One of the most exciting things about travel is the opportunity to try delicious regional foods and experience traditional dishes from other cultures. Indian traditional food is well-known for its rich flavours, tantalising spice blends, and colourful recipes. India is also a vast continent with thousands of different recipes and a myriad of varied cooking styles. So, whether you’re exploring abroad or want to experiment at home, we recommend the best traditional Indian food that every world traveller should try.
What are common flavours in Indian cuisine?
Indian traditional food is known for its prominent spices, and seasoning blends no matter what region you visit. Spice blends in Indian cooking are generally referred to as gram masala (a distinct mixture of ground spices) and are unique to each region. Some of the most common spices used in gram masalas are cardamom, chilli, turmeric, coriander, and cumin. Other common ingredients widely used throughout India are garlic, black mustard seed, and nutmeg.
Traditional Indian cooking also commonly features techniques like tandoori baking, where food is cooked in a sealed clay oven to give it a charred, smoky flavour, and deep frying. Popular fried Indian dishes include street foods like samosas and mirchi pakoras. Rice is a staple starch in Indian cooking, accompanies dishes like curries, and is a key ingredient in many biryanis. In certain Indian regions, you will also find noodle dishes, like chow mein, and potato-based recipes, like aloo tikka.
What are the different regional cuisines in India?
Indian food also features a range of flavours and a variety of meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes depending on the region you visit. For instance, if you visit coastal regions like Andhra and Kerala, you will likely find a lot of seafood recipes. Meanwhile, in northern regions, like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, you will find a higher number of vegetarian dishes. Levels of spice also vary depending on which region you visit in India.
Traditional North Indian Food
If you prefer things with slightly less spice, North Indian food tends to be creamier and milder than traditional South Indian food. North Indian areas, like Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, also have higher rates of vegetarianism, meaning its easy to find delicious vegetable dishes in these regions. North Indian cuisine also features legumes, like chickpeas, lentils, and beans, and dishes are often served with Indian breads. Dairy is also a staple in North Indian cooking.
Traditional South Indian Food
Foodies who love turning up the heat will feel right at home with traditional southern Indian food. Southern India has more coastal regions than the north, so you will find plenty of tasty seafood dishes on the menu. Southern Indian food also tends to be served with rice as rice grows well in this region. When you travel in southern India, you are more likely to find fiery dishes made with cayenne pepper or hot gram masala blends than in the north.
What are common side dishes?
Food is an important part of Indian culture and eating a meal is an all-round experience, with mouth-watering sides and supporting dishes being brought to the table. Common side dishes include breads, like naan and chapati, which are baked inside a tandoori oven. Chutneys made from fruits and vegetables, like onions, tomatoes, and mangoes, are also popular and lend a dash of sweet and sour flavour. India is also known for being a street food hub, with tasty snacks like ragi mudde and ice gola.
Top 10 Indian traditional food dishes to try on your travels
With bold flavours and a wide variety of foods to sample, Indian cuisine is an unforgettable experience. Make sure you try these ten incredible dishes when you visit India.
Vada Pav
Mumbai, located in northeast India, is one of the best cities to visit for street food and traditional Indian food in general. Vada pav can be found at street stalls everywhere in Mumbai and the wider Maharashtra region. Vada pav is a vegan dish and is extremely popular in India. It consists of a spiced potato fritter, which they fry and serve in a white bread roll.
This versatile dish can be eaten at any time of day and is a great snack to keep you going while you’re sightseeing or exploring the city. Vada Pav is also often topped with delicious chutneys or green chilis if you love food with a spicy kick.
Butter chicken
Butter chicken is a rich, hearty delicacy traditionally known as murgh makhani. The dish originated in Delhi and is essentially a chicken curry with a creamy tomato and butter sauce. The chicken in the dish is marinated and then cooked in a tandoor, adding an extra delicious smokey flavour.
It’s popular throughout India and is usually served with rice or naan bread. Butter chicken is also generally a fairly mild dish, so it’s a great option if you’re wary of trying anything too spicy.
