Indian cuisine consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to India. Given the diversity in soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits.
Rajasthani cuisine is the cuisine of the Rajasthan region in North West India. It was influenced by various factors like the warlike lifestyles of its inhabitants, the availability of ingredients in an arid region and by Hindu temple traditions of sampradayas like Pushtimarg and Ramanandi. Food that could last for several days and could be eaten without heating was preferred. Scarcity of water and fresh green vegetables have all had their effect on the cooking. Signature Rajasthani dishes include Dal Baati Churma, Panchratna Dal, Papad ro Saag, Ker Sangri, Gatte ro Saag. It is also known for its snacks like Bikaneri bhujia, Mirchi bada and Kanda kachauri. Other famous dishes include Dal Baati, malaidar special lassi (lassi) and Lashun ki chutney, Mawa lassi from Jodhpur, Alwar ka mawa, Malpauas from Pushkar and rasgulla from Bikaner, "paniya"and "gheriya" from Mewar. Originating for the Marwar region of the state is the concept Marwari Bhojnalaya, or vegetarian restaurants, today found in many parts of India, which offer vegetarian food of the Marwari people. The history also has its effect on the diet as the Rajputs preferred majorly a non-vegetarian diet while the Brahmin, Jains, and others preferred a vegetarian diet. So, the state has a myriad of both types of delicacies.
South Asian cuisine, includes the traditional cuisines from the modern-day South Asian republics of Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, also sometimes including the kingdom of Bhutan and the emirate of Afghanistan. Also sometimes known as Desi cuisine, it has been influenced by and also has influenced other Asian cuisines beyond the Indian subcontinent.
Maharashtrian or Marathicuisine is the cuisine of the Marathi people from the Indian state of Maharashtra. It has distinctive attributes, while sharing much with other Indian cuisines. Traditionally, Maharashtrians have considered their food to be more austere than others.
Gujarati cuisine is the cuisine of the Indian state of Gujarat. The typical Gujarati thali consists of rotli, dal or curry, rice, and shaak. The thali will also include preparations made from pulses or whole beans such as moong, black eyed beans etc., a snack item (farsaan) like dhokla, pathra, samosa, fafda, etc. and a sweet (mishthaan) like mohanthal, jalebi, doodh pak etc.
Indian breads are a wide variety of flatbreads and crêpes which are an integral part of Indian cuisine. Their variation reflects the diversity of Indian culture and food habits.
Kadhi, or karhi, is a popular dish mainly consumed in South Asia. It consists of a thick gravy or soup based on gram flour, and it may contain vegetable fritters called pakora, which include dahi (yogurt) for a sour taste. It is often eaten with cooked rice or roti. Varieties of kadhi include those from Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, and Sindh, all of which are located in present-day India and Pakistan.
Dal Bati Churma is the most popular dish in Rajasthani cuisine. It is made of three components of bati, dal, and churma. Dal is lentils, bati is a baked wheat ball, and churma is powdered sweetened cereal. Churma is a popular delicacy usually served with baatis and dal. It is coarsely ground wheat crushed and cooked with ghee and sugar. Traditionally it is made by mashing up wheat flour baatis or left over rotis in ghee and jaggery.
Bhojpuri cuisine is a style of food preparation common among the Bhojpuri people of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh in India, and also the Terai region of Nepal. Bhojpuri foods are mostly mild and tend to be less hot in terms of spices used. The cuisine consists of both vegetable and meat dishes.
Churma wahi wala is a popular Rajasthani, Bihari, Uttar Pradesi,Haryanvi, and Awadhi delicacy from India. In Punjab, the dish is called churi. It is coarsely ground wheat crushed and cooked with ghee and sugar.
Bharunda is a village that comes under Sumerpur Tehsil in Pali district, Rajasthan. The Bharunda is an ancient village well connected to all surrounding villages and towns in the same vicinity.
Baingan bharta or Baigan Chokha is an Indian dish prepared by mincing grilled eggplant (baingan) and mixing it with tomato, onion, herbs and spices. Grilling the eggplant over charcoal or direct fire infuses the dish with a smoky flavour. Mashed eggplant is then mixed with cooked chopped tomato, browned onion, ginger, garlic, cumin, fresh cilantro, chili pepper, and mustard oil or a neutral vegetable oil. Traditionally, the dish is often eaten with flatbread and is also served with rice or raita, a yogurt salad. In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, it is served hot with litti or baati.
Bihari cuisine is eaten mainly in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, as well as in the places where people originating from the state of Bihar have settled: Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mauritius, South Africa, Fiji, some cities of Pakistan, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Jamaica, and the Caribbean. Bihari cuisine includes Angika cuisine, Bhojpuri cuisine, Maithil cuisine and Magahi cuisine.
Litti, sometimes, along with chokha, is a complete meal that originated from the Bhojpuri region of the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. It is a dough ball made up of whole wheat flour and stuffed with gram flour, pulses and mixed with herbs and spices. It is baked over coal or wood and tossed with large amounts of ghee. Although very often confused with the closely related Rajasthani dish, baati, it is a completely different dish in terms of taste, texture and preparation. It may be eaten with curd, brinjal chokha, potato chokha, and papad. The litti are traditionally baked over a wood fire, but in the modern days, a new fried version has been developed.
The term North Indian Culture officially describes the cultural heritage of the eight North Indian states of Punjab, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Chandigarh, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Other states which are not formally part of North India, but which are traditionally — culturally and linguistically — seen to be so are Gujarat, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar. North Indian culture reflects the diversity of traditions and customs of the vast region it encompasses. North Indian Culture is mainly in sanatana traditions and customs, with the assimilation of — and impact from — other cultures over long periods of history. North Indian culture reflects the diversity of traditions and customs of the vast region it encompasses.
Pesarattu, pesara attu, pesara dosa, or cheeldo is a crepe-like bread, originating in Andhra Pradesh, India, that is a variety of dosa. It is made with green gram batter, but, unlike a typical dosa, it does not contain urad dal. Pesarattu is eaten as breakfast and as a snack in Andhra Pradesh. It is typically served with ginger chutney or peanut chutney or tamarind chutney. Green chilies, ginger and onions are used in variants.
Daal Baati is an Indian dish of daal (lentils) and baati. It is popular in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra's Khandesh and Vidarbha region, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh.
Maithil cuisine, also known as Mithila cuisine, is a part of Indian and Nepalese cuisine. It is the traditional cooking style of Maithils residing in the Mithila region of the subcontinent.
Cuisines and food of the Indian state of Haryana is known to be simple. People of the state prefer their food to be made with fresh ingredients and through simple recipes. Roti is a staple food in Haryana which is made from a variety of grains and flours. Since Haryana is rich with agriculture and cattle, the use of dairy products is abundant in their food. Many households churn out fresh butter from milk and use it as opposed to the butter available in the markets. Lassi is a popular and staple drink in Haryana. The food in Haryana finds a lot of similarities with its neighboring states Punjab and Rajasthan.
Katt Bafla is a popular and traditional dish from the Bundi district of Hadoti region in Rajasthan, India. It is a famous dish across the north Indian states in India. Traditionally this dish is made on every occasion in Rajasthan. In this dish Bafla is a type of spherical wheat bread where as the Katt is a type of Barfi made by mixture of unsalted wheat bread coarse powder with ghee and jaggery powder. Traditionally this dish is served with Daal and Kadhi.
