The Most Iconic Dishes Around India
India is not one cuisine — it has more than 20 states and 8 union territories, each with its own culinary identity shaped by climate, cultural influences, religion, and history. Traveling throughout the country from north to northeast to south can be challenging when trying to figure out the best dishes to try.
If you travel throughout India and eat your way around the country, we recommend you try these most iconic and popular dishes.
North India
Jammu & Kashmir — Rogan Josh
A crown jewel of Kashmiri cuisine. This slow-cooked-to-perfection curry is made from lamb or mutton. This dish is meticulously prepared with a mix of aromatic spices. The striking red color of Rogan Josh originates from the addition of Kashmiri red chili powder, which imparts a vibrant hue without adding excessive heat. The result is a dish with tender meat and a delectable gravy that is truly finger-licking good.
Punjab — Butter Chicken
Butter chicken, also known as chicken makhani, is a true indulgence. The boneless chicken is marinated and is either skewered and grilled or cooked on the stovetop, then added to a delicious sauce made with butter, cashews, tomato paste, onions, spices, and cream. It is garnished with kasuri methi and cilantro. Butter chicken is typically served with tandoori naan or basmati rice. Butter Chicken is truly the best Punjabi dish.
Uttar Pradesh — Lucknowi Biryani
Lucknowi Biryani, also known as Awadhi Biryani, originates from the royal kitchens of the Nawabs of Awadh. It is prepared using the pakki biryani method. This biryani features a rich use of whole spices such as cinnamon, green and black cardamom, caraway seeds, and cloves, similar to the spices infused into a yakhni (broth).
Famous for its delicate seasoning and perfectly balanced flavor, Lucknowi Biryani is milder and less spicy compared to Hyderabadi Biryani.
Delhi — Chole Bhature
Chole Bhature is a delightful dish composed of two main elements. Chole is a spicy chickpea curry. Bhature is a round, deep-fried bread. It is fried until it puffs up and turns golden brown, featuring an airy interior and a crispy exterior. Chole Bhature is a heavenly, indulgent, and exquisite dish.
Rajasthan — Dal Baati Churma
Dal Baati Churma holds a significant place in Rajasthani cuisine, representing a quintessential dish. This culinary delight is known as a hearty and wholesome meal. It has three key elements:
- Dal: Prepared using various dal combinations such as chana dal, toor dal, green dal, and urad dal, infused with an array of spices like chili, turmeric, coriander, cumin, asafoetida, and garam masala.
- Baati: These are wheat rolls baked to perfection, their flavors enhanced by a brushing of ghee.
- Churma: A sweetened mixture created by coarsely grinding deep-fried wheat balls and adding them to ghee and jaggery
This traditional Rajasthani dish captures the essence of the region's culinary heritage, offering a delightful combination of savory and sweet flavors.
Rajasthan — Laal Maas
Laal Maas stands out as the best non-vegetarian dish, where mutton curry undergoes a slow-cooking process to achieve perfection. This dish features a spiced yogurt-based sauce crafted with Kashmiri chilies, coriander, turmeric, onions, ginger, and garlic paste.
The vibrant red hue of the curry is attributed to the use of Mathania red chilies. Recognized for its fiery and spicy taste, Laal Maas holds an iconic status, symbolizing the bold flavors inherent in Rajasthani cuisine.
East India
West Bengal — Macher Jhol
No dish captures the Bengali soul quite like Macher Jhol. Mach refers to fish, and jhol refers to gravy-based curry. This is a spicy and simple fish curry. It is made with lake trout. The fish is marinated and fried. The gravy is prepared with onions, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, and various unique spices.
Once the gravy is ready, the fried fish is added. It is garnished with slit green chilies and cilantro and served with steamed rice. Machar Jhol is one of the most popular dishes, and an integral part of Bengali cuisine.
Odisha — Dalma
Dalma is a staple in every Odia family. It is a lentil and vegetable stew made with vegetables like raw papaya, eggplant, and raw banana, and spiced with cumin and dry red chilis.
