India's cuisine has a rich history that goes back thousands of years. Indian food has been widely appreciated across the globe for its fabulous use of herbs and spices. Indian cuisine is known for its large assortment of dishes with different cooking styles varying from region to region. Given the range of diversity in soil type, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, the cuisines vary substantially from each other and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits.
Check out multi-cultural dishes from each state of India:
Jammu and Kashmir
Rice dishes along with meat preparations such as rogan josh, yakhini, harissa etc form the delicious Kashmiri thali. Photos courtesy: Twitter@IndianDiplomacy
Himachal Pradesh
The thali is loaded with hot and spicy lentils, vegetables, sidu, which is a kind of bread and meetha bhaat (sweet rice mixed with nuts).
Punjab
Famous for its rich, buttery flavours along with the extensive vegetarian and meat dishes, the thali comprises of sarson ka saag, makke ki roti, tandoori roti peeli dal, rice and various meat dishes.
Uttarakhand
Aaloo Daal Pakora, til ki chutney (made with coriander & sesame seeds), gahat ka shorba, kappa, phanu, jholi (curd & chick pea flour curry), meetha bhaat, chol roti, lesu and the dessert, roat make a delicious thali.
Haryana
The thali is loaded with homemade white butter, delicacies as kachri ki sabji, khichdi, bajra/besan chapatti, homemade buttermilk, spicy curds, kadhi pakora etc.
Uttar Pradesh
Comprising of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, the thali has delectable varieties such as bharwan chicken pasanda, mutton kofta, aloo rasedaar, keema dum, naans and desserts as imarti, pedas and balushahi.
Rajasthan
The elaborate thali comprises of dal baati churma, missi roti, gatte ki sabji, panchmela dal, laal maas, bajra roti, buttermilk and desserts like malpuas and halwa.
Gujarat
The state's thali comprises of dishes that are sweet and tangy, namely methi na thepla, bhakhri, khatti mithi daal (sweet and sour lentil), aloo rasila, steamed rice, badshahi khichdi etc.
Madhya Pradesh
The delicious thali comprises of poha (rice flakes cooked with spices), roghan josh, saboodana khichdi, korma, seekh kebab, achari gosht etc; which is finished with the famous Bhopali paan.
Bihar
The state's thali comprises of kebab, boti, chicken masala, sattu parantha, chokha (spicy mashed potatoes), fish curry and postaa-dana kaa halwaa.
Jharkand
The state's thali has mouth-watering dishes such as chhilka, dhuska, kurthi daal, red rice, lal saag, dehati chicken, dudh peetha, sattu ka parantha, ghugni, litti chokha, balushahi etc.
West Bengal
Fish, vegetables, potol bhaja, torkari, doi maach, kebabs, rice, lentils, chor chori, sandesh etc. form the basic ingredients of Bengali thali.
Sikkim
The state's thali is a mix of steamed and fried goodness including dishes such as Dal bhat (boiled rice and lentil soup), Thukpa – the noodle based soup , momos, Phagshapa etc.
Arunachal Pradesh
Tomatoes, red chilli chutney, rice, meat dish, steamed organic vegetables and fermented products such as cheese and soy beans make the mouthwatering thali.
Assam
The delicious thali has meat dish, fish, fresh vegetables, aloo pitika, dal and saag.
Meghalaya
Varying with different tribes, the thali comprises of sticky rice, spicy meat and fish preparations, steamed foods like momos, vegetables, pickled bamboo shoots etc.
Tripura
Fried aubergines, Berma, which is a small, oil-pasted & dry fermented fish, tomato chutney, lentils, rice, muya (bamboo shoot), local fishes, vegetables, herbs, batema etc are staple part of the thali.
Nagaland
The Naga thali brims with vegetables, chillies and variety of meat and fish, which are often smoked, dried or fermented.
Manipur
Seasoned with the spicy chili pepper, Manipuri thali consists of rice, fish, leafy vegetables, Tan Ngang (bread) and the irresistible dessert Chahao Kheer, which is made with black rice.
Mizoram
The thali has steamed rice, bai made of steamed vegetables along with meat, spinach, bamboo shoot and herbs, koat pitha (deep fried fritters with rice flour and banana) and the delectable dish misa mash poora.
Odisha
The thali is simple, less spicy and oily, yet intricately flavoured. No Odia cuisine is complete without rice, fish, seafood and yogurt.
Chhattisgarh
The state's trademark thali comprises of delicacies such as rakhia badi, pethas, rice pakodas, bafauri, steamed rice, fara (crispy balls made with leftover cooked rice).
Maharashtra
The delicious typical thali has aamras, kosimbir, bhakri roti (millet flatbread), pitla (thick chickpea flour curry), amti (spicy & tangy toor lentil), mutton Kolhapuri, sabudana vada and desserts like kheer and basundi.
Telangana
The basic thali comprises of vegetarian dishes such as bachali kura (spinach curry cooked in tamarind paste) and pachi pulusu (similar to rasam) and non-veg dishes consisting of chicken and mutton curries like ooru kodi pulusu and golichina gamsam.
Goa
Comprising of seafood, rice, meat preparations, the spicy Goan cuisine also has vindaloo, coconut milk, rice, banana Halwa and fried kormolas, among other food items.
Karnataka
The thali comprises of healthy mix of rice, akki roti, dal, vegetables, rasam, sambar, vada, kosambari (salad), rava kesari (dessert) and high infusion of coconut.
Andhra Pradesh
High on red chillies and spices, Andhra thali offers food which is simple yet packed with flavours, ranging from rasam, chutney, vada, rice and more.
Tamil Nadu
An amalgamation of flavours ranging from spicy to sweet, the thali comprises of rasam, plain rice, curd, badam payasam, sambar, poriyal (curry), kootu etc.
Kerala
Cooked in coconut oil and starting with a serving of the sweet payasam, the thali is a perfectly balanced meal, with each and every dish reflecting the heritage and culture of the land.
