Top 10 Indian Delicacies Worth Trying
“A Guide To The Taste Of India.”
India is famous for its exotic cuisines and flavors across the world. No matter where you belong from everybody loves Indian food as much as they love Bollywood. From mouthwatering street ‘Pani Puri’ to extravagant Punjabi ‘Chicken Biryani,’ India has a variety of tastes to offer when it comes to food. Every state has its own flavor and cuisines.
In the past two decades, the food culture in India has bloomed like any other advancement, as more and more people are indulging in expanding their taste buds. Everybody wants to experience that spicy hot food in their mouth, especially the young generation. In India, every meal of an entire day is prepared with careful planning. But here I am going to discuss the top 10 delicacies which are my personal favorite of all time.
The food choices in India are very much influenced by region, ethnic background, culture, and religion of course. History has played a pivotal role in sculpting the flavor figurine all across the Indian subcontinent, some even introduced by Invaders and Conquerors from different continents. Today various vegetables and spices used in India weren’t even there until the 13th century. Potato is one such vegetable brought by the Portuguese sailors. Thanks to them that today India can find innovative ways to incorporate the vegetable in almost every cuisines and street food.
What Makes Indian Food Different From Other Continental Dishes?
The Spices ofcourse.
Indians love spices in their food and use them in preparing every meal. The number of spices in Indian cuisines varies depending upon the region. Northerners use much chilies and spices compared to the Southern coastal states. Also, every state has its staple like West Bengal is known for Fish Curries and other seafood, Tamil Nadu has Idi and Sambar, Rajasthan has its Daal Baati Choorma, and Andhra Pradesh for Biryani.
The menu doesn’t stop here. There are more, and if you are planning to visit India then I can suggest some must-try Indian food without which your Tour of India would be incomplete.
Here are the top 10 Indian cuisines worth trying :
1. Masala Dosa
One of my most favorite dishes is Masala Dosa. It’s something which I can never get bored with and will remain my favorite. It’s a typical South Indian dish that has its origins in the state of Karnataka. The roots of this dish are based on Mangalorean Cuisine which later spread around the coastal region. Today all neighboring states of Karnataka serve this staple, sometimes with a little twist of their own which makes it the top of this list. The main ingredients of Masala Dosa are rice, lentils, potatoes, and curry leaves. First, the rice batter is made into a crisp sheet which is called the Dosa, which is stuffed with mashed potatoes along with spices, peanuts, beetroot, carrots, and cilantro. The dosa is then garnished with mustard and served along with Coconut Chutney and Sambar which makes it even more tasty. The crisp Dosa when dipped in tangy-sweet coconut chutney makes a delightful bite of South India.
2. Dhokla
Dhokla is perhaps one of those Gujarati dishes that comes in over ten different styles. Usually, in many states, Dhokla is a portion of snack food, but in the state of Gujarat, it is served in every meal and sometimes even as the main course. It’s the everyday dish of Gujarat. Dhokla is can be made from rice and lentil. The dish is steamed just Idli, and has a little similarity in texture but not in taste. Dhokla comes in a variety of types with a slight variation in ingredients. This is the reason why it is eaten as an appetizer, side meal, snacks, and main course. Versatility becomes it. It’s also my personal favorite and I would definitely recommend giving it a try.
3. Vada Pao
The story behind the invention of this multipurpose food itself is enough to provoke you in trying this Maharashtrian Food. In 1966 a Maharashtrian Politician asked his supporters to open a small business. Among them was ‘Ashok Vaidya,’ who opened a ‘Vada’ stall beside a street and began selling them along with Buns and chilies. This was the Birth of ‘Vada Pao’ which is served today all over India.
‘Vada’ is basically like potato cutlets that are dipped in the ‘Besan Batter,’ and then deep-fried. It is then put between the buns or the Pav, just like any Burger. It is served along with Mint and Coriander Chutney.
4. Chole Bhature
Chole Bhature is again one of my favorite dishes which is originated from The state of Punjab. Indian Cuisine is incomplete without this particular dish.
