India
is a culturally and lingually diverse nation, with over 19,500
languages or dialectsspoken and 22 official languages, including the most
spoken language- Hindi- to the less well known languages such as Malayalam.
From
creamier dishes in the North of India to the spicy sambars of the South, India
has fantastic food offerings.
However,
many of the now well established and loved Indian dishes, both abroad and
domestically, incorporate ingredients introduced by foreign nations. With
potatoes seemingly introduced by the
Dutch and chillies- the spice most associated with Indian cuisine- brought
from Mexico by the
Portuguese, India truly seems to be a nation whose cuisine has adapted and
evolved for the better.
With
India’s cuisine offering deliciousness across all courses- it is only fair to
work our way through them!


Top 5 Indian Starters
or Snacks
- Aloo
Tikki are delicious spiced potato cakes often served with spiced
chickpeas. The perfect snack for Indian afternoon tea served
with a cup of chai.
- Onion
Bhajis or Vegetable
Pakoras, a dish made of chickpea flour, onions and potatoes. Add in
some vegetables like spinach and you have a lovely vegetable pakora. After all- everything does taste better
with batter!
- Amritsari
Fish Pakora is an Indian battered fish speciality famous in the North
of India. Covered in a light spiced batter, these fish pakoras could even
possibly rival the all-time British classic of Fish and Chips. Definitely
a dish you need to try to believe in the tastiness!
Top 5 Indian Main
Dishes

Chicken Tikka Masala is arguably one of the most popular dishes in Indian restaurants… well at least in England. A dish which incorporates a plethora of ingredientsfrom tomatoes to cream, Chicken Tikka Masala has gained a reputation as one of the best marinated Indian dishes… that is- at least for meat eaters. But with India ranked as the nation with the most vegetarians- an impressive 38%- what does this proportion of the nation like to eat?
Rogan Josh is a seemingly ‘Indian’ lamb dishfound in most English restaurants that actually has Persian origins. Roughly translating to mean a hot dish containing clarified butter, the Rogan Josh is most closely associated with the region of Kashmir in India/Pakistan. However, this curry like many other Indian curries borrows its’ ingredients from across the globeand incorporates chilli powder to give it a subtle yet delicious taste.
Aloo Gobi is another dish incorporating the Dutch introduced potato.Aloo Gobi or cauliflower and potatoes is a main vegetarian course to be served alongside flatbreads. Simple yet satisfying.
But it would be wrong to end our tour of Indian food without mentioning some of the less well-known dishes from India.
Idli is a heavy south Indian breakfast food. Made predominantly through the fermentation of steamed rice and lentils, Idli may be less well known than its’ wheat-based counterpart the chapatti or roti, but it is nonetheless delicious.
Chole Bhatureh- or chickpeas and fried flatbreads. Although seemingly heavy- the fried flat breads are often made with yoghurt which gives them a light aerated texture. The melodious mix of spices and flavourings makes Chole Bhatureh a must try vegetarian dish.

Chicken Tikka Masala is arguably one of the most popular dishes in Indian restaurants… well at least in England. A dish which incorporates a plethora of ingredientsfrom tomatoes to cream, Chicken Tikka Masala has gained a reputation as one of the best marinated Indian dishes… that is- at least for meat eaters. But with India ranked as the nation with the most vegetarians- an impressive 38%- what does this proportion of the nation like to eat?
Rogan Josh is a seemingly ‘Indian’ lamb dishfound in most English restaurants that actually has Persian origins. Roughly translating to mean a hot dish containing clarified butter, the Rogan Josh is most closely associated with the region of Kashmir in India/Pakistan. However, this curry like many other Indian curries borrows its’ ingredients from across the globeand incorporates chilli powder to give it a subtle yet delicious taste.
Aloo Gobi is another dish incorporating the Dutch introduced potato.Aloo Gobi or cauliflower and potatoes is a main vegetarian course to be served alongside flatbreads. Simple yet satisfying.
But it would be wrong to end our tour of Indian food without mentioning some of the less well-known dishes from India.
Idli is a heavy south Indian breakfast food. Made predominantly through the fermentation of steamed rice and lentils, Idli may be less well known than its’ wheat-based counterpart the chapatti or roti, but it is nonetheless delicious.
Chole Bhatureh- or chickpeas and fried flatbreads. Although seemingly heavy- the fried flat breads are often made with yoghurt which gives them a light aerated texture. The melodious mix of spices and flavourings makes Chole Bhatureh a must try vegetarian dish.
Top 5 Indian Desserts
- Kulfi-
a conical shaped Indian ice-cream flavoured with either pistachio or
cardamom or kept plain and simple. This dessert is perfect for those hot
Indian summer days when all are sorely in need of a cooling treat.
- Gajjar
ka Halwa is a carrot-based dessert, much like the well-loved carrot
cake. Gajjar ka Halwa is a sweet Indian dish packed with fruits, nuts and
spices. Although this may not be everyone’s go to dessert, it’s worth a
try to see what the fuss is about!
- Payasam
is another milk-based dessert only originating from South India. However,
this versatile dish has many variations- from vermicelli Payasam to a rice
Payasam -resembling a rice pudding which is equally as delicious. Whether
you like rice pudding or not, Payasam is definitely worth a taste!
So,
whether you speak the language or not- it’s worth knowing about India’s food
offerings. After all- a love for good food unites individuals across the globe!