Indian Dishes भारतीय व्यंजन 69
Litti Chokha
Bihar's signature dish. Litti are wheat balls stuffed with sattu (roasted gram flour), ajwain, garlic, ginger, lemon and mustard oil, roasted over cow-dung cakes or coal and dipped in ghee. Chokha is smoky mashed baingan, tomato and aloo with mustard oil.
Champaran Mutton (Ahuna / Handi Meat)
Mutton slow-cooked in a sealed clay pot (ahuna/handi) over charcoal with whole garlic bulbs and mustard oil.
Thekua
Crunchy, jaggery-sweetened fried cookie pressed in a wooden mould, the sacred prasad of Chhath Puja.
Khaja
Flaky, many-layered fried sweet; Silao khaja has a GI tag.
Dal Pitha
Steamed rice dumplings stuffed with spiced lentil paste, Bihar's answer to momos.
Sattu Paratha
Paratha filled with sattu, onion, green chilli, ajwain and pickle oil.
Malpua (Bihari)
Fried sweet pancakes dipped in syrup, made at Holi in Bihar.
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
Tandoori chicken in a mild, buttery tomato gravy, created in Delhi by Punjabi refugees from Peshawar.
Tandoori Chicken
Yoghurt-marinated chicken roasted in a clay tandoor oven.
Chole Bhature
Tangy dark chickpea curry with large puffed fried bread.
Sarson ka Saag & Makki di Roti
Slow-cooked mustard greens with butter, eaten with maize-flour roti in Punjab's winter.
Rajma Chawal
Comfort food of North India: red kidney beans in thick gravy with rice. Jammu's small Bhaderwahi rajma are prized.
Dal Makhani
Black lentils simmered overnight with butter and cream.
Biryani (Hyderabadi)
Kacchi (raw-meat) dum biryani: marinated raw meat and par-cooked rice are layered and sealed with dough to cook in their own steam.
Biryani (Lucknowi / Awadhi)
Pakki style: meat and rice cooked separately then layered; subtle and fragrant.
Biryani (Kolkata)
Light, mildly spiced biryani with a famous potato, brought by the exiled Nawab of Awadh.
Biryani (Malabar / Thalassery)
Fragrant biryani using short-grain jeerakasala rice.
Rogan Josh
Red lamb curry from the Kashmiri wazwan feast; the colour comes from mild Kashmiri chillies and ratanjot.
Gushtaba
Velvety mutton meatballs in yoghurt, the last dish of the wazwan.
Dal Baati Churma
Hard-baked wheat rolls broken into ghee, eaten with five-lentil dal and sweet churma.
Laal Maas
Fiery red mutton curry, once made with game meat.
Gatte ki Sabzi
Steamed besan dumplings in tangy yoghurt curry, a dish of the dry desert.
Dhokla
Soft, spongy steamed savoury cake tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
Undhiyu
Mixed winter vegetables slow-cooked upside down in an earthen pot, made at Uttarayan.
Gujarati Thali
A balanced platter that is sweet, salty, sour and spicy at once; refills keep coming.
Vada Pav
Mumbai's iconic street food, created around 1966 by Ashok Vaidya near Dadar station.
Pav Bhaji
Spicy mashed vegetables cooked on a giant griddle with loads of butter, invented for textile-mill workers.
Misal Pav
Fiery sprout curry topped with crunchy farsan and onion.
Puran Poli
Sweet flatbread made for festivals like Holi and Gudi Padwa.
Malvani Fish Curry
Coconut fish curry soured with kokum.
Goan Fish Curry (Xitt Kodi)
Goa's everyday meal: tangy red coconut fish curry with rice.
Pork Vindaloo
From Portuguese 'carne de vinha d'alhos' (meat in wine and garlic); Goans used palm vinegar and chillies. Tangy, not just fiery.
Xacuti
Complex curry of roasted coconut and many spices.
Masala Dosa
Crisp fermented crêpe wrapped around potato masala; the Mysore version has red chutney spread inside.
Idli Sambar
Soft steamed cakes, one of the healthiest breakfasts in the world.
Bisi Bele Bath
Hot lentil rice from Karnataka.
Chettinad Chicken
Peppery, aromatic curry of the Chettiar merchant community.
Pongal
Ven pongal is savoury breakfast; sakkarai pongal is sweet and made at the harvest festival Pongal.
Kerala Sadya
Onam's grand vegetarian feast: avial, olan, thoran, sambar, rasam, payasam and more on a banana leaf.
Appam & Stew
Soft-centred, crisp-edged rice pancakes with a mild coconut milk stew, a Syrian Christian classic.
