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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
DosaVegetarianದೋಸೆ 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreA thin, fermented rice and lentil pancake from South India, served hot with chutney and sambar Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Chicken tikka masalaMeat 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreRoasted marinated chicken in a creamy, spiced tomato-based sauce Main dish, Lunch, Dinner IdliVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreSteamed cakes of fermented rice and lentil batter from South India and Sri Lanka Main dish, Breakfast, Dinner DalVeganदाल 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreSoupy dish made from split lentils, peas or beans, a staple across South Asia Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Croquette 🇫🇷 France and 5 moreA deep-fried roll with a creamy or starchy filling, coated in breadcrumbs Street food, Snacks, Lunch SharbatVeganشربت 🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreSweet fruit or flower drink, served chilled or as a syrup Drink, Snacks PuriVegan 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreUnleavened wheat flatbread, deep-fried until puffed and golden Bread, Breakfast, 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 Paratha 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreLayered flatbread from the Indian subcontinent, often fried and sometimes stuffed Bread, Breakfast, Lunch 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 LadduVegetarianलड्डू 🇮🇳 IndiaRound Indian sweet made with flour, sugar, ghee and often nuts or dried fruit Sweet or dessert, Snacks Momo 🇳🇵 Nepal and 3 moreSteamed dumplings filled with meat or vegetables, served with spicy sauces Dumpling, Lunch, Dinner AppamVeganஅப்பம் 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreFermented rice and coconut milk pancake from South India and Sri Lanka Bread, Breakfast, Dinner PanipuriVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreCrisp hollow puris filled with spiced potato and dipped in tangy, flavoured water Street food, Snacks Tandoori chickenMeat 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreChicken marinated in yogurt and spices, roasted in a clay oven Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Lentil soupVegan 🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreA hearty soup made from lentils, often with vegetables and spices Soup, Lunch, Dinner VindalooMeat 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreA spicy curry of meat, vinegar and chili from Goa, now found worldwide Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Butter chickenMeatमुर्ग़ मक्खनी 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreChicken in a rich, creamy tomato and butter sauce Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Korma 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreA rich curry of meat or vegetables simmered in yogurt and spices Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner Chow mein炒麵 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreStir-fried noodles with vegetables and often meat or tofu Noodle or pasta dish, Lunch, 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 Strained yogurt 🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreYogurt thickened by straining out most of its whey Sauce, pickle or ferment, Breakfast, Snacks KhichdiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreRice and lentils cooked together, often with vegetables and spices Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch SambarVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaA South Indian lentil and vegetable stew soured with tamarind Stew or curry, Breakfast, Lunch TapiocaVegan 🇧🇷 Brazil and 5 moreStarch from cassava root, shaped into pearls, flakes, or powder Sauce, pickle or ferment Dumpling 🇨🇳 China and 5 morePieces of dough, plain or filled, cooked by boiling, steaming or frying Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Sugarcane juiceVegan 🇮🇳 India and 6 moreFresh juice pressed from sugarcane stalks, sold widely as a street drink Drink, Snacks ArrackVegan 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreDistilled spirit made from coconut sap, sugarcane, or grain in South and Southeast Asia Drink RasgullaVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreSoft chhena balls simmered in light sugar syrup Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time Chicken tikkaMeat 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 2 moreBoneless chicken pieces marinated in yogurt and spices, cooked in a tandoor oven Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Chana masalaVegan 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreChickpeas simmered in a spiced tomato and onion sauce Main dish, Lunch, Dinner RasamVeganரசம் 🇮🇳 IndiaA spiced, tangy South Indian soup served hot with rice Soup, Lunch, Dinner Banana chipVegan 🇵🇭 Philippines and 4 moreCrispy slices of banana, fried or dried, eaten as a snack or sweet Sweet or dessert, Snacks Fesenjānفسنجان 🇮🇷 Iran and 5 morePersian stew of pomegranate, walnuts and poultry, served with rice Main dish, Dinner Pav bhajiVegetarianपाव भाजी 🇮🇳 IndiaSpiced mashed vegetable curry served with buttered bread rolls Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Masala dosaVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaSouth Indian rice-lentil crepe filled with spiced potato Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Ras malaiVegetarian 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 2 moreSoft chhena discs soaked in sweet, creamy milk and flavoured with cardamom and saffron Sweet or dessert Roast chickenMeat 🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreWhole chicken roasted over heat or fire, served in many styles worldwide Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Palak paneerVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaPaneer cheese cubes in a spiced spinach purée Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Christmas cake 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreCakes served at Christmas, often rich with fruit, nuts or cream Sweet or dessert, Tea time, Snacks PuttuVeganപുട്ട് 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreSteamed cylinders of rice flour and coconut, served hot for breakfast Main dish, Breakfast Vada pavVegetarian 🇮🇳 IndiaDeep-fried spiced potato fritter in a bread bun, served with chutney and chilli Street food, Snacks HaleemMeat 🇮🇳 India and 7 moreA slow-cooked stew of wheat, lentils, meat and spices Stew or curry, Breakfast, Lunch Aloo gobiVegetarianआलू गोभी 🇮🇳 India and 2 morePotato and cauliflower cooked with turmeric and spices Main dish, Lunch, Dinner UpmaVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreA soft, savoury porridge made from roasted semolina or rice flour Main dish, Breakfast, Dinner ModakVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreA sweet dumpling with coconut and jaggery, offered in Hindu and Buddhist rituals Sweet or dessert, Snacks
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The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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