At-a-glance guide to regional specialities
There’s an inexhaustible range of Indian regional repasts, all of them varying from family to family, village to village, city to city. To get you started, we unravel some of the most delectable ingredients and dishes
KOLKATA & LUCKNOW
Among the street food from this region, expect to find little gems like pani puri, puffy discs of deep-fried flour, and khasta kachori (or kochuri), spicy fried puff pastry – although there are variants in other areas too.
NORTHERN INDIA/MUGHAL
Mughal cuisine dates back to medieval India, specifically from 1526 when the Mughal Empire was founded. It’s typified by richness – the Mughals introduced paneer (now an Indian staple), ghee (clarified butter) and yogurt. The opulent rice dish biryani along with nalli gosht (slow-braised lamb shank with saffron), chicken lababdar made with cashews, and chicken in makhani (a creamy, buttery sauce) are steeped in its heritage.
GOA
Vinegar is a characteristic ingredient here as a result of the Portuguese influence, while the prevalence of coconut milk, coconut paste and fish reflects the coastal landscape. Kokum – a purplish relative of the mangosteen – is another distinctive feature. Ambot tik is the local seafood curry, which is spicy and sour.
TAMIL NADU & KERALA
Sambars are essentially tamarind, pea and veg stews, a tad more watery than other curries, but thicker than rasams, which are very spicy southern Indian soups. Dosas and uttapams are pancake-ish but robust enough to hold piquant fillings. Then there’s idli, a steamed rice cake.
THE PUNJAB & RAJASTHAN
A curry of legends from this area in northern India is sarson da saag (or sarson ka saag), best defined as mustard green curry. It’s sometimes topped with a knob of butter, or ghee. Mustard greens are a bit like spinach but with a peppery flavour.
SEEN ACROSS THE REGIONS
Asafoetida is a dried resinous gum that enhances dishes with bitter garlic notes. Besan is a chickpea flour, or gram flour, used in baking and for thickening curries. Curry is a catch-all word used to describe Indian food in the UK, but it actually derives from the 16th-century Tamil word ‘kari’, meaning spiced sauce. Daria dal are roasted split lentils, great for snacking on. Garam masala literally translates as hot spices. Normally they’re toasted.