand 2Agra 1Ahmedabad 1Ahmednagar 1Almora 1Arambol 1Aurangabad 1Banaras 1Bangalore 1Basirhat 1
MealBreakfastLunchTea timeDinnerSupperSnacks
KindMain dishStreet foodSoupStew or curryRice dishNoodle or pasta dishDumplingBreadGrill or roastSandwich or wrapPie or savoury pastrySalad or sideCheese or dairy foodSausage or cured foodSauce, pickle or fermentSweet or dessertDrink
DietVegetarianVeganFish and seafoodMeat
Samosa 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreFried or baked pastry with a spiced filling, shaped into triangles or cones Pie or savoury pastry, Snacks, Lunch Fish and chipsFish or seafood 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 8 moreBattered fried fish served hot with thick-cut chips Main dish, Lunch, Dinner ChapatiVeganचपाती 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreUnleavened flatbread cooked on a griddle and served hot with meals Bread, Breakfast, Lunch Roti canaiரொட்டி சென்னை 🇲🇾 Malaysia and 5 moreUnleavened flatbread tossed thin and cooked until crisp, served with curry or dal Bread, Breakfast, Snacks JhalmuriVeganঝালমুড়ি 🇮🇳 India and 1 morePuffed rice tossed with spices, vegetables and mustard oil, served as a street snack Street food, Snacks Misalमिसळ 🇮🇳 IndiaSpicy sprouted bean curry layered with toppings, served hot with bread Main dish, Breakfast, Snacks PunuguluVegetarianపునుగులు 🇮🇳 IndiaDeep-fried snack balls made from rice and urad dal batter Street food, Snacks Bhel puriVegan 🇮🇳 IndiaPuffed rice snack tossed with chutneys, sev and crisp puris, sold on Mumbai streets Street food, Snacks, Tea time Aloo tikkiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 3 morePotato cutlets spiced and fried, served hot with chutneys Street food, Snacks Sev puriVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaCrispy puris topped with potatoes, chickpeas, chutneys and crunchy sev Street food, Snacks Papri chaatVegetarianपापड़ी चाट 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreCrisp wafers topped with potatoes, chickpeas, yoghurt and tangy chutneys Street food, Snacks BreadfruitVegan 🇵🇭 Philippines and 4 moreLarge tropical fruit cooked as a starchy staple in many island cuisines Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Pakoraपकोड़ा 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreVegetables or other fillings coated in spiced gram flour batter and deep-fried Street food, Snacks, Tea time DosaVegetarianದೋಸೆ 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreA thin, fermented rice and lentil pancake from South India, served hot with chutney and sambar Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Croquette 🇫🇷 France and 5 moreA deep-fried roll with a creamy or starchy filling, coated in breadcrumbs Street food, Snacks, Lunch PuriVegan 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreUnleavened wheat flatbread, deep-fried until puffed and golden Bread, Breakfast, Snacks Paratha 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreLayered flatbread from the Indian subcontinent, often fried and sometimes stuffed Bread, Breakfast, Lunch Roti 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreUnleavened flatbread made from whole-wheat flour, common across South Asia and beyond Bread, Breakfast, Lunch Momo 🇳🇵 Nepal and 3 moreSteamed dumplings filled with meat or vegetables, served with spicy sauces Dumpling, Lunch, Dinner PanipuriVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreCrisp hollow puris filled with spiced potato and dipped in tangy, flavoured water Street food, Snacks Chow mein炒麵 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreStir-fried noodles with vegetables and often meat or tofu Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, Dinner Dumpling 🇨🇳 China and 5 morePieces of dough, plain or filled, cooked by boiling, steaming or frying Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Masala dosaVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaSouth Indian rice-lentil crepe filled with spiced potato Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Pav bhajiVegetarianपाव भाजी 🇮🇳 IndiaSpiced mashed vegetable curry served with buttered bread rolls Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Vada pavVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaDeep-fried spiced potato fritter in a bread bun, served with chutney and chilli Street food, Snacks Dahi vadaVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreLentil fritters soaked in spiced yogurt and served as a cold snack Street food, Snacks BhajiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreSpiced vegetable fritters from the Indian subcontinent, often sold as street snacks Street food, Snacks MurtabakMeatمُطَبَّق 🇾🇪 Yemen and 5 moreA stuffed, folded pancake or flatbread with savoury or sweet fillings Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Chole bhatureVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaChickpea curry served with deep-fried, puffy bread Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Parotta 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreLayered flatbread from South India, soft and flakey, made with refined flour Bread, Breakfast, Lunch Batata vadaVegetarianबटाटा वडा 🇮🇳 IndiaDeep-fried potato patties from Maharashtra, coated in chickpea flour batter Street food, Snacks Paneer tikkaVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaGrilled spiced paneer cubes served hot, often with vegetables and chutney Main dish, Snacks, Dinner Shami kebabMeatشامی کباب 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreMinced meat and chickpea patties, shallow-fried and spiced Main dish, Snacks, Lunch Chapli kebabMeatچَپلِي کَبَاب 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 2 moreFlattened spiced meat patties fried and served hot, from Peshawar Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Kottu rotiකොත්තු රොටි 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka and 1 moreSri Lankan street dish of chopped roti stir-fried with meat, egg, vegetables and spices Main dish, Dinner, Lunch Tikka 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreChunks of marinated meat or paneer cooked in a tandoor oven Main dish, Snacks, Dinner Chicken 65Meatசிக்கன் 65 🇮🇳 IndiaSpicy deep-fried boneless chicken from Chennai, served with onion and lemon Main dish, Lunch, Dinner SardineFish or seafood 🇵🇹 Portugal and 5 moreSmall oily fish enjoyed fresh, canned, smoked or pickled in many countries Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Mughlai parathaমোগলাই পরোটা 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreBengali flatbread stuffed with spiced meat or egg, served as a street snack Street food, Snacks BeguniVeganবেগুনী 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreEggplant slices dipped in gram flour batter and deep-fried Street food, Snacks Egg bhurjiVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaIndian-style scrambled eggs with onions, chilies and spices Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Gobi ManchurianVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaCauliflower fritters tossed in a tangy, spicy Indo-Chinese sauce Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Corn on the cobVegan 🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreSweet corn cooked and eaten straight from the cob, often with butter and salt Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Ghugniঘুগনি 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreCurried peas or chickpeas, often served with bread or snacks in eastern India and Nepal Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch PesarattuVeganపెసరట్టు 🇮🇳 IndiaGreen gram crepe from Andhra Pradesh, often eaten for breakfast or as a snack Bread, Breakfast, Snacks DabeliVegetarianદાબેલી 🇮🇳 IndiaSpiced potato filling in a bun, topped with chutneys, peanuts and pomegranate Street food, Snacks Litti ChokhaVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreWheat flour balls filled with spiced roasted gram flour, served with mashed vegetables Main dish, Lunch, Dinner ChakliVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreCrisp, spiral-shaped Indian snack made from mixed flours and spices Street food, Snacks
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Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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