Traditional Indian foods are one of the most popular on the planet. These foods have migrated to almost every country in the world.
Indian foods contain an explosion of various flavors and spices, making them one of the most enjoyed foods on the earth.
Moreover, every region in India has its unique dish. Some of these dishes could be piquant, while others are colorful and enticing.
These various dishes have made Indian the home of a lot of dishes. This article will discuss some of these traditional Indian foods.
1. Chicken Makhani
Chicken Makhani means buttered Chicken. A tender chicken is cooked in a spiced tomato sauce to make this dish. A tandoor is used for cooking this meal.
However, the Chicken could be grilled, pan-fried, or roasted. Firstly, fresh tomato, cardamon, and garlic are made into a bright red pulp in a pan.
Then the pulp is pureed after it is cold. After which, butter, khoa (dried whole milk), and various spices are added.
Additionally, Chicken makhani is the main dish.
2. Samosas
Samosas are pretty popular in various parts of the planet. However, samosas originated from India. It is one of the traditional Indian foods. Samosas is a deep-fried potato or veggie dumpling.
Moreover, samosas serve as a side dish or snack. Samosas is flour filled with spiced potatoes, peas, lentils, onions, and peas. Then, it is either baked or fried. Sometimes, ground lamb, chicken, or beef are added.
3. Aloo Gobi
Aloo gobi is potato and cauliflower. This dish is purely vegetarian traditional Indian food.
Aloo gobi is simply potatoes, cauliflower, cumin, turmeric, coriander stalks, peas, garlic, ginger, onions, and tomatoes, thrown together.
Then, they are roasted in an oven. Sometimes, kalonji and curry leaves are added. Aloo gobi is another one of the most famous traditional Indian foods ordered.
4. Matar Paneer
Matar paneer is another traditional vegetarian Indian food. The northern part of India developed this meal. Matar paneer is tomato sauce containing peas, farmer’s cheese, and garam masala.
However, this dish is best enjoyed when paired with cream or bread and sided alongside rice, roti, naan, paratha, or poori.
5. Paratha
Paratha is a traditional Indian food. This is a flatbread similar to naan. Besides, paratha is the combination of the words “parat” and “atta” which means “layers of cooked dough.” Atta (wholemeal wheat flour), ghee (clarified butter), maida (white flour), and various stuffings are used to prepare this flatbread.
6. Rogan Josh
Rogan josh is a dish unique to Kashmiri, a region in northern India. Besides, rogan josh is part of Kashmiri multi-course meal called Waxman.
Rogan josh is braised lamb chunks cooked with gravy.
The gravy used to cook the lamb contains yogurt, aromatic spices, browned onions, ginger, and garlic.
Additionally, this dish’s signature brilliant red color is gotten from the liberal amount of dried Kashmiri chilies added.
However, these chilies are de-seeded before use to make the dish less hot. Furthermore, the spiciness of this dish is mostly gotten from its fragrance rather than the heat.
7. Naan
Naan is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread. it is eaten with every traditional Indian food; it acts as a spoon used to scoop up sauce or dipped into chutneys.
This dish comes in different variations but is always chewy and crispy, made with yeast, flour, yogurt, ghee (clarified butter), sugar, and water.
There is a butter and garlic naan, a chili naan, and also plain naan.
8. Tandoori Chicken
Tandoori Chicken is another traditional Indian food that originated from northern India. This dish is simply a roasted chicken made with yogurt and spices.
Like Chicken makhani, this dish is made with a tandoor.
The Chicken is marinated in yogurt and spices containing either cayenne pepper, red chili powder, or Kashmiri red chili powder, then roasted using a tandoor.
The chili is added to give the Chicken a fiery red hue. This dish is best enjoyed with basmati rice and naan.
9. Chana Aloo curry
Chana aloo curry is a traditional Indian food. This dish is chickpeas, ginger, onions, garlic, marinated potatoes, tomatoes, and curry cooked together.
Sometimes, chili or cayenne pepper is added to it. Fresh jalapenos could also be added to give the dish a unique twist.
10. Chutney
Chutney is a traditional Indian food that is a fruit sauce. It is a fruit sauce that is also vegetarian. Besides, this sauce is best enjoyed when paired with samosas.
This dish was created over 2,000 years in India, with fruits, herbs, and spices.
Brown sugar, red wine vinegar, turmeric, mango, and sometimes onions are used in making chutney. Furthermore, chutney could be paired with any traditional Indian food.
11. Shu’Bah
Shu’Bah is also called Shorba. It is a lightly spiced tomato soup. Shu’Bah is another traditional vegetarian Indian food.
Simmering butter, spices (such as ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, and cardamom), onions, and ghee (clarified butter) are cooked together.
The spices give the dish its classic Indian flavor.
Additionally, this dish could be garnished with fresh herbs such as cilantro or roasted garlic.
12. Masala dosa
Masala dosa is a traditional Indian food that originates from Karnataka, southern India. Rice and lentils are soaked together in water for five to six hours to make this dish.
The batter gotten from the soaked rice and lentils is then cooked on a skillet. Masala dosa contains filling, which is often potato and onion curry dipped in chutney.
13. Kangshoi
Kangshoi is a traditional Indian food that originates from Manipur.
Water, seasonal vegetables, dried or fresh fish pieces, and coarsely chopped onions or spring onions are used to make this soupy stew.
14. Biryani
Biryani is the most famous traditional Indian food. A survey revealed that in 2019, biryani was the most ordered dish in Indian.
The Mughals introduced this dish.
However, there are various ways of cooking this dish. One of the most popular styles of cooking this dish is the Hyderabadi biryani.
