Traditional recipes
Time-honoured dishes from every region, with their history and meaning.
Showing 181–240 of 977
- Bhel puri
भेळ पुरी
Puffed rice tossed with sev, onion, potato and sweet and spicy chutneys, sold on Mumbai's beaches.
Mumbai, Maharashtra15 minVegan - Chana ghugni
चना घुघनी
Black gram cooked with onion and spices, eaten with chura or puffed rice as a breakfast or evening snack.
Bihar40 min + overnight soakingVegan - Chhena jhili
छेना झिली
Soft fried chhena dumplings soaked in syrup, a speciality of the town of Nimapada in Puri district.
Odisha (Nimapada, Puri district)1 hourVegetarian - Chicken cafreal
चिकन कैफ्रियल
Chicken marinated in a bright green paste of coriander, green chillies, garlic and spices, then pan-fried, a Goan favourite with bread or rice.
Goa1 hr + 2 hr marinatingNon-vegetarian - Chicken with bamboo shoot
बांस की कोंपल के साथ चिकन
Country chicken cooked with fresh or fermented bamboo shoot, ginger and chilli in a light broth.
Nagaland50 minNon-vegetarian - Chura matar
चूड़ा मटर
Flattened rice tossed in ghee with fresh green peas, spices and a little milk or malai: a winter breakfast of Varanasi.
Varanasi and eastern Uttar Pradesh25 minVegetarian - Daman crab masala
दमन केकड़ा मसाला
Mud crabs cooked in a rich, spicy masala of onion, roasted coconut and red chilli, made for special meals on the Daman coast.
Daman1 hrNon-vegetarian - Dhaba-style chicken curry
ढाबा चिकन करी
A rustic, spicy chicken curry in the style of the highway dhabas around Chandigarh, with onion, tomato and whole spices.
Chandigarh and the surrounding Punjab and Haryana highways1 hr 15 minNon-vegetarian - Double ka meetha
डबल का मीठा
Bread fried in ghee, soaked in saffron-cardamom syrup and finished with thickened milk and nuts; Hyderabad's favourite wedding dessert.
Hyderabad, Telangana50 minVegetarian - Handvo
हांडवो
A savoury baked cake of fermented rice and lentil batter with bottle gourd, crisp on the outside and soft inside.
Gujarat1 hr + soaking and fermentingVegetarian - Hara dhania cholia
हरा धनिया छोलिया
Fresh green chickpeas cooked with a large bunch of green coriander, a winter vegetable dish of Haryana.
Haryana35 minVegetarian - Jharkhandi tomato chutney
झारखंडी टमाटर चटनी
Tomatoes roasted over a flame and crushed with garlic, green chilli, coriander and mustard oil, a sharp, smoky chutney served with dhuska and rice.
Jharkhand20 minVegan - Jolada rotti
जोलद रोटी
Thin, crisp flatbreads of jowar (sorghum) flour patted out by hand, the daily bread of north Karnataka.
North Karnataka (Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Belagavi, Dharwad and nearby)40 minVegan - Kangri khatta
कांगड़ी खट्टा
A sweet-and-sour dish of chickpeas or pumpkin with tamarind or dried mango and jaggery, served towards the end of the Kangra dham.
Kangra, Himachal Pradesh45 min + overnight soakingVegan - Khopra pattice
खोपरा पैटीज़
Potato patties stuffed with sweet-spicy coconut, dry fruits and green chilli, fried crisp. An Indore speciality.
Madhya Pradesh (Indore)45 minVegetarian - Koat pitha
कोअट पीठा
Sweet fritters of mashed ripe banana and rice flour, fried until crisp outside and soft inside.
Mizoram30 minVegan - Mirapakaya bajji (stuffed chilli fritters)
मिरपकाया बज्जी (भरवाँ मिर्च पकौड़े)
Large mild green chillies stuffed with a tangy filling, dipped in gram flour batter and fried: a favourite street snack of Guntur and Vijayawada.
Andhra Pradesh (Guntur and Krishna districts)35 minVegetarian - Mok mok (Ladakhi momos)
मोक मोक (लद्दाखी मोमो)
Steamed dumplings filled with spiced minced meat, served with soup and chilli sauce.