Karimeen Pollichathu
Pearl spot fish smeared in masala and cooked wrapped in banana leaf.
Puttu & Kadala
Steamed cylinders of rice and coconut.
Hyderabadi Haleem
Slow-pounded wheat and meat porridge, made during Ramadan; GI tagged.
Gongura Mutton
Spicy mutton cooked with sour gongura leaves; Andhra food is India's spiciest.
Machher Jhol
Light Bengali fish curry, everyday food.
Shorshe Ilish
Hilsa in pungent mustard sauce, the most loved Bengali dish.
Kosha Mangsho
Slow-fried, dark, rich mutton curry.
Rasgulla
Spongy cheese balls in light syrup; Kolkata's Nobin Chandra Das popularised it in 1868, while Odisha's version is offered at Puri temple.
Sandesh
Delicate fresh-cheese sweet, best with winter date-palm jaggery.
Mishti Doi
Sweet set yoghurt in clay pots.
Dalma
Odisha's lentil and vegetable stew, also offered at the Jagannath temple.
Chhena Poda
'Burnt cheese': caramelised baked cheesecake of Odisha.
Momos
Steamed dumplings from Tibet and Nepal that became India's favourite street snack.
Thukpa
Hearty Himalayan noodle soup.
Smoked Pork with Bamboo Shoot
Naga signature with fermented bamboo and the ghost chilli (bhut jolokia).
Masor Tenga
Light sour fish curry of Assam.
Kebabs of Lucknow (Galouti)
Melt-in-the-mouth kebab created for a toothless Nawab.
Nihari
Stew cooked overnight and eaten at dawn (nahar = morning).
Chaat (Papdi, Aloo Tikki, Golgappe)
North India's tangy-sweet-spicy snacks. Golgappe are called pani puri in Mumbai and puchka in Kolkata.
Samosa
Fried triangular pastry that travelled from Central Asia with traders in medieval times.
Paneer Tikka
Tandoor-grilled cubes of Indian cottage cheese.
Pani Puri
Crisp hollow puris filled with spiced tamarind-mint water.
Gulab Jamun
Fried milk dumplings in rose-cardamom syrup.
Jalebi
Crisp spirals soaked in syrup.
Kheer / Payasam
Slow-cooked rice pudding made for festivals; payasam in the south.
Kulfi
Dense, slow-melting frozen dessert.
Mysore Pak
Rich ghee fudge created in the Mysore Palace kitchen.
Petha
Translucent candy of ash gourd.
Modak
Steamed dumpling, Lord Ganesha's favourite sweet.
Asian Dishes एशियाई व्यंजन 40
Sushi
Sushi means the vinegared rice, not raw fish. Nigiri (hand-pressed) was Edo-era fast food; maki are rolls. Sashimi is raw fish without rice.
Ramen
Noodle soup adapted from Chinese noodles; each region has its broth: shoyu, miso, shio or creamy pork-bone tonkotsu.
Tempura
Ultra-light fried seafood and vegetables, from Portuguese influence.
Okonomiyaki
'Grill what you like': savoury pancake with sauce and mayo.
Takoyaki
Round octopus dumplings, Osaka's street snack.
Miso Soup
Daily soup of fermented soybean paste in dashi.
Kimchi
Fermented spicy cabbage; Korea's national side dish. Kimjang, the making of winter kimchi, is UNESCO heritage.
Bibimbap
'Mixed rice' topped with vegetables and egg; dolsot version sizzles in a stone bowl.
Korean BBQ (Samgyeopsal, Bulgogi)
Meat grilled at the table, wrapped in lettuce with garlic and ssamjang.
Tteokbokki
Chewy rice cakes in sweet-spicy red sauce, Seoul street food.
Peking Duck
Crisp-skinned roast duck carved at the table, a dish of the imperial kitchens.
Dim Sum
Small Cantonese dishes served with tea (yum cha) in the morning.
Mapo Tofu
Numbing-spicy (mala) tofu from Sichuan.
Kung Pao Chicken
Stir-fried chicken with peanuts; the Indo-Chinese version is different.
Xiaolongbao
Steamed dumplings that hold hot soup inside.
Hot Pot
Diners cook ingredients in a shared simmering pot, often fiery mala broth.
Hakka Noodles & Chilli Chicken (Indo-Chinese)
Indian-Chinese cuisine was created by Hakka Chinese settlers in Kolkata; Manchurian was invented in Mumbai in 1975.
Pad Thai
Stir-fried noodles promoted in the 1930s–40s as a national dish.
Tom Yum
Hot and sour soup; tom yum kung uses prawns.
