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Most of the food items which define modern North Indian and Subcontinental cooking have origins inside the Indian subcontinent though many foods that are now a part of them are based on fruits and vegetables that originated outside the Indian subcontinent.
| Vegetable | Hindi name | Tamil name | Telugu name | Kannada name | Origin | Likely time of introduction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitter Melon | karela | Paavarkai | Kaakara kaaya | Haagalu kaayi | Africa [1] | ||
| Cabbage | Patta Gobhi | Muṭṭaikkōs | Ele koosu | Possibly European | During colonial times [2] | Derived from Wild Mustard | |
| Calabash | Lauki/Pankaj | Curaikkāy | Anapukaya,sorakaya | Sore kaayi | China/Japan [3] | ||
| Cauliflower | Phool Gobhi | kosu puvvu | Hoo kosu | Cyprus [4] [5] | 1822 CE [6] | ||
| Chili pepper | Mirch | Miḷakāy | mirapakaya | Menasina kaayi | Mesoamerica [7] | 1550 CE [7] | india |
| Coriander | Dhaniya | Kottamalli | kotthimeera | Kothamari soppu | North Africa [8] or Mediterranean | 1000 AD [9] by Arabs | Mentioned in ancient Egypt |
| Brinjal | Baingan | Kattirikkāy | vankaya | Badane kaayi | India/China [10] | ||
| Fenugreek | Methi | Ventayam | menthi koora | Menthya | Near East [11] | 326 BC [12] | Alexander's campaign to India |
| Garlic | Lahsoon | Pūṇṭu | Velluli/Elligadda | Belluli | possibly Middle East [13] | Unknown | |
| Lemon | Neembú | Elumiccai | nimmakaya | Nimbe hannu | South China or Northeastern India [14] | 2000-1000 BC [14] | Lemon seeds found in the Harappan Bara culture excavations indicate time of spread [14] |
| Moringa | Muruṅkai | Munakkaada | Nugge kaayi | India | |||
| Okra | Bhindi | Veṇṭaikkāy | Bendakaaya | Bende kaayi | Highlands of Ethiopia and india [15] | 100-500 CE [15] | |
| Onion | Pyaaz | Veṅkāyam | Ulligadda,ullipaya,erragadda | Eerulli | India [ citation needed ] | Unknown, but present by 500 BCE [16] | Mentioned in the Charaka Samhita |
| Potato | Aloo | Uruḷaikkiḻaṅku | Bangala Dumpa/Aloo Gadda | Aloo gadde | South America (Peru/Bolivia) [17] | 1600 CE | Likely introduced by Portuguese traders |
| Sweet Potato | Shakarkand | Iṉippu uruḷaikkiḻaṅku | Chilagada dumpa | Sihi genasu | South America [18] | 1600 CE) | Via Portugal |
| Taro | Arbi / Arwi/ Guhiyaan | Seppankizhangu | Chaamadumpa, chaamagadda | Unknown (India, Polynesia or SE Asia) | Unknown | ||
| Tomato | Tamatar | Takkāḷi | Tamata / rama phalam | Goode hannu | Latin America (Mexico to Peru) [19] | 1600 CE | Likely introduced by Portuguese traders |
| Turnip | Shalgham | Ṭarṉip | Gedde kosu | West Asia or Eastern Europe [ citation needed ] | 1500 BC | Very early presence in the South Asia | |
| Yam | Zimikand/Suran/kachalu/banda | Karunai kizhangu | Kanda | Genasu | Africa/Asia [ citation needed ] | 7000 BCE | Different types of yams by taste, colour, size, skin, acidity |
| Fruit | Hindi Name | Telugu Name | Tamil Name | Origin | Likely time of introduction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | Seb | Āppiḷ | Central Asia (Kazakhstan) [20] | Unknown | ||
| Mango | Aam | Mamidi Pandu | Māṅkaṉi | India | Unknown | Mango is mentioned by Hendrik van Rheede, the Dutch commander of the Malabar region in his 1678 book |
| Mulberry | Shehtoot/Toot | Malperi | China/Japan | Unknown | Its white type is toxic whereas red is very sweet | |
| Orange | Santara [ citation needed ] | Kamalapandu | Ārañcu | India | Unknown | A sweeter Indian variety was introduced by the Portuguese in Europe (ca. 15th century) |
| Plum | Aloo Bokhara | Piḷam | Armenia | Unknown | ||
| Tamarind | Hunase Hannu/ Imli | Chintakaya/Chintapandu | Puḷi | Africa | Unknown | Known for savourish taste, the fruit has mention since Harappan times |
| Tangerine | Narangi | Narinja Pandu | Ṭēṅkariṉ | China | Unknown |
The turnip or white turnip is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, fleshy taproot. Small, tender varieties are grown for human consumption, while larger varieties are grown as feed for livestock. The name turnip – used in many regions – may also include rutabaga, neep or swede.