Rice, meat (chicken or lamb), onions, spices, and yogurt are used to make this biryani style.
15. Makki ki roti and Sarson ka saag
This is a traditional Indian food that originated from the Punjab region. This dish is simply bread baked with cornflour eaten with mustard leaf.
Though this dish might not look enticing, its flavors are rich and satisfying. Additionally, it is best enjoyed with a glass of lassi.
16. Malai prawn
Malai prawn is a traditional Indian food eaten often with jerra rice. It is also known as shrimp curry.
Shrimps are cooked in creamy coconut milk with other whole spices to create malai prawns.
In addition, to give the dish a more shellfish character, use the head of the shrimp. Depending on preference, the head of the shrimps could first be peeled off.
17. Jerra rice
Jeera rice is a traditional Indian food popular in northern Indian. This dish is the main course. Rice, coriander leaves, onions, vegetable oil, and cumin seeds are used to prepare this dish.
Additionally, cumin seeds are called “Zeera” in Hindi, are pronounced as “jerra,” which is how this dish got its name.
18. Rajma Dal
Rajma dal is another traditional vegetarian Indian food. Moreover, this dish is popular in the north part of India. Kidney beans are cooked in a masala paste containing chilies, tomatoes, garlic, and ginger.
However, the taste of the dish could be adjusted by the type and number of chilies used. This dish could be served with white rice or naan.
19. Khatta Meetha Karela
This dish is a traditional Indian food. It is a sweet and sour bitter gourd.
Turmeric, tamarind, cumin, chilies, coriander, ginger, and an unrefined sugar called jaggery are used in the preparation of this dish.
This dish is served with naan, paratha, or other Indian flatbread.
20. Yellow split pea dhal
This traditional Indian food is prepared using split peas. Split peas are simmered, then a tempered mix of cumin, cayenne, onion, and clove is added to give it a brilliant flavor.
For a milder dish, reduce or eliminate the cayenne used.
21. Papaya Khar
Papaya Khar is a traditional Indian food that originates from Assam. This is quite an off-beat dish prepared with unusual combinations.
Red rice, beaten pulses, raw papaya, and traditional Assamese spices are used to prepare this dish.
Furthermore, this dish is the main course.
22. Little Chowkha
Little chowkha is a traditional Indian food that originates from Bihar. A baked wheat flour dough is stuffed with spices, lemon juice, and roasted gram flour.
Additionally, this dish is served with baked and pulped vegetables.
23. Chawalki Kheer
Chawalki kheer is a traditional Indian food that originated from northern India. This is a rice-based dessert often served on festive occasions.
Basmati rice, milk, and nuts form the base, while saffron, cardamom, and raisins are also added to this dessert.
24. Go an fish-head curry
This dish is a traditional Indian food with roots in Goa. A flatfish, often pomfret, is marinated in onions, chili, garlic, and coconut, then cooked into a delicious soup.
Although this dish tastes sour, it is very tasty and served when hot.
25. Baingan Bharta
Baingan bharta is a traditional Indian food that originates from Punjab. Roughly mashed roasted eggplant is cooked with garlic, ginger, onions, and tomatoes.
This dish is eaten with naan or other Indian bread.
26. Smoked pork
Smoked pork might look like a widespread food that is gotten everywhere in the world. However, the northeast region of India has a unique way of smoking its pork.
Thus, making it a traditional Indian food.
Bamboo and raja Mirchi, one of the hottest chilies globally, is used to prepare pork. This meal is a traditional food in Nagaland, India, and is often enjoyed with rice.
27. Beef roast and parotta
The Kerala people in India inspired this traditional Indian food. The Kerala people are expert judges of beef.
It is simply beef roast eaten with parotta.
A Kerala made bread. This dish serves as a main course and is a must-try for every meat eater.
28. Vada pav
Vada pav is a traditional Indian food sold mostly on the street of Maharashtra. It is a vegetarian snack. It is cheap and straightforward.
Potato patty, chili, and other spices are sandwiched in a bread roll called a pav to create a vada pav.
29. Dhokla
Dhokla is also a traditional vegetarian Indian food that is often eaten as a snack. This dish originated from Gujarat. Fermented rice batter is mixed with chickpeas.
Then steam is used to prepare this snack. Additionally, it is garnished with coriander leaves and mustard seeds.
30. Papdi Chaat
Papdi chaat is a traditional Indian food that is popular in northern India. Street food vendors often sell this food as snacks.
The papdi dough is made, formed into thin circles then deep-fried. Potatoes, chickpeas are used to top the deep-fried wafers, then a tangy, sweet, and spicy sauce is drizzled on it.
31. Kaju Barfi
Kaju barfi is a traditional Indian sweet. Milk is boiled down and condensed to create this fudge-like sweet.
Furthermore, this sweet is topped with silver leaf, which is also edible.
32. Lassi
Lassi is a traditional Indian yogurt-based drink. Water, spices, yogurt, salt, and sometimes mango or cardamom are used to make this drink.
33. Masala Chai
Masala chai is another traditional Indian beverage that is becoming popular in the world, like coffee.
Black tea leaves with a mixture of aromatic spices and herbs (black peppercorn, green cardamom pods, ground cloves, ground ginger, and cinnamon sticks) are traditionally used to make masala chai.
However, nowadays, masala chai is sold in a teabag form with a variety of recipes.
When you visit India or an Indian restaurant, make sure you try one or more of these traditional Indian foods.
You are sure to have a wonderful experience, and your taste buds will be grateful to you if you try these foods.
