Traditional recipes
Time-honoured dishes from every region, with their history and meaning.
Showing 661–720 of 977
- Uppudu pindi
उप्पुडु पिंडी
A savoury Telangana breakfast of coarse rice rava cooked with chana dal, onions and green chillies.
Telangana30 minVegan - Aloo wadiyan
आलू वड़ियां
Sun-dried spiced urad-dal dumplings from Amritsar, fried and cooked with potatoes in a tomato-onion gravy.
Amritsar, Punjab45 minVegan - Alwar milk cake (kalakand)
अलवर का मिल्क केक (कलाकंद)
A grainy, caramel-centred milk sweet slowly cooked from milk and sugar, made famous by the sweet shops of Alwar.
Rajasthan (Alwar)2 hours + settingVegetarian - Amboli
आंबोळी
Soft, spongy fermented pancakes of rice and urad dal from the Malvan coast, eaten with chicken curry or chutney.
Malvan and Sindhudurg, Konkan, Maharashtra25 min + soaking and fermentingVegan - Badi chura
बड़ी चूरा
Sun-dried lentil dumplings (badi) fried and crushed with raw onion, garlic, chilli and mustard oil, eaten with pakhala.
Odisha10 minVegan - Bebinca
बेबिंका
The ‘queen of Goan desserts’: a dense cake of many thin layers of coconut milk, egg yolks, sugar and ghee, each layer grilled from the top.
Goa3 hrEggetarian - Bharwan lal mirch ka achar
भरवां लाल मिर्च का अचार
Fat red chillies stuffed with a mustard and fennel spice mix and sunned in mustard oil, a winter pickle.
Haryana and neighbouring north India45 min + 1–2 weeks in the sunVegan - Bhopali keema
भोपाली कीमा
Minced mutton cooked dry with onions, tomatoes and green chillies, a popular breakfast and dinner dish in old Bhopal.
Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal)45 minNon-vegetarian - Champhut
चम्फुत
Seasonal vegetables simply boiled with a little salt, served at Manipuri meals beside spicy eromba and chutneys.
Manipur25 minVegan - Chitranna (lemon rice)
चित्रान्न
Rice tossed with lemon juice, turmeric and a crunchy tempering of peanuts, dals, chillies and curry leaves.
Karnataka20 minVegan - Daulat ki chaat
दौलत की चाट
A cloud-light froth of sweetened milk and cream, whipped in the cold winter night and topped with saffron, khoya and nuts; sold only in winter in Old Delhi.
Old Delhi1 hour + overnight chillingVegetarian - Desi kukda (country chicken curry)
देसी कुकड़ा
Free-range country chicken cooked slowly in a spicy onion-tomato gravy, a favourite of village feasts in Chhattisgarh.
Chhattisgarh1 hour 30 minNon-vegetarian - Fish roasted in sal leaves
साल पत्ते में पकी मछली
Small river or pond fish mixed with mustard paste, garlic and chilli, wrapped in sal leaves and roasted in embers or on a pan.
Jharkhand45 minNon-vegetarian - Gaad te nadur (fish with lotus stem)
गाड ते नदुर
River or lake fish cooked with lotus stem in a red gravy of Kashmiri chillies and fennel, a winter favourite.
Kashmir valley50 minNon-vegetarian - Jonna rotte (jowar roti)
जोन्ना रोट्टे (ज्वार की रोटी)
Hand-patted flatbread of sorghum flour, a staple of Telangana's villages and a healthy millet bread.
Telangana, especially the drier districts40 minVegan - Kadhi pakodi
कढ़ी पकौड़ी
Sour curd and besan curry simmered slowly with soft gram-flour fritters, eaten with rice across Uttar Pradesh.
Across Uttar Pradesh1 hourVegetarian - Karimeen pollichathu
करिमीन पोल्लिचथु
Pearl spot fish from the backwaters, marinated, wrapped in banana leaf with a thick spicy masala and pan-roasted.
Kerala, especially Alappuzha and Kottayam backwaters1 hrNon-vegetarian - Kodra roti
कोदरा रोटी
A dark, wholesome flatbread of finger millet (kodra or ragi), traditional food in the hill villages of Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh (Shimla, Mandi, Chamba, Kullu and Sirmaur)30 minVegan - Madurai mutton chukka
मदुरै मटन चुक्का
Tender mutton pieces cooked dry with shallots, pepper and curry leaves, a specialty of Madurai's eateries.