The Dish is the combination of Spicy cooked Chickpeas which is called ‘Chole,’ and the puffed fried bread or as more appropriately ‘Bhature.’ Many Punjabis have them with pickles and sometimes even ‘Lassi,’ or Yogurt water. The popularity of this food could be understood by the fact that this has been given the title of most commonly eaten street food of India. Even some of the confectioneries across India serve this delicacy. Don’t miss this baby in your India tour.
5. Rajma Chawal
Rajma Chawal is like a compulsory weekend dish in many Indian households. Especially for vegetarians, it’s the best weekend food served along with rice. ‘Rajma,’ or kidney beans is an unbelievably tasty vegetarian dish when combined with Rice. The popularity of this dish is not just limited to India but many western countries as well. Rajma or kidney beans contain healthy fats and the best part is that 100 grams of beans contain merely 140 calories. Yes, it is super low in calories.
The best king of Rajma is grown in Nepal, after which Himachal and Jammu state in India produces the best quality of these legumes.
6. Rogan Josh
Rogan Josh is one of the amazing ‘Kashmiri Dish’ ever introduced by the ‘Mughals.’ It is the staple cuisine of Kashmir and is the main part of the Kashmiri multi-course meal. It is said that Mughals were the flag bearers of this particular dish and are the ones who brought it into the central region of the country. To escape from the extreme climate of the central region, the Mughals many a time escaped towards Kashmir. This is how they spread this dish. Rogan Josh consists of pieces of lamb or mutton with gravy of Indian spices and garnishes of coriander.
7. Biryani
Biryani is served in every state of India but the best of its kind is in Hyderabad. It is said the ‘Hydrabadi Biryani’ originated from the ‘Nizami’ kitchen. This dish is a blend of ‘Mughlai’ and ‘Iranian Cuisines,’ which has gained popularity not only in India but the entire world. Although it’s a staple dish of Hyderabad, it is the main attraction of most of the Indian weddings and a symbol of Royalty. Hyderabadi Biryani is made in two ways, the Raw meat and the other is the cooked or the ‘Pakki Biryani.’ For the Raw Biryani, the meat is marinated the whole night long and dipped in yogurt before cooking. The Pakki Biryani is an instant Biryani where meat is marinated for only a few minutes before cooking. It is generally covered in layers of aromatic rice in a clay or brass utensil and sealed with wheat dough.
8. Makke Di Roti with Sarso Da Saag
There is no way I won’t include this Punjabi heartthrob in my list of top 10 Indian cuisines. This dish is the most popular and favorite in the State of Punjab. ‘Makke Di Roti and Saro Da Saag,’ is a traditional winter dish. ‘Makka,’ or maize is the basic ingredient for this Punjabi cuisine.
The chapatti made from the Maize wheat is called ‘Maaka Di Roti,’ and ‘Saro Da Saag,’ means the cooked mustard leaves; which is why it is called a winter dish. You don’t have to travel all the way to Punjab to taste this delicious food. You can get this anywhere in India.
9. Butter Chicken
Punjabis are really fond of this mouthwatering dish. ‘Butter Chicken’ is popular all around the world, and nowadays people are coming up with their own ways of preparing this international cuisine. This Indian dish is believed to be originated around the 1950s in Daryaganj, a place in Delhi. It was invented accidentally by a group of Punjabi Hindus in a Restaurant called ‘Moti Mahal’ when they combined the leftover chicken with tomatoes, cream, and butter. On the list of top 10 favorite Indian cuisines, Butter Chicken is a must-try for everyone who wants to taste the traditional Punjabi madness.
10. Daal Makhani
‘Daal Makhani’ is the most common dish at an Indian wedding, or if you go to eat in a restaurant. This dish was invented and got popular after the partition of India when a lot of Punjabis migrated towards the Northern region. The base ingredient of Daal Makhani is the Black Lentil, which is sometimes combined with kidney beans. It is believed that this cuisine was first launched in the same restaurant of Delhi, where Butter Chicken was first introduced. In Canada also this dish gained popularity because of the Punjabi immigrants. It is the best dish when combined with a plate of rice. So next time you visit India don’t forget to try this.