Ladakh1 hour 15 minNon-vegetarian - Mor kuzhambu
मोर कुलम्बु (छाछ की करी)
Sour buttermilk simmered with a ground coconut, chilli and cumin paste and vegetables such as ash gourd or okra.
Tamil Nadu25 minVegetarian - Nandu masala (crab curry)
नंडु मसाला (केकड़ा करी)
Mud crabs cooked in a peppery masala of roasted coconut, shallots and spices.
Puducherry coast1 hrNon-vegetarian - Olan
ओलन
A gentle sadya curry of ash gourd and red cowpeas simmered in coconut milk and finished with raw coconut oil and curry leaves.
Kerala35 min + soaking cowpeasVegan - Ooti
ऊटी
Dried peas cooked very soft with a little cooking soda, rice and spring onions into a thick, mild dish served at feasts.
Manipur1 hour + overnight soakingVegan - Phaanu
फाणू
A thick gravy of soaked and ground lentils, usually horse gram, cooked with greens and spices; a Garhwali comfort food.
Garhwal, Uttarakhand1 hr + overnight soakingVegan - Punjabi mutton curry (desi meat)
पंजाबी मटन करी (देसी मीट)
Goat meat slow-cooked with plenty of onions, ginger, garlic and whole spices until the gravy is thick and dark, as made in Punjabi village homes.
Punjab2 hoursNon-vegetarian - Safed maas
सफ़ेद मांस
A rich white mutton curry cooked in milk, cream, cashew and almond paste, without any red chilli.
Rajasthan (royal kitchens)1 hour 30 minNon-vegetarian - Seekh kebab (Jama Masjid style)
सीख कबाब
Spiced minced meat pressed onto long skewers and grilled over charcoal, sold from the busy kebab stalls of Old Delhi.
Old Delhi45 min + 2 hours restingNon-vegetarian - Tabak maaz
तबक माज़
Lamb ribs simmered in milk and spices, then fried in ghee until crisp outside and tender inside.
Kashmir valley1 hr 15 minNon-vegetarian - Til pitha
तिल पीठा
Thin rolls of sticky rice flour toasted on a pan and filled with sesame and jaggery, the best-known sweet of Magh Bihu.
Assam1 hour (plus soaking)Vegan - Tuna pickle
टूना अचार
Fried tuna pieces preserved in a vinegar, chilli and garlic masala, made to last through the monsoon.
Lakshadweep1 hourNon-vegetarian - Tungtap
तुंगताप
A strong chutney of fermented dried fish ground with onion, chilli and ginger, eaten in small amounts with rice.
Meghalaya (Khasi Hills)20 minNon-vegetarian - Wahan mosdeng (pork salad)
वाहान मोसदेंग (पोर्क सलाद)
Boiled and fire-roasted pork tossed with onion, chilli and ginger, a favourite Tripuri dish for gatherings.
Tripura1 hourNon-vegetarian - Zan (millet dough)
ज़ान (मडुआ का पिंड)
A thick, smooth dough-like porridge of finger-millet flour stirred into boiling water, eaten with vegetables, meat or chilli.
Arunachal Pradesh, especially among the Monpa of Tawang and West Kameng20 minVegan - Andaman dry fish chutney
अंडमान सूखी मछली की चटनी
Sun-dried fish roasted and pounded with onion, chilli, garlic and tamarind into a fiery chutney eaten with rice.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands30 minNon-vegetarian - Bajre ki roti
बाजरे की रोटी
Thick, hand-patted flatbreads of pearl millet, eaten with ghee, jaggery, garlic chutney or buttermilk in the desert winter.
Rajasthan30 minVegetarian - Bhetki paturi (fish steamed in banana leaf)
भेटकी पातुरी
Fillets of bhetki coated in mustard and coconut paste, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed or roasted on a tawa.
West Bengal40 minNon-vegetarian - Cabbage thoran
पत्तागोभी तोरन
Finely chopped cabbage stir-fried with a coarse paste of coconut, chilli and cumin, the everyday dry vegetable of Kerala homes.
Kerala25 minVegan - Champaran mutton (ahuna)
चंपारण मटन (अहुना)
Mutton slow-cooked with whole garlic and spices in a sealed clay pot over coals, from the Champaran region.