Madurai and southern Tamil Nadu1 hourNon-vegetarian - Pisyun loon (hill flavoured salt)
पिस्यूं लूण
Salt ground by hand on a stone with garlic, green chilli and herbs, the everyday seasoning of Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand30 min + dryingVegan - Ragi sangati
रागी संगटी
Finger millet flour stirred into cooked rice to make soft balls, the staple of the dry Rayalaseema region, eaten with spicy curries.
Andhra Pradesh (Rayalaseema: Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur, Chittoor)30 minVegan - Sattu kachori
सत्तू कचौरी
Crisp fried pastries stuffed with tangy, spiced sattu, a popular teatime snack in Bihar.
Bihar50 minVegan - Sukhdi (gol papdi)
सुखड़ी (गोल पापड़ी)
A simple sweet of wheat flour roasted in ghee and set with jaggery, made in minutes for festivals and prasad.
Gujarat20 minVegetarian - Til diya kukura (chicken with black sesame)
तिल दिया कुकुरा
Chicken cooked in a thick, dark gravy of roasted and ground black sesame.
Assam1 hourNon-vegetarian - Arhar ki dal
अरहर की दाल
Simple pigeon-pea dal tempered with ghee, cumin and hing: the daily dal of the Uttar Pradesh thali.
Across Uttar Pradesh35 minVegetarian - Bajre ki meethi tikki
बाजरे की मीठी टिक्की
Small, sweet cakes of bajra flour and jaggery with sesame, fried in ghee, eaten on cold winter days.
Haryana30 minVegetarian - Bhoger khichuri
भोगेर खिचुड़ी
Fragrant Gobindobhog rice and roasted moong dal cooked with ghee, ginger and vegetables, the khichuri offered to the goddess at Durga Puja.
West Bengal1 hourVegetarian - Buransh sharbat (rhododendron squash)
बुरांश का शरबत
A ruby-red cooling drink made from the flowers of the rhododendron, Uttarakhand’s State tree, which blooms in spring.
Uttarakhand1 hrVegan - Chemmeen roast (prawn roast)
झींगा रोस्ट
Prawns cooked down with shallots, chilli and coconut slivers until dark and dry, finished with curry leaves and coconut oil.
Kerala, coastal districts40 minNon-vegetarian - Dahi baigana
दही बैगन
Fried brinjal slices in spiced, tempered curd. A cooling side dish for Odia meals.
Odisha25 minVegetarian - Deoghar peda
देवघर का पेड़ा
Brown, grainy milk sweets made by slowly reducing milk with sugar, famous as the prasad of Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar.
Jharkhand (Deoghar)1 hr 30 minVegetarian - Dodol
दोदोल
A dark, chewy sweet of rice flour, coconut milk and palm jaggery stirred for hours, a must on the Goan Christmas sweet tray.
Goa2 hrVegan - Gulgula (jaggery fritters)
गुलगुला
Soft, round fritters of wheat flour and jaggery, fried until brown, made for festivals and family occasions.
Chhattisgarh40 minVegan - Kashmiri harissa
कश्मीरी हरीसा
A rich winter breakfast of mutton slow-cooked overnight with rice until smooth, topped with hot oil and eaten with bread.
Kashmir valley (especially Srinagar)6–8 hours (slow cooking)Non-vegetarian - Kola urundai
कोला उरुंडै (कीमा बॉल्स)
Crisp fried balls of minced mutton, roasted gram, coconut and spices, a Chettinad party dish.
Chettinad and across Tamil Nadu45 minNon-vegetarian - Kolhapuri tambda rassa
कोल्हापुरी तांबडा रस्सा
A fiery red mutton curry from Kolhapur, coloured and spiced with the local chilli masala.
Kolhapur, Maharashtra1 hr 30 minNon-vegetarian - Lehsun ki chutney
लहसुन की चटनी
A fiery red garlic and chilli chutney, eaten with bajre ki roti, dal baati and snacks.
Rajasthan15 minVegan - Maati mahor dail (black gram dal)
माटी माहर दाइल
Whole or split black gram cooked soft with ginger and a light tempering, an everyday dal of Assam.