Masala Dosa
Masala dosa is a traditional south Indian food that has its roots in the eastern region of Karnataka. You’ll generally find it in the southern regions, but it is also popular in other parts. Although it looks like a flatbread, masala dosas are usually flour-free. These thin, soft wraps are made from ground-up rice and lentils and then fried.
Masala dosas are then stuffed with potato and seasoned with fried mustard seeds, lemon juice, coriander, and shaved coconut. You can enjoy masala dosas as a street food snack or enjoy them in a restaurant with a selection of garnishes and chutneys.
Kosha Mangsho
Hailing from Bengal in northwest India, Kosha Mangsho is a delicious Indian traditional food that visitors won’t want to miss. This rich curry dish is typically made from goat mutton marinated in yoghurt. It also usually contains potatoes and whole spices like cloves, cinnamon, and black pepper. Kosha Mangsho can be served with Indian bread or with fluffy rice.
Biryani
Biryani is a staple Indian traditional food, and you can eat different versions of it all over the continent. Although the origins of biryani are not fully known, it is particularly common in north India around the New Delhi area. There are also famous regional versions, such as Hyderabad Kalyani biryani, prepared with beef, and Dindigul biryani, which has a tangy lemon flavour. Biryani started as a simple and inexpensive way for Indians to cook rice at home, sometimes baking the dish in a tandoor oven.
Biryani rice is flavoured with ghee butter and usually contains caramelised vegetables, like onions and chillis. The dish, including the meat, is slow-cooked, giving it an ultra-tender, flavoursome finish. You will often find biryani served with yoghurt or boiled eggs added in the final cooking stages.
Ngaa Atoiba Thonga
Seafood lovers in Manipur will want to try a scrumptious portion of Ngaa Atoiba Thonga. Ngaa Atoiba Thonga is a traditional Indian Christmas food from Manipur and eaten alongside chicken curry during the festivities. Ngaa Atoiba Thonga is a creamy fish curry cooked with potatoes and stewed pears. The fish is a river fish, like carp, and usually deep-fried.
If you’re visiting India over Christmas, you’ll find a fantastic spread of delicacies to try. Other traditional Christmas foods from around India include pork sausages and rum balls in Kolkata and a semolina and coconut cake popular in Mumbai.
Chole
Chole is a type of delicious chickpea curry from the Punjab region. It is a brilliant dish for vegans and vegetarians to enjoy during their Indian travels. The chickpeas make this dish really filling and mean it’s full of protein. The curry sauce is usually made from onions, tomatoes, and a gram masala of cumin, coriander, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, pepper, and cloves.
Lassi
One of the best treats you can buy for yourself in India is a creamy cup of lassi. It’s a yoghurt-based drink, similar to a milkshake, popular throughout the continent. Traditional lassi is salted; however, the sweet version is more popular in India – and for good reason. These smooth milky drinks are the perfect refresher when you’re out on a hot day or after a meal packed with spice.
You can buy lassi in various flavours, from plain sugar drinks to strawberry and rose-flavoured drinks. You could even try a decadent saffron lassi in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Jalebi
If you’re looking for a tempting traditional Indian dessert, the north Indian sweet snack jalebi is an absolute must-try. Although this sweet treat originated in the north, it is also popular in southern regions, like Kerala, where they eat them for breakfast. Similar to churros, jalebis are syrupy curls of deep-fried dough or batter doused with sugar water. Jalebis have a crunchy, chewy texture and are the perfect afternoon pick-me-up.
Palak Paneer
Vegetarians will love this cheesy, healthy spinach curry. Made by spicing and reducing spinach in a sauce, they add paneer to give this meal a fresh, zesty taste. Paneer is a traditional Indian cheese made with buffalo or cow’s milk. Its spongy tangy taste is the perfect accompaniment to spinach sauce and a fragrant Indian naan.
Travel and food go hand in hand, and every culture has its own unique cuisine. Check out our food guides for Greece, Spain, and Australia for more foodie travel tips.