Bihar (Champaran)2 hoursNon-vegetarian - Chegodilu
चेगोडिलु
Crunchy rings of rice-flour dough studded with moong dal and sesame, a classic Telugu tea-time snack.
Andhra Pradesh50 minVegetarian - Chhum han (steamed vegetables)
छुम हान (भाप में पकी सब्ज़ियाँ)
Seasonal vegetables steamed or boiled with little or no oil and eaten with a fiery chilli chutney.
Mizoram20 minVegan - Chura sabji
चुरा सब्ज़ी
A spicy, creamy dish of fermented yak or cow-milk cheese (chura or churpi) cooked with chillies, onion and tomato.
Tawang and West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh20 minVegetarian - Diu pomfret masala fry
दीव पॉम्फ्रेट मसाला फ्राई
Whole pomfret scored and coated with a red masala of chilli, garlic and lemon, then pan-fried, a seafood favourite of Diu.
Diu40 minNon-vegetarian - Ennegai (stuffed brinjal curry)
एण्णेगाई
Small brinjals stuffed with a roasted peanut, sesame, coconut and spice paste and cooked in oil, the classic partner of jolada rotti.
North Karnataka45 minVegan - Fish cooked in bamboo
बांस में पकी मछली
River fish packed with ginger, chilli and herbs into a green bamboo tube and cooked in the embers.
Nagaland50 minNon-vegetarian - Gahat ki dal
गहत की दाल
Horse gram dal tempered with ghee or mustard oil, a winter favourite across Kumaon and Garhwal.
Uttarakhand1 hr + overnight soakingVegan - Ghila pitha
घिला पीठा
Small fried cakes of rice flour and jaggery, crisp outside and soft inside, made for Bihu and as a tea-time snack.
Assam40 min (plus soaking)Vegan - Gudok
गुदोक
Vegetables and fish or meat cooked without oil, often in a bamboo tube, then mashed with berma and chillies.
Tripura45 minNon-vegetarian - Gujarati kadhi
गुजराती कढ़ी
A thin, gently sweet and sour curd and gram flour soup tempered with ghee, cloves and curry leaves.
Gujarat25 minVegetarian - Indori dahi vada
इंदौरी दही बड़ा
Soft urad dal vadas in thick, lightly sweet curd, topped with spice powders and sometimes tossed high in the air as they are served.
Madhya Pradesh (Indore)40 min + soakingVegetarian - Kachri ki sabzi
कचरी की सब्ज़ी
Small wild desert melons (kachri) cooked with spices into a tangy dry dish, a speciality of the sandy south and west of Haryana.
Haryana (especially Bhiwani, Hisar, Mahendragarh and Rewari)30 minVegan - Keema matar
कीमा मटर
Minced goat meat cooked with green peas, onions, tomatoes and spices into a thick, dry curry, eaten with roti or paratha.
Punjab50 minNon-vegetarian - Keerai masiyal
कीरै मसियल (पालक भर्ता)
Greens such as amaranth cooked soft, mashed and tempered simply, a daily dish of Tamil homes.
Tamil Nadu20 minVegan - Kilanji
किलांजी
Thin crepes of rice flour and egg served with a sweet sauce of coconut and jaggery; a traditional island sweet dish.
Lakshadweep40 minEggetarian - Lucknowi aloo tikki chaat
लखनवी आलू टिक्की चाट
Crisp potato patties fried slowly on a flat tawa, topped with white pea curry, curd and chutneys.
Lucknow and across Uttar Pradesh1 hour (peas soaked overnight)Vegetarian - Mittha (sweet rice)
मिट्ठा
Rice cooked with sugar, ghee, saffron colour and dry fruits, a sweet served at the Himachali dham.
Himachal Pradesh45 minVegetarian - Mutton burra
मटन बर्रा
Large mutton chops marinated in spiced curd and roasted in the tandoor until smoky and tender.
Old Delhi1 hour + overnight marinatingNon-vegetarian - Nadru yakhni
नदरू यखनी
Slices of lotus stem cooked in a mild yoghurt gravy with fennel and dry ginger, a vegetarian favourite of Kashmir.
Kashmir valley45 minVegetarian