Indian States Food: India is a nation that is so vibrant and diverse and each state exhibits a unique culture, tradition, way of life, language and cuisine. Indian food is one of the tastiest and most delicate in the world. There is no homogeneity of flavours between north and south or east and west, but rather a completely overwhelming richness of flavours. Culinary diversity is one of India’s treasures.
There is so much to Indian cuisine that one should rather speak of “Indian cuisines”. Each region offers its culinary specialities and a variety of traditional dishes.
So whether you’re spending a few days up north in Kashmir or holidaying down south to Kerala, you’ll observe striking differences in the kind of food people relish. This makes India one of the most prominent foodie countries around the world.
To give you a better synopsis of the nation’s foodie scene, below is a list of various Indian states and their speciality foods, so you can focus on trying the best local cuisines next time you’re in the country!
Top 10 Indian States for Food Lovers:
- Jammu and Kashmir
India’s northernmost state provides some of the delicious cuisines to be found anywhere in the country. Rogan josh, dum aloo, yakhni, Haak saag, gustaba and Tabak maaz are some of the popular dishes served in this area. One incredible delicacy to try is Kalmadi cheese, which is a traditional local mountain cheese (usually made from cow’s milk) originating from this country. - West Bengal
Bengal is the right state for those with a sweet tooth or those who love fish. This may be a strange combination – and yet in India, you will find famous Bengali sweets and Bengali restaurants serving traditional cuisine in almost every city you visit. One of the popular dishes is doi machh, which is a Bengali fish curry with rice. Other famous delicacies include Sandesh, daab jhingri (special mustard prawn curry), rasgulla and mishti doi. - Punjab
This northern state is particularly popular for its amazing local cuisine, which is enjoyed across the country. Try the makke ki roti and Sarson da saag, a popular combination of Punjabi bread and mustard-spiced gravy. The popular chole-bhature, rajma-chawal, Amritsari machhli (fish) and lassi (sweetened buttermilk) also find their origins in this region. - Andhra Pradesh
This is the state that gave the world one of its most delicious dishes: biryani. Andhra Pradesh deserves a visit, especially for authentic Hyderabadi biryani. Biryani is made from layered rice that is cooked with any type of meat, chicken or a combination of vegetables. Other popular food options in the state include Mirchi salan, ghongura pickled vegetables and kodikoora.
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- Maharashtra
Maharashtra cuisine comprises a variety of dishes that go from very mild to very spicy. Throughout the state, you will find amazing restaurants that serve typical regional food. The most popular is the vada pav, which is a potato fritter stuffed between buns, served with spicy chutney and green chillies. Other prominent dishes from this region include pav-bhaji, shrikhand, thalipeeth, Puran poli and modak. - Rajasthan
This state is not only popular for its enormous deserts, beautiful palaces and vibrant history – it is also known for its scrumptious indigenous cuisine. The region offers various delicacies when it comes to food. One of the tastiest dishes is daal-baati, which consists of hard balls of wheat flour and ingredients fried in ghee and special daal made of different types of pulses. It is usually served with churma, a sweet dish prepared by crushing baatis and adding ghee and sugar. Also try pyaaz kachori, malai ghewar, gatte ki sabzi and kalakand. - Bihar
People don’t know enough about the typical cuisine of Bihar, although it is too rich in taste and austere in the way it is prepared. The most admired delicacy of the state is litti and chokha, which consists of baked wheat balls filled with a special filling and mashed potatoes with a distinct taste. Sattu paratha, jhal murhi, khaja and tilkut are also worth trying.
- Sikkim
The cuisine of this state is influenced by the northeastern part of India and Nepal along with a high Nepalese population. One of the must-try delicacies in Sikkim is phagshapa, made from strips of dried pork fat cooked with turnips, radishes and chillies. Also, momos, thukpa, gundruk and sael roti are very prominent in this area. - Tamil Nadu
A taste of India cannot be complete without mentioning dosa and idli. This state is the origin of the most famous South Indian cuisine, which is eaten all over the world. There are a variety of dosas available throughout the region – but the most famous is the masala dosa, which is a fermented rice batter crepe filled with potatoes and served with sambhar and coconut chutney. You must also try idlis, appam, rasam, Chettinad chicken and Pongal in this state. - Gujarat
Traditional Gujarati food is loved for its distinctive flavour that maintains an interesting balance between spice and sweetness. Try dhokla which is a famous snack or breakfast that is healthy and tasty. Other popular delicacies include thepla (a flatbread made from fresh fenugreek leaves and flour), khandvi, dhansak and Gujarati kadhi.