Traditional recipes
Time-honoured dishes from every region, with their history and meaning.
Showing 121–180 of 977
- Gushtaba
गोश्ताबा
Large, soft balls of pounded mutton simmered in a yoghurt gravy, traditionally the last main dish of a Kashmiri Wazwan.
Kashmir valley2 hrNon-vegetarian - Idiyappam (nool puttu)
इडियप्पम
Fine strings of rice dough pressed through a mould and steamed into soft nests, eaten with coconut milk, stew or egg curry.
Kerala40 minVegan - Kangshoi
कांगशोई
A light, brothy stew of seasonal vegetables with ginger, onion leaves and dried fish, eaten with rice every day in Manipur.
Manipur30 minNon-vegetarian - Ker sangri
केर सांगरी
A dry dish of desert berries (ker) and khejri beans (sangri), cooked with spices and dried mango powder.
Western Rajasthan (Marwar)30 min + overnight soakingVegan - Khandvi
खांडवी
Thin rolls of gram flour cooked in buttermilk, tempered with mustard seeds, sesame and curry leaves.
Gujarat35 minVegetarian - Lakshadweep octopus fry
लक्षद्वीप ऑक्टोपस फ्राई
Tender octopus from the lagoon, boiled and then fried dry with chilli, pepper, garlic and curry leaves.
Lakshadweep1 hourNon-vegetarian - Macher jhol (everyday fish curry)
माछेर झोल
A light, thin curry of rohu or katla with potatoes and vegetables, flavoured with cumin, ginger and panch phoron, eaten with rice in Bengali homes every day.
West Bengal40 minNon-vegetarian - Matar ka nimona
मटर का निमोना
A rustic winter curry of crushed fresh green peas, potatoes and spices, loved across eastern UP and eaten with rice.
Purvanchal (eastern Uttar Pradesh)40 minVegan - Milagu rasam (pepper rasam)
मिलगु रसम (काली मिर्च रसम)
A thin, peppery tamarind broth with cumin and garlic, drunk as a soup or poured over rice, and the home remedy for colds.
Tamil Nadu20 minVegan - Mirchi ka salan
मिर्ची का सालन
Long green chillies in a tangy gravy of peanuts, sesame, coconut and tamarind; the classic side dish for Hyderabadi biryani.
Hyderabad, Telangana45 minVegan - Monpa momos
मोनपा मोमो
Steamed dumplings of thin wheat dough filled with minced meat or vegetables and cheese, served with a fiery chilli paste.
Tawang and West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh1 hour 15 minNon-vegetarian - Pindi chole
पिंडी छोले
Dark, dry-style chickpeas cooked with tea leaves for colour and tossed with roasted spices and amchur, without onion-tomato gravy.
Punjab1 hour + overnight soakingVegan - Pork vindalho (vindaloo)
पोर्क विंदालू
Pork cooked in a hot, sour masala of red chillies, garlic and vinegar, a Goan Catholic dish that keeps well for days.
Goa2 hr + overnight marinatingNon-vegetarian - Pork with anishi
अनिशी के साथ पोर्क
An Ao Naga dish of pork cooked with anishi, cakes of fermented and smoked colocasia leaves.
Nagaland (Mokokchung, Ao Naga)1 hourNon-vegetarian - Pork with mustard greens
सरसों के पत्तों के साथ पोर्क
A simple Mizo dish of boiled pork cooked with mustard greens (antam), ginger and chilli.
Mizoram1 hourNon-vegetarian - Punugulu
पुनुगुलु
Crisp, round fritters of rice and urad dal batter, a popular evening snack on the streets of Vijayawada and Guntur.
Andhra Pradesh (Krishna and Guntur districts)25 min (with ready batter)Vegetarian - Rajma chawal
राजमा चावल
Kidney beans slow-cooked in an onion-tomato gravy, served with steamed rice: a Sunday lunch in many Chandigarh homes.
Chandigarh (Punjabi cooking)1 hr + overnight soakingVegetarian - Rava idli
रवा इडली
Soft steamed cakes of semolina and curd tempered with mustard, cashews and curry leaves, a Bengaluru breakfast that needs no fermenting.
Karnataka (Bengaluru)40 minVegetarian - Sepu vadi
सेपू वड़ी
Fried dumplings of urad dal simmered in a spiced spinach gravy, the signature dish of the Mandi dham.