Bihar — Litti Chokha
If you ever go to Bihar, you must try Litti Chokha, which is Bihar's most beloved street food. It is wheat dough balls stuffed with roasted gram flour and spices, served with a smoky mash of roasted eggplant and tomato. It is one of the best rustic flavor dishes.
Northeast India
Assam — Masor Tenga
Masor Tenga is the soul of Assamese cuisine. It is a tangy fish curry made with mustard oil, fresh fish, and spices. The tanginess comes from tomatoes, lemon, and the local elephant apple fruit. It is a very well-balanced and satisfying dish.
Manipur — Eromba
Eromba is a dish that has an acquired taste. A fermented fish and vegetable mash made with vegetables like yams, potatoes, and seasonal vegetables. Eromba is known as one of the most comforting dishes in Manipurian cuisine, and is also recognized for its bold and rustic flavor.
West India
Maharashtra — Vada Pav
Vada Pav is another iconic street food, deeply embedded in the region's culinary heritage. Vada pav is the Indian version of a burger. It consists of a deep-fried potato fritter nestled within a lightly toasted bun. This beloved snack is typically served with an array of condiments, including mint chutney, garlic chutney, tamarind chutney, and salted green chilies.
Goa — Fish Curry Rice
If you visit Goa and go to a local eatery, you will find out that no meal is complete without the famous fish curry rice. It is a tangy, coconut-based fish curry made with fresh fish, tamarind, and Konkani spices. It is served over steamed rice. This is one of the dishes that captures the true spirit of Goa.
Gujarat — Dhokla
Dhokla is a savory, light, and fluffy steamed cake made from a blend of besan, semolina, and aromatic spices. Enjoyed as a versatile dish, it can be served for breakfast or as a snack any time of the day. Once steamed to perfection, it is enhanced with a flavorful tempering of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, hing, curry leaves, green chilies, and fresh cilantro.
South India
Tamil Nadu — Chettinad Chicken Curry
Chettinad Chicken Curry is known as one of India’s complex curries, as it is made with freshly ground spices like kalpasi, marathi mokku, and star anise. This curry is an ode to the merchant community of Chettinad, where it originated. This chicken curry is one of the most favorite curries in India, and as you truly experience an explosion of flavor in every bite.
Karnataka — Bisi Bele Bath
Bisi Bele Bath is a one-pot dish that translates to “hot lentil rice”. It is prepared with rice, lentils, and vegetables that are slow-cooked together with a special blend of spices. It is a very warm and comforting dish that has been in Karnataka for centuries.
Andhra Pradesh — Pesarattu
Pesarattu is a crispy crepe made from whole green moong dal and served with ginger chutney. Pesarattu is Andhra's beloved breakfast dish. Pesarattu is a prime example of how simple ingredients can come together to make a protein-rich, delicious dish.
Telangana — Hyderabadi Biryani
Hyderabadi Biryani is arguably India’s most popular biryani. The preparation begins with marinating the meat in a flavorful mix of ginger-garlic paste, yogurt, tomatoes, fried onions, and aromatic spices such as chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and cumin. This marinated meat is then left to rest for several hours or overnight.
The pot is sealed and slow-cooked (dum style) until the meat becomes tender and the rice absorbs all the rich, fragrant flavors. The result is a beautifully layered, aromatic biryani that’s truly worth the effort.
Central India
Madhya Pradesh — Bhutte Ka Kees
Bhutte ka Kees is a unique street food from Indore. Bhutte Ka Kees is a quick and easy dish that can be whipped up in under 30 minutes. It is prepared with freshly grated corn cooked with milk, spices, and coconut. It is creamy and slightly sweet, and one of those dishes that you cannot find anywhere else in India.
The list above is just a highlight of what India has to offer. There is so much more to explore when it comes to food in this incredible country. Eating your way around India is a true gastronomical journey unlike any other. Every region is unique, with its own cooking techniques, styles, and traditions. What makes Indian cuisine truly extraordinary is not any single dish, but the sheer diversity of flavors found across its many regions. To eat your way across India is to understand the country itself — its history and culture.