Einkorn wheat can refer either to a wild species of wheat (Triticum) or to its domesticated form. The wild form is T. boeoticum, and the domesticated form is T. monococcum. Einkorn is a diploid species of hulled wheat, with tough glumes ('husks') that tightly enclose the grains. The cultivated form is similar to the wild, except that the ear stays intact when ripe and the seeds are larger. The domestic form is known as "petit épeautre" in French, "Einkorn" in German, "einkorn" or "littlespelt" in English, "piccolo farro" in Italian and "escanda menor" in Spanish. The name refers to the fact that each spikelet contains only one grain.
Sesame is a plant in the genus Sesamum, also called benne or gingelly. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods. World production in 2018 was 6 million tonnes, with Sudan, Myanmar, and India as the largest producers.
Emmer wheat or hulled wheat is a type of awned wheat. Emmer is a tetraploid. The domesticated types are Triticum turgidum subsp. dicoccum and T. t. conv. durum. The wild plant is called T. t. subsp. dicoccoides. The principal difference between the wild and the domestic forms is that the ripened seed head of the wild plant shatters and scatters the seed onto the ground, while in the domesticated emmer, the seed head remains intact, thus making it easier for humans to harvest the grain.
The cucumber is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the family Cucurbitaceae that bears cylindrical to spherical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables. Considered an annual plant, there are three main types of cucumber—slicing, pickling, and seedless—within which several cultivars have been created. The cucumber originates in Asia extending from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, China, and Northern Thailand, but now grows on most continents, and many different types of cucumber are grown commercially and traded on the global market. In North America, the term wild cucumber refers to plants in the genera Echinocystis and Marah, though the two are not closely related.
The radish is an edible root vegetable of the mustard family, Brassicaceae, that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman times.
A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit. Botanically, a melon is a kind of berry, specifically a "pepo". The word melon derives from Latin melopepo, which is the latinization of the Greek μηλοπέπων (mēlopepōn), meaning "melon", itself a compound of μῆλον (mēlon), "apple", treefruit " and πέπων (pepōn), amongst others "a kind of gourd or melon". Many different cultivars have been produced, particularly of cantaloupes.
Indian cuisine consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to the Indian subcontinent. Given the diversity in soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits.
Fenugreek is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients in dishes from the Indian subcontinent, and have been used as a culinary ingredient since ancient times. Its use as a food ingredient in small quantities is safe.
Coriander, also known as cilantro, is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the parts most traditionally used in cooking.
Momordica charantia is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit. Its many varieties differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit.
Cress, sometimes referred to as garden cress to distinguish it from similar plants also referred to as cress, is a rather fast-growing, edible herb.
Paneer, also known as panir, is a fresh acid-set cheese common in the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent made from full-fat buffalo milk or cow milk. It is a non-aged, non-melting soft cheese made by curdling milk with a fruit- or vegetable-derived acid, such as lemon juice.
The founder crops or primary domesticates are a group of flowering plants that were domesticated by early farming communities in Southwest Asia and went on to form the basis of agricultural economies across Eurasia. As originally defined by Daniel Zohary and Maria Hopf, they consisted of three cereals, four pulses, and flax. Subsequent research has indicated that many other species could be considered founder crops. These species were amongst the first domesticated plants in the world.
The mustard plant is any one of several plant species in the genera Brassica, Rhamphospermum and Sinapis in the family Brassicaceae. Mustard seed is used as a spice. Grinding and mixing the seeds with water, vinegar, or other liquids creates the yellow condiment known as prepared mustard. The seeds can also be pressed to make mustard oil, and the edible leaves can be eaten as mustard greens. Many vegetables are cultivated varieties of mustard plants; domestication may have begun 6,000 years ago.
Nigella sativa is an annual flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to eastern Europe and western Asia, but naturalized over a much wider area, including parts of Europe, northern Africa and east to Myanmar. It is used as a spice in many cuisines.
The carrot is a root vegetable, typically orange in color, though heirloom variants including purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot, Daucus carota, native to Europe and Southwestern Asia. The plant probably originated in Persia and was originally cultivated for its leaves and seeds. The most commonly eaten part of the plant is the taproot, although the stems and leaves are also eaten. The domestic carrot has been selectively bred for its enlarged, more palatable, less woody-textured taproot.
The history of Indian cuisine consists of cuisine of the Indian subcontinent, which is rich and diverse. The diverse climate in the region, ranging from deep tropical to alpine, has also helped considerably broaden the set of ingredients readily available to the many schools of cookery in India. In many cases, food has become a marker of religious and social identity, with varying taboos and preferences which has also driven these groups to innovate extensively with the food sources that are deemed acceptable.
Bara Culture was a culture that emerged in the eastern region of the Indus Valley civilization around 2000 BCE. It developed in the doab between the Yamuna and Sutlej rivers, hemmed on its eastern periphery by the Shivalik ranges of the lower Himalayas. This territory corresponds to modern-day Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh in North India. Older publications regard the Baran pottery to have initially developed independently of the Harappan culture branch of the Indus Valley Civilization from a pre-Harappan tradition, although the two cultures later intermingled in locations such as Kotla Nihang Khan and Bara, Punjab. According to Akinori Uesugi and Vivek Dangi, Bara pottery is a stylistic development of Late Harappan pottery. In the conventional timeline demarcations of the Indus Valley Tradition, the Bara culture is usually placed in the Late Harappan period.
