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.
Bengali cuisine is the culinary style of Bengal, that comprises Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura. The cuisine has been shaped by the region's diverse history and climate. It is known for its varied use of flavours including mustard oil, as well as the spread of its confectioneries and desserts. There is a strong emphasis on rice as a staple, with fish traditionally the most common protein. Freshwater fish are preferred to seafish, although barramundi, known as bhetki, is also common. Meat is also a common protein among Bengalis with beef and goat meat being the most popular. In more recent times, lentils have begun to form a significant part of the diet. Many Bengali food traditions draw from social activities, such as adda, or the Mezban.
Punjabi cuisine is a culinary style originating in the Punjab, a region in the northern part of South Asia, which is now divided in an Indian part to the east and a Pakistani part to the west. This cuisine has a rich tradition of many distinct and local ways of cooking.
Pilaf or pilau is a rice dish, or in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in stock or broth, adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables or meat, and employing some technique for achieving cooked grains that do not adhere to each other.
Biryani is a mixed rice dish originating among the Muslims of South Asia. It is made with spices, vegetables, rice, and usually some type of meat. In some cases without any meat, and sometimes with eggs and potatoes.
Chelow kabab is an Iranian dish consisting of steamed rice and one of the many varieties of Iranian kebab. It is considered the national dish of Iran, and was probably created by the time of the Qajar dynasty.
Bangladeshi cuisine is the national cuisine of Bangladesh. It has been shaped by the region's history and river-line geography. The country has a tropical monsoon climate. The staple of Bangladesh is rice and fish. The majority of Bangladeshi people are ethnic Bengali, accustomed to Bengali cuisine, with a minority of non-Bengalis, many used to cuisines from different traditions and regions. Bangladeshi cooking features more meat dishes than the cuisine of neighbouring West Bengal, India.
Kerala cuisine is a culinary style originated in the Kerala, a state on the southwestern Malabar Coast of India. Kerala cuisine offers a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry and red meat with rice as a typical accompaniment. Chillies, curry leaves, coconut, mustard seeds, turmeric, tamarind, asafoetida and other spices are also used in the preparation.
Kurdish cuisine consists of a wide variety of foods prepared by the Kurdish people. There are cultural similarities of Kurds and their immediate neighbours in Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and Armenia. Kurdish food is typical of western Asian cuisine.
Fried onions are slices of onions that are either pan fried (sautéed) or deep fried — and consumed as a popular snack food, garnish, or vegetable accompaniment to various recipes.
Panta bhat or poitabhat consists of cooked rice soaked and fermented in water. The liquid part is known as Toraṇi. It is a rice-based dish prepared by soaking rice, generally leftover, in water overnight. Traditionally served in the morning with salt, onion, chili and mashed potatoes or "Alu Bhorta". It is consumed in eastern Indian states of West Bengal, Odisha (Pakhala), Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Tripura and also in the country of Bangladesh. It is a popular dish on the day of Pahela Baishakh or Bengali new year. It has been described in documents from 17th century. Panta bhat has more micronutrients than fresh rice. It is traditionally considered as beneficial in conditions.
Afghan cuisine is influenced to a certain extent by Persian, Central Asian and Indian cuisines due to Afghanistan's close proximity and cultural ties. The cuisine is halal and mainly based on mutton, beef, poultry and fish with rice and Afghan bread. Accompanying these are common vegetables and dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, whey, etc., and fresh and dried fruits such as apples, apricots, grapes, bananas, oranges, plums, pomegranates, sweet melons, raisins, etc. The diet of most Afghans revolve around rice-based dishes, while various forms of naan is consumed with most meals. Tea is generally consumed daily in large quantities, and is a major part of hospitality. The culinary specialties reflect the nation's ethnic and geographic diversity. The national dish of Afghanistan is Qabili Palau, a rice dish cooked with raisins, carrots, nuts and lamb or beef.
Dahi chutney is strained dahi that is mixed into a chutney of mint and onions, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is popular in South India and is a side dish along with mirchi ka salan for the popular Hyderabadi biryani.
The Thalassery cuisine refers to the distinct cuisine from Thalassery town of northern Kerala, which has blended in Arabian, Persian, Indian and European styles of cooking as a result of its long history as a maritime trading post.
Street food, as in other areas of India, are popular in Chennai, despite the common belief in India that street food is unhealthy. The idly sambhar is a popular dish, which is served as breakfast or dinner. Apart from regular South Indian street food, the city's streets are also filled with several North Indian street food outlets, most of them established by North Indian migrants themselves. Gujarati and Burmese are also available. Street food in Chennai is so popular that a game had developed based on the TV show The Amazing Race where contestants have to follow clues to street-food spots in the city.
Borhani, is a traditional yogurt-like drink from Bangladesh. Borhani is made from sour doi, green chilli, mustard seeds, black salt, coriander and mint. It is considered by some to be a type of lassi. It is very commonly consumed in Dhaka and Chittagong regions of Bangladesh, where it is drunk in special events such as weddings and iftar gatherings in Ramadan. It is normally drank after heavy meals such as biryani (Kacchhi) and polao and morog Polao in order to aid digestion although appetizer borhanis do exist.
Akhni is a mixed rice dish with its origins among the Bengali Muslims of Chittagong and Sylhet, in eastern Bangladesh. It is often considered to be a particular variation of biryani or polao. The dish is especially popular in restaurants throughout Bangladesh, as well as among the diaspora across the world. The dish is a staple in Chittagong, where it is said to be consumed every week by the average Chittagonian person. During Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, the dish is popularly eaten at Iftar meals across Sylhet too.
Nazirabazar is a neighborhood of Dhaka. It is situated in old part of the city. There are many shoe factories. This place is famous for many restaurants and eateries also.
Beauty Lacchi and Faluda is a store that was established on 15 June 1922 in Dacca, Bengal Presidency, British Raj. It was opened by Abdul Aziz in the purpose of selling Lassi and Lemonade.
