India is a beautiful country rich in culture, tradition, spirituality, and extremely diverse heritage. Indeed, it is one of the world’s oldest civilizations. Indian food is by far the most popular cuisine globally, can be found in any major city. It has many regional cuisines; from the northern area of the country, India’s cuisine is known for its various spicy curries and other dishes. It is also well-known for the various vegetarian dishes that are very flavorful. India’s southern area is well-known for spicy dishes (think curries, rice, vegetables).
For those looking for Indian gastronomy, dishes that blend the best of Indian spices and flavors. Here are some of the best choices for the best food of India:
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken tikka masala is a super delicious dish consisting of grilled boneless chicken pieces in a tomato-yogurt curry. The curry is usually creamy and orangish. There are various theories about this dish’s geographic origin. Some trace it to the south Asian community in Great Britain. Others claim that it originated in the Indian subcontinent. So, you can find this dish in restaurants all over the world.
Chicken Tandoori
Tandoori chicken is a dish made by roasting/grilling chicken marinated in yogurt and spices in the so-called tandoor (a cylindrical open clay oven) fueled by wood or charcoal over a roaring fire. The tandoori technique is an ancient method of baking bread originating from the Middle East. The marinade used in most tandoori dishes starts with yogurt. It can keep the taste of meat very well, with moderate acidity, and keep the herbs and spices intact. Although the clay oven itself imparts a unique flavor to the food, most of it comes from traditional spice combinations.
Vindaloo
Vindaloo is an Indian curry dish based on the Portuguese dish carne de vinha d’alhos, famous in Goa, Vasai, Kankan, Kerala, and other parts of India. It is widely known around the world for its British Indian form, as a staple of curry houses and Indian restaurant menus, and is usually considered a spicy dish. Traditionally made with pork, but can also make it with shrimp, beef, lamb, chicken, goat, or cheese.
Rogan Josh
Rogan Joash is an aromatic curry meat dish of Kashmiri people. It is made from red meat, traditionally lamb or goat. The color comes from Kashmir dried red peppers. It is one of the signature recipes of Kashmiri cuisine.
Chana Masala
Chana masala, also known as Chole; a specialty of northern India. It is a rich chickpea curry, usually eaten as a snack, dinner, or breakfast with rice or Indian bread such as naan or roti, an excellent vegetarian option. In India, commonly sold by street vendors and restaurants.
Palak Paneer
One of the most popular paneer recipes in Indian restaurants is Palak cheese, a soft-tasting dish made with pureed spinach, paneer cheese, and typical Indian spices. Palak means spinach in Hindi. Another excellent vegetarian dish.
Biryani
Biryani is mixed rice that originated from Muslims in the Indian subcontinent. Biryani is an Indo-Aryan word derived from the Persian language. Prepared from Indian spices, basmati rice, yogourt and optional meat (chicken, beef, goat, lamb, shrimp, or fish), and sometimes eggs and vegetables added in certain regions. Biryani is famous throughout the Indian subcontinent.
Butter Chicken
Butter chicken (also known as murgh makhani) is probably the most famous dish of all Indian dishes. It is a staple food in most Indian restaurants. This dish originated in Delhi in the 1950s when Kundan Lal Jaggi opened a restaurant called Moti Mahal. The chef of this restaurant mixed the leftover chicken with tomatoes, cream, and butter. They didn’t even know that they stumbled upon the most popular dish of all time.
Samosa
Samosa is a deep-fried or baked pastry with savory fillings such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, cheese, beef, and other meats or lentils. Depending on the area, it can take various forms, including triangles, cones, or half-moons. The Indian style (usually accompanied by chutney) is probably the most widely known of different recipe families from Africa to China, originating in the Middle Ages or earlier. Samosas are popular main dishes, appetizers, or snacks in the local cuisines of South Asia, West Asia, Southeast Asia, Mediterranean, and Africa. Thanks to its crunchy texture and many different flavors, Samosas provides a perfect introduction to the world of Indian cuisine for newcomers.
Masala Dosa
Masala dosa (stuffed dosa) is a variant of the famous southern Indian dosa, originating in the Tuluva Mangalorean cuisine of Karnataka. Made from a batter of soaked rice and lentils, baked into a thin pancake usually filled with potatoes, onions, and mustard seeds and served with chutney and sambar. It is prevalent in southern India and also found in all other parts of the country and overseas. In south India, each city has various preparations for the dosa masala.
Vegetable Pakora
Pakora is a spiced fritter that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Sold by street vendors and served in restaurants in South Asia and around the world. Pakoras are made from but not limited to vegetables, immersed in a batter (chickpea/garbanzo flour) and spices, and then fried. Common varieties of Pakora use onion, eggplant, potato, spinach, plantain, cheese, broccoli, tomato, or pepper.
Sambar Soup
Sambar is a lentil-based vegetable stew cooked with pigeon pea and tamarind broth. It is popular in South Indian and Sri Lankan cuisines. Interestingly, Sambar was created as a mistake by the Maratha ruler Shivaji’s son named Sambhaji.
Experiencing and trying local traditional food also provides cultural education.
Megastronomy