Green Curry (Gaeng Keow Wan)
Thailand's hottest curry, sweetened with coconut.
Som Tam
Pounded green papaya salad: sour, salty, sweet, spicy.
Mango Sticky Rice
Sweet coconut sticky rice with ripe mango.
Pho
Clear, fragrant beef noodle soup spiced with star anise, cinnamon and charred ginger.
Bánh Mì
French baguette meets Vietnamese fillings.
Nasi Goreng
Indonesia's national fried rice.
Rendang
Beef slow-cooked for hours until the coconut milk caramelises; voted one of the world's best foods.
Satay
Grilled marinated skewers with peanut sauce.
Nasi Lemak
Malaysia's national dish.
Laksa
Spicy noodle soup of the Peranakan kitchen.
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Singapore's unofficial national dish.
Adobo
Meat braised in vinegar and soy; the Philippines' national dish.
Lechon
Spit-roasted whole pig with glass-crisp skin.
Momo & Dal Bhat
Dal bhat is eaten twice a day in Nepal ('dal bhat power, 24 hour').
Ema Datshi
Bhutan's national dish: chillies cooked as a vegetable in cheese.
Hoppers & Kottu Roti
Bowl-shaped hoppers (appa) and noisy kottu roti chopped on a griddle.
Kacchi Biryani (Dhaka)
Rich mutton biryani of Old Dhaka.
Nihari & Karahi
Lahore's breakfasts and Peshawar's karahi are famous across South Asia.
Plov (Osh)
Central Asia's rice pilaf cooked in a huge kazan; UNESCO heritage.
Beshbarmak
'Five fingers': eaten by hand.
Khorkhog
Meat cooked in a sealed can with heated stones.
Middle Eastern & African Dishes मध्य-पूर्व और अफ्रीकी व्यंजन 27
Hummus
Creamy chickpea and sesame dip claimed by several Levantine countries.
Falafel
Fried herb fritters, possibly first made by Coptic Christians in Egypt.
Shawarma
Thin slices from a vertical rotisserie, wrapped with toum and pickles.
Tabbouleh
Herb salad that is mostly parsley.
Mansaf
Jordan's national dish, eaten from a shared platter.
Kabsa
Spiced rice and meat, Saudi Arabia's national dish.
Mandi
Tender meat and rice cooked in a pit (taboon); now loved across the Gulf and Hyderabad.
Chelow Kabab
Iran's national dish: buttery saffron rice with koobideh kebab.
Ghormeh Sabzi
Dark herb stew, perhaps Iran's most beloved dish.
Fesenjan
Sweet-sour walnut and pomegranate stew.
Döner & İskender Kebab
İskender serves döner slices on bread with tomato sauce, sizzling butter and yoghurt.
Baklava
Layered filo with nuts and syrup; Gaziantep's pistachio baklava is protected.
Lahmacun
Crisp 'Turkish pizza'.
Koshari
Egypt's national street dish.
Ful Medames
Ancient breakfast of slow-cooked fava beans.
Couscous
Steamed semolina grains; Friday family meal. UNESCO heritage for four Maghreb countries.
Tagine
Stew slow-cooked in a cone-lidded clay pot of the same name.
Shakshuka
Eggs in spiced tomato sauce.
Injera & Doro Wat
Spongy teff flatbread is plate and spoon; doro wat is the festive chicken stew.
Jollof Rice
Smoky tomato rice; the 'Jollof wars' between Nigeria and Ghana are famous. Originated with the Wolof of Senegal.
Thieboudienne
Senegal's national dish of fish and broken rice; UNESCO heritage.
Fufu & Egusi Soup
Stretchy pounded starch dipped in soups.
Bunny Chow
Created by Durban's Indian community.
Bobotie
Cape Malay baked mince with custard top.
Braai & Boerewors
Barbecue culture; boerewors is a coiled spiced sausage.
Nyama Choma & Ugali
Grilled meat with stiff maize porridge and kachumbari salad.
Romazava
Madagascar's national beef and greens stew.
European Dishes यूरोपीय व्यंजन 45
Pizza Napoletana
Soft, blistered pizza baked 60–90 seconds at about 485°C. The Margherita's colours echo the Italian flag. Pizzaiuolo craft is UNESCO heritage.
Pasta Carbonara
Roman pasta with no cream: the sauce is egg, cheese and pork fat.
Cacio e Pepe
Three ingredients emulsified into a creamy sauce.
Lasagne
Baked layers of pasta, ragù and béchamel.
Tagliatelle al Ragù (Bolognese)
In Bologna ragù goes with tagliatelle, never spaghetti.
Risotto alla Milanese
Golden saffron risotto.