Assam45 min (plus soaking)Vegan - Mooli paratha
मूली पराठा
Whole-wheat flatbread stuffed with grated, squeezed white radish, green chilli and ajwain, cooked in ghee and eaten with white butter and curd.
Punjab45 minVegetarian - Natu kodi pulusu (country chicken curry)
नाटु कोडी पुलुसु (देसी मुर्गे की करी)
A hot, thin curry of free-range country chicken with freshly ground spices, the classic partner for ragi sangati.
Andhra Pradesh (Rayalaseema and villages across the State)1½ hoursNon-vegetarian - Parwal ki mithai
परवल की मिठाई
Pointed gourd candied in syrup and stuffed with sweet khoya, an unusual sweet shop favourite in Bihar.
Bihar1 hour 15 minVegetarian - Patrodu
पतरोडू
Colocasia leaves spread with spiced gram flour paste, rolled, steamed, sliced and fried; a rainy-season snack of Kangra and Mandi.
Kangra, Mandi and Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh1 hrVegan - Sarva pindi
सर्वा पिंडी
A crisp, savoury rice-flour pancake with chana dal, peanuts and sesame, patted into a pan and cooked with holes for the oil; Telangana's own tea-time snack.
Telangana40 minVegan - Shahi tukda
शाही टुकड़ा
Ghee-fried bread soaked in sugar syrup and covered with thick, saffron-scented rabri; a royal Mughlai dessert of Old Delhi.
Old Delhi1 hour 15 minVegetarian - Sheer khurma
शीर ख़ुरमा
Fine vermicelli cooked in milk with dates, nuts and cardamom, served to every guest on Eid ul-Fitr in Bhopal.
Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal), and Muslim households across India40 minVegetarian - Surti ghari
सूरती घारी
A rich sweet of mawa, dry fruits and puri dough, dipped in ghee, made in Surat for Chandani Padvo.
Surat, Gujarat1 hr 30 minVegetarian - Vangi bath
वांगी भात
Rice cooked with brinjals and a roasted spice powder of dals, coriander, chillies and coconut, a lunch-box favourite of Karnataka.
Karnataka40 minVegan - Chhanar dalna (chhena curry)
छानार डालना
Soft fried pieces of fresh chhena (cottage cheese) and potatoes in a light ginger and tomato gravy, a vegetarian dish for festive and niramish days.
West Bengal45 minVegetarian - Doodhpak
दूधपाक
A thick, creamy rice pudding slow-cooked in milk with saffron, cardamom and charoli nuts, eaten with puri.
Gujarat1 hrVegetarian - Gongura mamsam (mutton with gongura)
गोंगुरा मांसम (गोंगुरा मटन)
Tender mutton cooked with sour gongura (roselle) leaves and red chillies, one of the best-known Andhra meat dishes.
Andhra Pradesh1½ hoursNon-vegetarian - Gud ke chawal
गुड़ के चावल
Rice cooked with jaggery, ghee, fennel and dry fruits into a sweet dish for festivals and village feasts.
Haryana40 minVegetarian - Gulgule
गुलगुले
Small, soft fritters of wheat flour sweetened with jaggery, made in Himachali homes for festivals and offerings.
Himachal Pradesh40 minVegan - Kanika
कनिका
Fragrant sweet rice cooked in ghee with whole spices, cashews and raisins, part of the Mahaprasad of the Jagannath Temple.
Odisha40 minVegetarian - Kolhapuri pandhra rassa
कोल्हापुरी पांढरा रस्सा
A white, mildly spiced mutton broth with coconut milk and cashews, the cooling partner to tambda rassa.
Kolhapur, Maharashtra1 hr 15 minNon-vegetarian - Kosambari
कोसंबरी
A fresh salad of soaked moong dal with cucumber, carrot, coconut and lemon, served at festivals and weddings in Karnataka.
Karnataka15 min + 2 hours soakingVegan - Kothu parotta
कोत्तु परोटा
Shredded flaky parotta chopped on a hot griddle with egg, onion, tomato and salna, with the loud clang of two steel blades.
Madurai, Virudhunagar and across Tamil Nadu25 min (with ready parottas)Eggetarian