Northern India

The cuisine of northern India shows a stronger influence of the Islamic conquest. Dairy products such as milk, ghee, and paneer (cottage cheese) are commonly used, and many vegetables are cooked in yogurt or onion-and-tomato–based gravies. A griddle is used to make flatbread such as roti, while a tandoor (a cylindrical coal-fired oven) is used to cook flatbreads such as naan and kulcha. Puri and similar breads are deep-fried in oil, usually groundnut oil. Flatbread is typically eaten with cooked lentils (dal) and vegetables. The nonvegetarian cuisine of kebabs and pilaf is very similar to what is found in Pakistan. A popular snack is the samosa, which is cooked potato stuffed in flour and then deep-fried in oil. Street foods such as kachori and chaat are very popular, as well as sweets (called mithai) such as gulab jamun, petha, and rasmalai. Food of this region is typically richly spiced. Variations exist within northern India, from the desert regions of Rajasthan, which see heavy use of gram flour in dishes, to the vales of Kashmir, where ingredients such as mutton and dry fruits are used in dishes typically served in a wazwan, or multicourse meal.

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Eastern India

To the east, in West Bengal and Odisha, the amount of spice used in cooking decreases, and mustard oil is more common. The cuisine of northeastern India is rice-based—rice is grown on terraced fields in the region’s hilly terrain—and freshwater fish appears in many dishes, as does pork, beef, mutton, and chicken. Poppy seeds are also frequently used. This region’s cuisine is very similar to that of neighbouring Bangladesh.

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Southern India

In southern India rice is the staple food, and it is eaten with sambhar (sambar), a watery stew comprising lentil, tamarind, and vegetables. Many fruits and vegetables are pickled and consumed with meals, and coconut oil and gingelly (sesame) oils are used as the mediums for cooking. Seafood is common along the coast. Within southern India there are diverse cuisines—Andhra, Tamil, Chettinad, Kerala, and Mangalore, among others. Each region cooks sambhar differently and uses different varieties of rice. Tamil cuisine classifies food into six tastes—sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent—and aspires to include each taste in every main meal. Tamil meals are also typically served on banana leaves.

 

Western India

The west coast of India has distinct cuisines as well. In Goa rice and fish are the staples. Goan Hindu cuisine is less spicy and includes many vegetables, though little onion and garlic. Portuguese cuisine in Goa includes beef and uses a vinegar-based gravy (vindaloo) for many dishes. In coastal Maharashtra fish and rice are also common, while millets and groundnuts are used in inland areas instead of rice and coconut. Further north, Gujarat is predominantly vegetarian, and most dishes have some sweetness due to the use of sugar. Roti, dal, and vegetables are common there.