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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
French toast 🇫🇷 France and 5 moreBread soaked in egg and milk, pan-fried and served sweet or savoury Main dish, Breakfast, Snacks Naanनान 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreLeavened flatbread baked in a tandoor or on a pan, soft and spotted with golden brown Bread, Lunch, Dinner JalebiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 6 moreDeep-fried spirals of batter soaked in syrup, enjoyed across Asia and Africa Pie or savoury pastry, Breakfast, Snacks ChapatiVeganचपाती 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreUnleavened flatbread cooked on a griddle and served hot with meals Bread, Breakfast, Lunch Rice pudding 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreSweetened rice cooked in milk, found in many forms worldwide Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Lunch Mangalore bunsVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaMildly sweet, deep-fried bread from coastal Karnataka made with banana and flour Bread, Breakfast, Snacks Roti canaiரொட்டி சென்னை 🇲🇾 Malaysia and 5 moreUnleavened flatbread tossed thin and cooked until crisp, served with curry or dal Bread, Breakfast, Snacks Jolpan 🇮🇳 IndiaAssamese breakfast snacks of rice, pitha, and sweets, often served with tea or curd Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks Misalमिसळ 🇮🇳 IndiaSpicy sprouted bean curry layered with toppings, served hot with bread Main dish, Breakfast, Snacks Sheer khurmaVegetarianشير خرما 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreA sweet vermicelli pudding with milk, dates and nuts for Eid celebrations Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks DosaVegetarianದೋಸೆ 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreA thin, fermented rice and lentil pancake from South India, served hot with chutney and sambar Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch IdliVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreSteamed cakes of fermented rice and lentil batter from South India and Sri Lanka Main dish, Breakfast, Dinner PuriVegan 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreUnleavened wheat flatbread, deep-fried until puffed and golden Bread, Breakfast, Snacks Masala chaiVegetarianचाय 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreBlack tea brewed with milk, spices and sugar, served hot across India Drink, Breakfast, Tea time Roti 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreUnleavened flatbread made from whole-wheat flour, common across South Asia and beyond Bread, Breakfast, Lunch Paratha 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreLayered flatbread from the Indian subcontinent, often fried and sometimes stuffed Bread, Breakfast, Lunch AppamVeganஅப்பம் 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreFermented rice and coconut milk pancake from South India and Sri Lanka Bread, Breakfast, Dinner Butter teaབོད་ཇ་ 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreA hot Himalayan drink of tea, yak butter and salt, churned to a creamy texture Drink, Breakfast, Snacks SambarVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaA South Indian lentil and vegetable stew soured with tamarind Stew or curry, Breakfast, Lunch KhichdiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreRice and lentils cooked together, often with vegetables and spices Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Strained yogurt 🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreYogurt thickened by straining out most of its whey Sauce, pickle or ferment, Breakfast, Snacks 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 PuttuVeganപുട്ട് 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreSteamed cylinders of rice flour and coconut, served hot for breakfast Main dish, Breakfast HaleemMeat 🇮🇳 India and 7 moreA slow-cooked stew of wheat, lentils, meat and spices Stew or curry, Breakfast, Lunch Flattened riceVegan 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreRice grains flattened into flakes, used in sweet and savoury dishes across Asia Rice dish, Breakfast, Snacks UpmaVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreA soft, savoury porridge made from roasted semolina or rice flour Main dish, Breakfast, Dinner NihariMeat 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreSlow-cooked meat stew from the Indian subcontinent, served hot with bread or rice Stew or curry, Breakfast, Lunch DhoklaVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaSteamed, spongy savoury cake from Gujarat made with fermented lentil and rice batter Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch 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 KedgereeFish or seafood 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreRice and smoked fish with eggs, herbs and mild spices Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch MalpuaVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreSweet deep-fried pancakes from the Indian subcontinent, often dipped in syrup Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks Ginger teaVegan 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreA hot drink made by steeping ginger root, often with tea, sweetener or milk Drink, Breakfast, Snacks Tandoor breadVegan 🇮🇶 Iraq and 5 moreFlatbread baked on the walls of a clay tandoor oven Bread, Breakfast, Lunch 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 UttapamVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaA thick South Indian pancake topped with vegetables Main dish, Breakfast Pitha 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreRice or wheat cakes, sweet or savoury, steamed, fried or griddled in eastern South Asia Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks KozhukattaVegetarianകൊഴുക്കട്ട (Malayalam), கொழுகட்டை (Tamil) 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreSteamed rice flour dumplings filled with sweet coconut and jaggery Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks Panta bhatVegan 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 moreCooked rice soaked overnight in water and eaten cold, often with salt and onion Main dish, Breakfast KhakhraVegan 🇮🇳 IndiaCrisp, thin flatbread from western India, often eaten as a snack or breakfast Bread, Breakfast, Snacks Nasi kandarناسي كاندر 🇲🇾 Malaysia and 2 moreSteamed rice with mixed curries and side dishes, served in northern Malaysia Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Indian filter coffeeVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaSouth Indian coffee made with chicory, milk, and sugar, brewed in a metal filter Drink, Breakfast, Snacks Egg bhurjiVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaIndian-style scrambled eggs with onions, chilies and spices Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Sesame seed candyVegan 🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreA sweet made from sesame seeds and honey or sugar, pressed into bars or balls Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Breakfast BakarkhaniVegetarianباقرخانی 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 2 moreA thick, layered flatbread with a crisp crust from South Asia Bread, Breakfast, Snacks Ghugniঘুগনি 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreCurried peas or chickpeas, often served with bread or snacks in eastern India and Nepal Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch
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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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