Pesto Genovese
Basil sauce pounded in a mortar.
Tiramisu
'Pick me up': coffee-soaked biscuits layered with mascarpone cream.
Gelato
Denser, less airy than ice cream, served slightly warmer.
Croissant
Flaky buttery pastry.
Coq au Vin
Chicken braised in Burgundy wine.
Bœuf Bourguignon
Beef stew braised in red wine.
Ratatouille
Provençal vegetable stew.
Bouillabaisse
Marseille's fishermen's stew.
Crêpes
Sweet crêpes and buckwheat galettes from Brittany.
Paella Valenciana
The original paella has no seafood; the crispy bottom is socarrat.
Tapas & Jamón Ibérico
Small plates eaten bar to bar; acorn-fed jamón ibérico de bellota is the finest ham.
Gazpacho
Cold blended vegetable soup.
Tortilla Española
Thick potato omelette.
Churros
Fried dough sticks dipped in thick hot chocolate.
Pastel de Nata
Custard tarts created by monks of Jerónimos Monastery.
Bacalhau
Portugal's 'faithful friend', said to have 365 recipes.
Fish and Chips
Britain's takeaway since the 1860s.
Full English Breakfast
A hearty fry-up.
Sunday Roast
Traditional Sunday family meal.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Claimed to have been invented in Glasgow by a Pakistani-origin chef; once called Britain's national dish.
Haggis
Scotland's national dish, eaten on Burns Night.
Irish Stew
Simple lamb and potato stew.
Bratwurst & Sauerkraut
Grilled sausage with sour cabbage.
Schnitzel (Wiener)
Real Wiener Schnitzel must be veal.
Sachertorte
Dense chocolate cake created in 1832.
Fondue & Raclette
Fondue: bread dipped in melted Gruyère and wine; raclette: melted cheese scraped onto potatoes.
Moules-Frites
Mussels with twice-fried fries.
Stroopwafel
Two thin waffles with caramel inside.
Smørrebrød
Open sandwiches on dense rye.
Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar)
With mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.
Pierogi
Half-moon dumplings, boiled or fried.
Borscht
Ruby-red beet soup; Ukrainian borscht culture is UNESCO heritage.
Pelmeni & Blini
Siberian dumplings and pancakes with caviar or jam.
Goulash
Paprika beef soup-stew of Hungarian herdsmen (gulyás).
Moussaka
Baked layers of aubergine and spiced meat.
Souvlaki & Gyros
Greek street food.
Greek Salad (Horiatiki)
Village salad, never with lettuce.
Khachapuri
Boat-shaped cheese bread with egg yolk.
Khinkali
Large twisted dumplings; hold by the knot and don't eat it.
Americas & Oceania Dishes अमेरिका और ओशिनिया के व्यंजन 25
Tacos al Pastor
Vertical-spit pork brought by Lebanese immigrants.
Mole Poblano
Complex sauce of 20+ ingredients.
Guacamole
Mashed avocado dip from the Aztecs.
Tamales
Steamed masa parcels, Mesoamerican since thousands of years.
Chiles en Nogada
In the colours of the Mexican flag.
Burger
The American classic.
Barbecue (Texas Brisket)
Low and slow smoked meats; each region has its style.
Gumbo & Jambalaya
Louisiana's African, French and Spanish heritage in a pot.
New York Pizza & Bagels
Italian and Jewish immigrant foods that defined New York.
Apple Pie
'As American as apple pie', though of English origin.
Poutine
Quebec's comfort food.
Ceviche
Fish 'cooked' in lime juice (leche de tigre).
Lomo Saltado
Stir-fry meeting of Peru and China.
Asado
Social barbecue ritual.
Empanadas
Baked or fried stuffed pastries.
Feijoada
Black bean and pork stew.
Pão de Queijo
Chewy cheese bread balls.
Arepas
Grilled corn cakes split and stuffed.
Bandeja Paisa
Huge platter of Colombia's coffee region.
Jerk Chicken
Spicy smoky grilled chicken.
Ropa Vieja
'Old clothes': shredded beef stew.
Pavlova
Meringue dessert named after ballerina Anna Pavlova.
Meat Pie & Lamingtons
Australian icons.
Hāngī
Māori earth-oven feast.
Poke
Hawaiian cubed raw fish.
Spices & Herbs मसाले 27
Turmeric (Haldi)
Earthy, bitter golden root; India grows about 75% of the world's supply. Gives curries their yellow colour.
Cumin (Jeera)
Warm, nutty seed; crackled whole in hot oil (tadka) or roasted and ground.
Cardamom (Elaichi)
The 'queen of spices': floral and sweet. Black cardamom (badi elaichi) is smoky.
