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Thali

🇮🇳 The food of India

169 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 11Tamil Nadu 9Maharashtra 7Odisha 7Punjab 7Delhi 6Gujarat 6Hyderabad 6Kolkata 6Karnataka 5Mumbai 5West Bengal 5Andhra Pradesh 4Bihar 4Goa 4South India 4Uttar Pradesh 4Lucknow 3Madurai 3Assam 2Bhopal 2Chennai 2Dharwad 2Jharkhand 2Kochi 2Kozhikode 2Malabar 2Mathura 2Nabadwip 2New Delhi 2Pune 2Rajasthan 2Sikkim 2Tripura 2Udupi 2Uttarakhand 2Ahmedabad 1Ahmednagar 1Arunachal Pradesh 1Aurangabad 1Awadh 1Basirhat 1Bengal 1Bhatkal 1Bhuj 1Braj 1Chikmagalur 1Chinta Valley 1Darjeeling 1Doda 1eastern Uttar Pradesh 1Ghaziabad 1Guptipara 1Himachal Pradesh 1Jabalpur 1Jammu 1Jaunpur 1Kakinada 1Kashmir 1Keralam 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
Ice cream 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreA frozen dessert made from sweetened, flavoured milk or cream Sweet or dessert, Snacks Candy 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreSmall sweet treats made mainly from sugar or sweeteners Sweet or dessert, Snacks Halvaحَلَاوَة 🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreDense sweet made from seeds, grains, or vegetables, found across Asia, Africa, and Europe Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time French toast 🇫🇷 France and 5 moreBread soaked in egg and milk, pan-fried and served sweet or savoury Main dish, Breakfast, Snacks JalebiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 6 moreDeep-fried spirals of batter soaked in syrup, enjoyed across Asia and Africa Pie or savoury pastry, Breakfast, Snacks Rice pudding 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreSweetened rice cooked in milk, found in many forms worldwide Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Lunch BhangVeganभांग 🇮🇳 IndiaCannabis leaf paste used in drinks and sweets, central to Indian spring festivals Drink, Snacks Sheer khurmaVegetarianشير خرما 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreA sweet vermicelli pudding with milk, dates and nuts for Eid celebrations Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks Tirupati LadduVegetarianశ్రీవారి లడ్డూ 🇮🇳 IndiaTemple sweet made of gram flour, ghee, cashew and cardamom, given as prasadam in Tirupati Sweet or dessert MahaprasadVegetarianମହାପ୍ରସାଦ 🇮🇳 IndiaSanctified vegetarian food served at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Jolpan 🇮🇳 IndiaAssamese breakfast snacks of rice, pitha, and sweets, often served with tea or curd Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks ShrikhandVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaSweetened strained yogurt with cardamom and saffron, served chilled Sweet or dessert MohanthalVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaFudge-like sweet of gram flour, ghee and sugar from western India Sweet or dessert BreadfruitVegan 🇵🇭 Philippines and 4 moreLarge tropical fruit cooked as a starchy staple in many island cuisines Main dish, Lunch, Dinner PanchamritaVegetarianपञ्चामृत 🇮🇳 IndiaA sacred blend of five sweet ingredients offered in Hindu and Jain rituals Sweet or dessert SadyaVegetarianസദ്യ 🇮🇳 IndiaA festive vegetarian feast from Kerala, served on a banana leaf Main dish, Lunch Gulab jamunVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreDeep-fried milk dough balls soaked in rose-scented sugar syrup Sweet or dessert MacaronVegetarian 🇫🇷 France and 5 moreAlmond meringue sandwich cookie with a creamy or jam filling Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time SharbatVeganشربت 🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreSweet fruit or flower drink, served chilled or as a syrup Drink, Snacks KheerVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreA sweet pudding of rice, milk and sugar, flavoured with cardamom and nuts Sweet or dessert KulfiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreFrozen sweet made from slow-cooked milk, often flavoured with nuts or spices Sweet or dessert, Snacks LadduVegetarianलड्डू 🇮🇳 IndiaRound Indian sweet made with flour, sugar, ghee and often nuts or dried fruit Sweet or dessert, Snacks TapiocaVegan 🇧🇷 Brazil and 5 moreStarch from cassava root, shaped into pearls, flakes, or powder Sauce, pickle or ferment RasgullaVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreSoft chhena balls simmered in light sugar syrup Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time Banana chipVegan 🇵🇭 Philippines and 4 moreCrispy slices of banana, fried or dried, eaten as a snack or sweet Sweet or dessert, Snacks Ras malaiVegetarian 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 2 moreSoft chhena discs soaked in sweet, creamy milk and flavoured with cardamom and saffron Sweet or dessert Christmas cake 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreCakes served at Christmas, often rich with fruit, nuts or cream Sweet or dessert, Tea time, Snacks ModakVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreA sweet dumpling with coconut and jaggery, offered in Hindu and Buddhist rituals Sweet or dessert, Snacks Flattened riceVegan 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreRice grains flattened into flakes, used in sweet and savoury dishes across Asia Rice dish, Breakfast, Snacks Rooh AfzaVegan 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreA sweet herbal syrup mixed with water or milk, popular in South Asia Drink, Snacks Gajar ka halwaVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreGrated carrot cooked with milk, sugar, ghee and khoya, often served at Indian festivals Sweet or dessert Soan papdiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreCrisp, flaky sweet made from gram flour, sugar, ghee, and cardamom Sweet or dessert, Snacks BebincaVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaGoan layer cake made with coconut milk, ghee, egg yolk, flour and sugar Sweet or dessert MalpuaVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreSweet deep-fried pancakes from the Indian subcontinent, often dipped in syrup Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks Puran PoliVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaSweet stuffed flatbread enjoyed at festivals and special occasions in India Bread, Lunch, Dinner PedaVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaThick, sweet milk fudge balls flavoured with cardamom Sweet or dessert, Snacks Pongal 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreRice cooked in milk, central to the Tamil harvest festival Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch SheermalVegetarianشیرمال‎ 🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreA sweet, saffron-scented flatbread made with milk and cardamom Bread, Breakfast, Lunch KhajaVegetarian𑂎𑂔𑂳𑂩𑂲 🇮🇳 IndiaCrisp, layered pastry deep-fried and soaked in sugar syrup Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time KozhukattaVegetarianകൊഴുക്കട്ട (Malayalam), கொழுகட்டை (Tamil) 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreSteamed rice flour dumplings filled with sweet coconut and jaggery Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks Mysore pakVegetarianಮೈಸೂರು ಪಾಕ್ 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreA dense, golden sweet made from gram flour, sugar, and ghee Sweet or dessert, Snacks ImartiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreDeep-fried black gram batter shaped into spirals and soaked in scented sugar syrup Sweet or dessert, Snacks GujhiaVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaSweet deep-fried dumpling filled with milk solids, coconut and nuts Sweet or dessert, Snacks ChomchomVegetarianচমচম 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreBengali sweet made from chhena, often coated with coconut or mawa flakes Sweet or dessert SandeshVegetarianসন্দেশ 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreBengali sweet made from chhena and sugar, often shaped and flavoured Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time Kaju katliVegan 🇮🇳 IndiaIndian sweet made from ground cashews and sugar, cut into diamond shapes Sweet or dessert NankhataiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreShortbread biscuit from the Indian subcontinent made with flour and semolina Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time ThekuaVegetarian 🇳🇵 Nepal and 1 moreFried sweet made from wheat flour, ghee and sugar or jaggery Sweet or dessert, 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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