If you are planning an India tour, you are likely to get ample opportunities to try and relish the flavorsome Indian food
Food in India is an emotion; it binds all aspects of one’s history, heritage, and culture. Indians are foodies too, and you can’t doubt that! From tantalizing street food to the fine-dining; Indians are extremely passionate about their food!
Without any ado, let’s dive deep into this culinary guide to India and learn more about Indian delicacies.
Indian cuisine and diversity
The Indian cuisine is so diverse that you will not find the same taste of the same dish even 50 km apart. Every place has its own distinct taste and one has numerous itinerations available to match one’s taste and preference.
India is a vast country with numerous religions, dialects, cultures, and rituals. Its influence can be seen in its cuisine and the way people eat here. On every 100-odd kilometers, you will find a new taste of the same dish that you tried elsewhere.
For instance, ‘Dosa’ is most prominent in the Indian southern states but is well eaten in the Northern Indian states as well. However, the style of making and their tastes are poles apart.
Top Indian Dishes to enjoy when in India
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Tikka Masala is an Indian-originated dish, now popular across all Indian restaurants worldwide. It is a comfort food for the Non-Vegetarians and a culinary treasure for the visitors to this country.
It is a delicious dish cooked with mastery. The soft Chicken chunks are marinated with a mixture of yogurt, ginger, lemon, garlic, and Indian spices – cumin, coriander, turmeric, chill powder, garam masala, and salt.
It is then roasted and well served with Indian flatbreads – Butter Garlic Naan, Roti, or Rice.
Tandoori Chicken
The Tandoori Chicken is another iconic dish that will tantalize your taste buds and will make you fall in love with Indian cuisine.
The preparation of the dish involves similar steps to Chicken Tikka Masala. However, the chicken chunks after marination and rest are put in a Tandoor ( a handmade clay oven).
It has a smokey flavor and it looks appetizing when lemon juice is poured upon it, making it irresistible to eat. It is well served with Roti, Naan, Rice, or Mint Chutney.
Masala Dosa
Masala Dosa is a lightweight, good for health, and gluten-free dish. Its benefits are well cherished by hundreds of thousands of Indians.
In appearance, it is a thin-crust crepe pancake made with fermented rice, and black gram (Urad Dal). It is served with Sambhar (a lentil-based vegetable stew) and Coconut Chutney.
Dosa can have multiple variations such as Plain Dosa, Masala Dosa (filled with a potato mixture), Paneer Dosa (filled with a Cottage cheese mixture), and more.
Shahi Paneer
Shahi Paneer is a North Indian curry dish made of Indian cottage cheese (Paneer). It is silky and smooth in texture, flavorsome in taste, and holds a bundle of spices in every bite.
A lot of ingredients go into its preparation such as Paneer, Onion, tomato puree, cashew nuts, fresh cream, yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, Garam Masala, Cumin seeds, Turmeric Powder, Red chili powder, cilantro, and more. A lot of ingredients go into its preparation such as Paneer, Onion, tomato puree, cashew nuts, fresh cream, yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, Garam Masala, Cumin seeds, Turmeric Powder, Red chili powder, cilantro, and more.
It is one of the best comfort foods for the Indians and can be with Butter Garlic Naan, Roti, or rice.
Biryani
Biryani is a rice dish relished by people from all parts of the country. It is a flavorsome dish with lots of spices and texture.
Biryani is flavorsome because of the range of spices including – cardamom, garam masala, coriander powder
You get different options such as Chicken Biryani, Mutton Biryani, or Vegetable Biryani. We bet you can’t get wrong with Biryani in India irrespective of which one you choose.
Dal Tadka
Dal Tadka is a lentil-based dish often paired with roti and rice. It is a staple food for the majority of the Indians as it is nutritious, vegetarian, and healthy.
Also, It is easy to make, versatile, flavorsome, and aromatic. This dish is so impressive that it has global acceptance and is a part of every Indian restaurant across the globe.
Top Indian Drinks to taste on your India Tour
Mango Lassi
Mango Lassi is a refreshing drink made with mangoes, yogurt, sugar, and a bit of cardamom. It is one of the preferred drinks of the summer season as it is refreshing and cooling, is healthy and nutritious and is easy to make.
Relish a creamy Mango Lassi with any of the dishes above and fill yourself with a complete Indian meal.
Masala Chai
Chai or Tea is one of the most drank beverages in India. It is hot and revitalizing. Indians are fond of tea so much that you can literally, find multiple tea shops at every corner of the street. Along with this, every Indian household offers tea to their guests as a sign of warm welcome and hospitality.
The widely popular Masala Chai is made with dried tea leaves sugar, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and water.
Conclusion
India is a vibrant country with a rich heritage and cultural diversity. It can be well seen in its cuisine that is equally vibrant and has an influence of the by gone era. Today, Indian cuisine is admired by people from all around the world and there is no better way taste them all while you are on a tour to India.