Black Pepper (Kali Mirch)
The 'king of spices' and 'black gold', which drew European traders to Kerala.
Saffron (Kesar)
The world's most expensive spice by weight: about 150,000 flowers for 1 kg.
Cinnamon (Dalchini)
True cinnamon from Sri Lanka is delicate; cassia (common in India) is stronger.
Clove (Laung)
Intensely aromatic buds from the Spice Islands.
Nutmeg & Mace (Jaiphal, Javitri)
Two spices from one fruit, once worth more than gold.
Star Anise
Liquorice-like star-shaped pod; key to Chinese five-spice and pho.
Asafoetida (Hing)
Pungent resin that turns mellow and oniony in hot oil; used in Jain and Brahmin cooking instead of onion and garlic.
Mustard Seed (Rai, Sarson)
Popped in oil for South Indian tadka; ground raw for Bengali dishes.
Fenugreek (Methi)
Bitter seeds; dried leaves (kasuri methi) perfume butter chicken.
Garam Masala
A warming blend added near the end of cooking; every family has its own.
Panch Phoron
Bengal's five-seed tempering.
Ajwain (Carom)
Thyme-like seed aiding digestion; essential in litti, parathas, pakoras.
Kalonji (Nigella)
Small black seeds on naan and in pickles.
Kashmiri Chilli
Gives deep red colour with mild heat.
Bhut Jolokia (Ghost Pepper)
One of the world's hottest chillies, over 1 million Scoville units.
Sichuan Pepper
Not a pepper: causes a tingling numbness (ma) that pairs with chilli heat (la).
Za'atar
Herb blend for bread and oil.
Sumac
Tart red powder used like lemon.
Ras el Hanout
'Head of the shop': the spice seller's best blend.
Berbere
Ethiopia's red chilli blend.
Paprika
Sweet, hot or smoked (Spanish pimentón de la Vera).
Vanilla
From a Mexican orchid; Madagascar now grows most of it. Second-most expensive spice.
Lemongrass & Galangal
The citrusy backbone of Thai and Southeast Asian cooking.
Curry Leaves (Kadi Patta)
Aromatic leaves crackled in South Indian tempering.
Cheese & Dairy चीज़ और डेयरी 17
Parmigiano Reggiano
The 'king of cheeses': hard, nutty, with crunchy crystals.
Mozzarella di Bufala
Soft, milky stretched-curd cheese.
Gorgonzola
Italian blue cheese, sweet (dolce) or sharp (piccante).
Brie & Camembert
Soft creamy cheeses with white rinds.
Roquefort
Blue cheese aged in natural caves.
Comté
Nutty mountain cheese, France's most-made AOP cheese.
Cheddar
The world's most popular cheese style, sharp when aged.
Stilton
English blue cheese, traditional with port at Christmas.
Gouda
Mild when young, butterscotchy when aged.
Emmental & Gruyère
Holey Emmental and nutty Gruyère, the fondue cheeses.
Manchego
Firm sheep's cheese with a zigzag rind.
Feta
Crumbly salty brined cheese, protected to Greece.
Halloumi
Squeaky cheese that grills without melting.
Paneer
Fresh unsalted cheese that doesn't melt; India's main vegetarian protein.
Chhena
Unpressed paneer kneaded for rasgulla and sandesh.
Ghee
Butter simmered until milk solids brown and are removed; high smoke point.
Kalari & Churpi
Indian traditional cheeses: kalari is fried 'milk cake'; churpi is hard yak cheese chewed for hours.
Breads & Staples रोटी और अनाज 13
Naan
Soft, chewy flatbread slapped on the inside of a tandoor.
Roti / Chapati
Unleavened daily flatbread cooked on a tawa and puffed over flame (phulka).
Paratha
Pan-fried in ghee, plain (layered) or stuffed (aloo, gobi, sattu).
Puri & Luchi
Puffed fried breads for festivals.
Basmati Rice
Long fragrant grains that lengthen when cooked; GI tagged.
Baguette
French bread whose craft is UNESCO heritage (2022).
Sourdough
Bread risen by wild yeast and bacteria.
Pita
Puffed pocket flatbread.
Corn Tortilla
Corn cooked in lime (calcium hydroxide), unlocking nutrition, ground and pressed.
Injera
Spongy sour flatbread from the tiny teff grain.
Pasta (Dried)
Over 350 shapes; each shape suits particular sauces.
Quinoa
Andean 'mother grain', a complete protein.
Millets (Shree Anna)
Ancient drought-hardy grains; India is the largest producer, and 2023 was the UN Year of Millets.