Mandi, Himachal Pradesh1 hr 15 min + 6 hours soakingVegetarian - Skyu
स्क्यू
Thumb-shaped wheat dough pieces cooked with root vegetables in a broth, often finished with milk.
Ladakh45 minVegetarian - Tandoori chicken
तंदूरी चिकन
Chicken marinated in curd and spices and roasted in a clay tandoor until smoky and charred at the edges.
Delhi and Punjab1 hour + 6 hours marinatingNon-vegetarian - Vada pav
वडा पाव
A spiced potato fritter in a soft bun with garlic chutney: Mumbai's favourite street snack.
Mumbai and Maharashtra40 minVegetarian - Vadouvan (vadagam) spice mix
वडगम मसाला
Sun-dried balls of shallots, garlic, mustard and curry leaves that flavour curries and tempering in Tamil and Puducherry kitchens.
Puducherry and Tamil Nadu1 hr + 4–5 days sun-dryingVegan - Akki rotti
अक्की रोटी
Rice-flour flatbread mixed with onion, dill, coconut and green chillies, patted out by hand on a griddle.
Karnataka (Old Mysore and Malnad)30 minVegan - Amritsari fish
अमृतसरी मछली
Pieces of river fish coated in a spiced gram-flour batter with ajwain and deep-fried, a winter street-food speciality of Amritsar.
Amritsar, Punjab40 min + 30 min marinatingNon-vegetarian - Andaman tuna masala fry
अंडमान टूना मसाला फ्राई
Thick slices of fresh tuna rubbed with a chilli, lime and garlic masala and shallow-fried until crisp at the edges.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands30 min + 30 min marinatingNon-vegetarian - Angakar roti
अंगाकर रोटी
A thick rice-flour flatbread baked slowly on a pan and then over embers, crisp outside and soft inside.
Chhattisgarh40 minVegan - Bagara baingan
बघारे बैंगन
Small brinjals cooked whole in a rich, tangy gravy of peanuts, sesame, coconut and tamarind.
Hyderabad, Telangana45 minVegan - Banarasi tamatar chaat
बनारसी टमाटर चाट
Varanasi's own chaat: a hot, tangy mash of tomatoes and potatoes cooked in ghee, topped with crushed namak para and sweet syrup.
Varanasi30 minVegetarian - Chhena gaja
छेना गजा
Rectangles of chhena and semolina, fried and soaked in sugar syrup until it forms a light crust. A speciality of Pahala and Puri.
Odisha1 hourVegetarian - Chhutagi
छुटागी
Bow-shaped pieces of wheat dough cooked in a vegetable broth, a Ladakhi favourite for family meals.
Ladakh50 minVegan - Chura dahi with gur
चूड़ा दही गुड़
Flattened rice with thick curd and jaggery, the traditional meal of Makar Sankranti in Bihar.
Bihar10 minVegetarian - Daman prawn masala
दमन झींगा मसाला
Prawns cooked in a thick, spicy onion-tomato masala with garlic and chilli, a popular seafood dish in Daman’s homes and eateries.
Daman35 minNon-vegetarian - Eral thokku (prawn masala)
एराल तोक्कु (झींगा मसाला)
Prawns cooked down in a thick, spicy masala of shallots, tomato and pepper until the gravy clings to them.
Puducherry and Karaikal35 minNon-vegetarian - Galho
गल्हो
A soft, warming rice porridge cooked with vegetables, greens and smoked meat, a Naga comfort food.
Nagaland50 minNon-vegetarian - Garadu
गराडू
Cubes of purple yam fried crisp and tossed with a tangy spice mix and lemon, a winter street snack of Indore.
Madhya Pradesh (Indore and Malwa)35 minVegan - Garelu
गारेलु
Ring-shaped fritters of ground urad dal, crisp outside and soft inside, made for Sankranti and other festivals.
Andhra Pradesh40 min + 4 hours soakingVegetarian - Haryanvi kadhi
हरियाणवी कढ़ी
A thin, tangy kadhi of sour buttermilk and gram flour, simmered long and tempered with fenugreek, eaten with rice or bajra roti.
Haryana45 minVegetarian - Kadhi pakora
कढ़ी पकौड़ा
A tangy curd and gram-flour curry with soft onion fritters, simmered slowly and served with rice.
Chandigarh (Punjabi and Haryanvi cooking)1 hrVegetarian - Kerala (Malabar) parotta
केरल परोट्टा
A flaky, layered flatbread of maida dough stretched paper-thin, coiled and pan-fried, sold in tea shops and hotels across Kerala.
