Other countries have enjoyed Indian traditional cuisine for 8000 years. Each state of India has its unique recipe. These regional dishes are specific to each state.
Here are traditional foods – Indian States and their food items to awaken your taste buds
- Misal Pav – Maharashtra
Misal pav is a Maharashtrian snack, breakfast, or brunch that is distinctly from Pune. This is a popular street food in Mumbai. The lentil curry is spicy and tangy and made from moth beans. It is served with pav bread. It is sometimes eaten with yogurt to reduce the heat. Maharashtrians eat it any time of the day, even though it’s a breakfast dish.
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- Makki di Roti and Sarson da Saag – Punjab
Makki di Roti and Sarson da Saag are staple foods in North India, especially in Punjab. It may not seem appealing at first, but this traditional Indian dish is full of nutrients and has a rich flavor. With a glass lassi, it makes for the perfect healthy lunch.
- Kosha Mangsho – West Bengal
Kosha Mangsho, a Bengali traditional dish made of Mutton, is served in almost every Bengali home. This mutton dish is rich in spices and has a thick curry. Herbs such as cinnamon, cloves, onion, and garlic are added to this dish. This recipe is full of sweetness and aroma that will surely trigger your taste buds.
- Dhokla – Gujarat
Dhokla, a traditional Gujarati snack, is a delicious and authentic snack. This traditional food is made from gram flour and Chana dal. It is also a quick and easy recipe that can be made in less than 30 minutes. Dhokla, paired with some chutney and chili paste, makes for a great snack to share with friends during gossip sessions.
- Rogan Josh – Kashmir
Rogan Josh is a must-try dish for any meat or lamb lover. It’s an aromatic dish of lamb that is one of Kashmiri cuisine’s signature recipes. The Mughals introduced it to India. It is rich with flavors from browned onions, spices, and yogurt. You will want to eat it again and again.
- Pongal – Tamil Nadu
The staple food of Tamil Nadu, this dish is served at every auspicious Tamil Nadu festival. The word also contains cardamoms, green gram raisins, and cashews. Pongal, which is dedicated to the sun god, is traditionally cooked outdoors in sunlight. It comes in two varieties – one sweet and another savory, both served on a banana leaf.
- Papaya Khar – Assam
Assamese cuisine has a unique dish. This is a curry that uses raw papaya and taro, along with pulses. It also contains a non-vegetarian main ingredient. The curry is then filtered using dried banana leaves, which give it an unmistakably refreshing and unique flavor. It is usually eaten with rice at lunch.
- Litti Chokha – Bihar
Litti Chokha is a mouth-watering dish that everyone loves. Welcome to Bihar’s ghee-dripping food. The ghee-drenched wheat and sattu balls are made from spices and kneaded together into small spicy hops. Litti’s texture and crunchy crust make it a delight for foodies. Chokha is made by mashing vegetables (most commonly potatoes, brinjal, and tomatoes), adding spices, chopped onions, garlic, etc., and serving it with Litti.
- Dhaam – Himachal Pradesh
Dhaam, a complete meal that is packed with nutrients and a delicious taste, is the perfect food for a busy person. The dish is a combination of dal (dal), rajma (rajma), rice, curd and boor ki Kadi. It’s also complemented well with gur. Dhaam, a platter of delicacies, is the perfect dish to serve at festivals and special occasions. This dish is unique in that it’s prepared by a special chef known as a ‘botis.’ You can only taste the best Dhaam in Himachal if you visit during festivals.
- Pootha Rekulu
Pootharekulu is a popular sweet dish prepared in Andhra Pradesh during religious and festival occasions. Attreyapuram is a village located in East Godavari District, AP. This water-like sweet, which looks like a wafer, is widely made. Rice batter, Ghee, and powdered sugar are used to make this unique sweet. It is also stuffed with different kinds of dried fruits to enhance the taste.
- Hyderabadi Biryani – Telangana
Hyderabadi Biryani is one of the most popular food items in India. This is due to the influence of the Nizams. There are two kinds of biryani: Kachchi gosht and Pakki. The meat is marinated and cooked in layers of layered rice in a large handi. This is then covered with a flat dough, which rises as if it is being heated.
- Fish Curry – Goa
Every Goan eats the Goan fish curry or Xitti Kodi. The Goan curry is a mixture of coconut and various spices. Raw mangoes are also added to the dish for a tangy taste. Pomfret of a good size and raw mango are the main ingredients. Kingfish can be substituted for Pomfret. This Goan dish comes with rice.
- Kafuli – Uttarakhand
This dish will be a blessing for those who are diet-conscious. It is indeed that nutritious. Kafuli is a dish loved by all locals in Uttarakhand. Even doctors prescribe it. It’s a dish made primarily of spinach and fenugreek. This exotic dish is prepared in an iron pan and served with hot, steaming rice. This is the healthiest and most nutritious dish in the state.
- Chakhwi-Tripura
Chakhwi, a tasty main course in Tripura, is one of the most popular dishes. Since most Tripura cuisines rely on meat, this amazing dish is prepared primarily with chicken and pork. Most Tripuri dishes also contain less oil. Chakhwi is a traditional dish that uses bamboo shoots as a primary ingredient.
- Rugra – Jharkhand
Rugra tastes like mushrooms and is delicious. Rugra is a native variety of vegetables that’s rich in minerals, protein, and calorific values. This dish is very healthy. This dish is abundant during the monsoon. Locals prefer this dish, and it is in high demand during peak season.