Kerala1 hr 15 min including restingVegetarian - Khaman
खमण
Spongy, steamed gram flour cakes, soaked in a sweet-sour tempering. Often confused with dhokla, which is made from a fermented rice and lentil batter.
Gujarat35 minVegetarian - Khura (buckwheat pancakes)
खुरा (कुट्टू के पैनकेक)
Thick, soft pancakes of buckwheat flour cooked on a griddle, a Monpa breakfast eaten with butter tea and chilli-cheese relish.
Tawang and West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh30 minVegetarian - Kosha mangsho
कोशा मांगशो
Mutton slow-cooked with onions, ginger, garlic and spices and stirred until the dark, thick masala clings to the meat.
West Bengal2 hours + 2 hours marinatingNon-vegetarian - Kumaoni raita
कुमाऊँनी रायता
A sharp, yellow raita of grated hill cucumber, curd and ground mustard seeds that tingles the nose.
Kumaon, Uttarakhand20 min + 1 hour restingVegetarian - Laal maas
लाल मांस
A fiery red mutton curry coloured and flavoured by Mathania chillies, ghee and curd.
Rajasthan (Mewar and Marwar)1 hour 30 minNon-vegetarian - Masmin chammanthi
मासमिन चम्मंती
A dry chutney of roasted, crushed masmin (dried tuna) with coconut, chilli and shallots.
Lakshadweep20 minNon-vegetarian - Masor pitika (mashed fish)
मासोर पिटिका
Roasted or boiled fish mashed with mustard oil, onion and chillies, a quick and flavourful Assamese side dish.
Assam25 minNon-vegetarian - Matar ghugni (dried pea curry)
मटर घुघनी
Dried yellow or white peas cooked with onion, tomato and spices into a thick curry, the usual partner of dhuska in Jharkhand.
Jharkhand45 min + overnight soakingVegan - Morok metpa
मोरोक मेत्पा
A fiery chutney of roasted chillies, fermented fish, onion and herbs, served on the side of every Manipuri meal.
Manipur15 minNon-vegetarian - Mosdeng serma
मोसदेंग सेरमा
A fiery, uncooked chutney of fresh chillies, roasted tomatoes and berma, served on the side of every Tripuri meal.
Tripura15 minNon-vegetarian - Nihari (Old Delhi style)
निहारी (पुरानी दिल्ली)
Mutton shank stewed overnight with a special spice blend into a thick, silky gravy, eaten early in the morning around Jama Masjid.
Old Delhi6–8 hoursNon-vegetarian - Pav bhaji
पाव भाजी
A buttery mash of vegetables cooked with pav bhaji masala on a hot griddle, served with toasted buttered pav.
Mumbai, Maharashtra45 minVegetarian - Rista
रिस्ता
Pounded mutton meatballs in a fiery red gravy of Kashmiri chillies and fennel, a favourite of the Wazwan.
Kashmir valley2 hrNon-vegetarian - Sawhchiar
सौहचियार
A thick, comforting dish of rice cooked with chicken or pork until soft, seasoned with ginger and salt.
Mizoram1 hourNon-vegetarian - Sinki soup
सिंकी सूप
A sour soup of sinki, fermented and sun-dried radish roots, a winter food of Sikkim’s farming families.
Sikkim25 minVegan - Sorpotel
सोरपोतेल
A spicy, vinegar-soured dish of finely diced pork and liver, cooked for Goan Catholic feasts and said to taste better each day.
Goa2 hr 30 min + restingNon-vegetarian - Teliya maah
तेलिया माह
Whole black urad dal cooked slowly with mustard oil and whole spices, a dark, thick dal of the Himachali dham.
Mandi and Kangra, Himachal Pradesh1 hr 30 min + overnight soakingVegan - Tungrymbai
तुंगरिम्बाई
Fermented soybeans cooked with pork, black sesame and spices. A pungent, much-loved Khasi dish.
Meghalaya (Khasi and Jaintia Hills)40 minNon-vegetarian - Vatha kuzhambu
वथा कुलम्बु
A thick, tangy tamarind gravy made with sun-dried vegetable or berry vathal, cooked in gingelly oil and eaten with hot rice.
Tamil Nadu30 minVegan - Andaman squid fry
अंडमान स्क्विड फ्राई
Rings of fresh squid tossed with onion, chilli, curry leaves and pepper and fried quickly so they stay tender.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands30 minNon-vegetarian