- Chenna Poda – Odisha
Odisha cheesecake is a local specialty! Odisha’s most famous sweet is Chhena Poda. It is also Lord Jagannath’s favorite sweet, and it is often served to him in the Puri Temple. Burnt cottage cheese, semolina, and sugar syrup combine to create a mouth-watering flavor. The rare dessert is baked until it turns red. The caramelized sugar gives the dish its distinct taste. This dish is easy to make, delicious, and sold everywhere.
- Daal Bhaati Churma – Rajasthan
This famous Rajasthani recipe needs no introduction. This dish is synonymous with Rajasthan. It’s known for its crispy batis, dipped into Ghee and served along with spicy dal and sweet curma. This delicious dish is prepared using various dals such as Chana dal, mung dal, Urad dal, etc.
- Appam – Kerala
Anyone from Kerala will tell you that appam and stew are their favorite dishes from home! Appam has become a food revolution. That’s why people from Kerala love it so much. This is a thick and soft rice pancake that has a crisp, paper-thin outside. Appam is a great addition to any dish. It is often served with a south-style stew, where meat chunks are smothered by a rich, creamy, and dreamy coconut curry.
- Jadoh – Meghalaya
Jadoh, a dish very popular among the Khasi people of Meghalaya, is one of their most loved dishes. Its rich, unique color makes it especially appealing. Jadoh, which is essentially red rice cooked with generous amounts of pork meat, is a popular dish in Malaysia. It is sometimes cooked with fish or chicken. The red rice is cooked with a mixture of green chilies and onions, ginger and turmeric, black and bay leaves, and then fried. Turmeric gives the rice a rich yellow color and aromatic taste. Jadoh is also available in pork blood for those who are more adventurous. This dish is not to be missed if you are a fan of pork.
- Kangshoi
Manipur is a very popular place for this dish. This is a vegetable soup. This stew is made of seasonal vegetables, which are boiled and flavored using sliced onions and cloves. It also contains garlic, maroi, and some ginger. This stew can be eaten with fish or rice and should be eaten hot.
- Bhutte Ka Kees – Madhya Pradesh
Bhutte Ka Kees is another healthy yet delicious dish from Madhya Pradesh. This dish is primarily made up of corn, as the name suggests. The word is made with grated corn, spices, and skimmed dairy milk. The addition of mustard seeds and green chilies further enhances this authentic Madhya Pradesh cuisine.
- Bajara Khichri (Haryana)
Khichri can be found almost everywhere in the country. Haryana Khichri is popular because it uses Bajara instead of rice. Bajara is soaked overnight to prepare bajara Khichri. Moong daal, bajara, and spices are then cooked together in a pressure cooker after they have been washed. Bajara is known to be very healthy as it grows in even the harshest conditions. It is also easily available. This recipe is highly recommended for all, especially those who don’t want to eat rice.
- Thukpa – Arunachal Pradesh
Thukpa, a noodle soup with Tibetan roots, is one of Sikkim’s most popular dishes. Thukpa has a unique combination of being healthy and delicious. Both the chicken and vegetable thukpa are delicious. This soup contains almost all types of vegetables grown locally, but celery, carrots, spinach, and bell peppers are the most popular. The soup is also rich in spices and has a delicious taste. Although one serving is sufficient for one person, no one will stop there.
- Bisi Bele Bath – Karnataka
Bisi Bele Bath, a traditional Karnataka recipe, is made in each Kannadiga home. This dish is available in any Bangalore restaurant and has a distinctive coconut flavor. This recipe involves a lot of vegetables and tastes, but it is worth trying.
- Nagaland Pork with Bamboo Shots
Bamboo shoots are an important component in the North Eastern region of India. The main use of this ingredient is in the preparation of pork. The bamboo shoot can be used both in dried form and in fermented form. The sour taste is added to the dish. Bamboo shoot is an important ingredient in many popular dishes. Pork with Bamboo Shoots and Fish with Bamboo Shoots are just a few.
- Misa Mach Poora – Mizoram
Misa Mach Poora, a delicious side dish, is sure to please. Grilled shrimp are cooked with mustard oil, citrus juice, orange zest, and various spices. You must try their two most popular drinks while visiting Mizoram. Zu is the local tea that they drink with nearly every meal. Another local favorite is Lubrusca grape wines. Don’t miss out on these delicious dishes and drinks if you are visiting Mizoram.
- Chhattisgarh
The Chhattisgarh region is responsible for the delicious food that we enjoy in India. The rice flour is mixed with Urad Daal to make a flat, chapati-like dish. This dish is easy to prepare and delicious. Chila is a part of Chhattisgarh’s breakfast. Chila is best enjoyed with green chutney.
- Tunday Kebab – Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow’s tender Tunday Kebabs are known for their melt-in-your-mouth taste. The kebabs are made with lamb or buffalo and more than 100 spices to give them a unique flavor. Tunday Kebabs dates back to the 17th century. The Nawab, who was old and had many missing teeth, craved his favorite Kebabs that he couldn’t chew. The Nawab decided to organize a cooking competition. The participants were challenged to create a kebab that would melt on Nawab’s lips and taste fantastic.
- Momos – Sikkim
Who doesn’t like momos, right? Sikkim’s Momos complement each other. Sikkim will serve you some of the best momos that you have ever had. Momos, which are believed to have originated in Tibet and were influenced by Nepalese food, is Sikkim’s lifeline. Momo is a package of buns with fillings. Momo is usually made up of two parts: the cover and the stuffing. The dough used to make the body is white flour mixed with water. Sometimes baking soda or yeast is added to the dough in order to improve the texture. Originally, momos had a ground meat filling. However, over time, many modifications were made to make them even better.