South Asian cuisine includes the traditional

cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, List of cooking techniques, techniques and Dish (food), dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, ...

s from the modern-day

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

n republics of

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Maldives The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

and

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

, also sometimes including the kingdom of

Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...

and the emirate of

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. Also sometimes known as Desi cuisine, it has been influenced by and also has influenced other

Asian cuisine Asian cuisine encompasses several significant regional cooking styles of Asia: Central Asian, East Asian, North Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and West Asian. Cuisine is a distinctive way of cooking practices and customs, usually associat ...

s beyond the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

Staples and common ingredients

Chapati Chapati (alternatively spelled chapathi; pronounced as IAST: ), also known as ''roti'', ''rooti'', ''rotee'', ''rotli'', '' rotta'', ''safati'', ''shabaati'', ''phulka'', ''chapo'' (in East Africa), ''sada roti'' (in the Caribbean), ''poli'' (i ...

, a type of

flat bread A flatbread is bread made usually with flour; water, milk, yogurt, or other liquid; and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened, although some are leavened, such as pita bread. A serving of 85g (~ ...

, is a common part of meals to be had in many parts of the Indian subcontinent. Other staples from many of the cuisines include rice,

roti Roti is a round flatbread originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is commonly consumed in many South Asian, Southeast Asian, Caribbean, East African, and Southeast African countries. It is made from stoneground whole-wheat flour, kno ...

made from

atta flour Atta is a type of wheat flour, originally from the Indian subcontinent, used to make flatbreads. It is the most widespread flour in the Indian subcontinent. Properties Whole common wheat ('' Triticum aestivum'') is generally used to make atta; ...

, and beans. Foods in this area of the world are flavoured with various types of chilli, black pepper, cloves, and other strong herbs and spices along with the flavoured butter

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from South Asia. It is commonly used for cooking, as a Traditional medicine of India, traditional medicine, and for Hinduism, Hindu religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by ...

. Ginger is an ingredient that can be used in both savory and sweet recipes in cuisines from the subcontinent. Chopped ginger is fried with meat, and pickled ginger is often an accompaniment to boiled rice. Ginger juice and ginger boiled in syrup are used to make desserts. Turmeric and cumin are often used to make curries. Common meats include lamb, goat, fish, chicken and

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...

. Beef is less common in

than in other South Asian cuisines because cattle have a special place in

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

. Prohibitions against beef extend to the meat of (water) buffalo and yaks to some extent.

Pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...

is considered as a taboo food item by all Muslims and is not taboo but avoided by many Hindus, though it is commonly eaten in some regions like

Northeast India Northeast India, officially the North Eastern Region (NER), is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political Administrative divisions of India, administrative division of the country. It comprises eight States and ...

and

Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...

. A variety of very sweet desserts which use

dairy product Dairy products or milk products are food products made from (or containing) milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, goat, nanny goat, and Sheep, ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food around the world such as y ...

s is also found in cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. The main ingredients in desserts of the Indian subcontinent are reduced milk, ground almonds, lentil flour, ghee and sugar.

Kheer Kheer, khir or payasam is a pudding or porridge popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice. It can be additionally flavoured with dried fruits, nuts, cardamom and saffron. Instead of rice, ...

is a dairy-based rice pudding, a common dessert.

History

Many foods from the subcontinent have been known for over five thousand years. The Indus Valley people, who settled in the northwestern Indian subcontinent, hunted turtles and alligator. They also collected wild grains, herbs and plants. Many foods and ingredients from the Indus period (c. 3300–1700 B.C.) are still common today. Some consist of wheat, barley, rice, tamarind, eggplant, and cucumber. The Indus Valley people cooked with oils, ginger, salt, green peppers, and turmeric root, which would be dried and ground into an orange powder. Indians have used leafy vegetables, lentils, and milk products such as yogurt and ghee throughout their history. They also used spices such as cumin and coriander. Black pepper, which is native to India, was often used by 400 A.D. The Greeks brought saffron and the Chinese introduced tea. The Portuguese and

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

made red chili, potato and cauliflower popular after 1700 A.D.

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...

, who began arriving in India after 1200, saw food as an art and many of their dishes are cooked with as many as 25 spices. They also used rose water, cashews, raisins, and almonds. In the late 18th and early 19th century, an autobiography of the Scottish Robert Lindsay mentions a Sylheti man called Saeed Ullah cooking a curry for Lindsay's family. This is possibly the oldest record of Indian cuisine in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Bhang eaters before two huts (6124556163).jpg,

Bhang Bhang (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''Bhāṅg'') is an Cannabis edible, edible preparation made from the leaves of the Cannabis (drug), cannabis plant originating from the Indian subcontinent. ''Cannabis sativa'' ...

eaters from India c. 1790. Bhang is an edible preparation of

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

native to the Indian subcontinent. It has been used in food and drink as early as 1000 BCE by

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

s in

ancient India Anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. The earliest known human remains in South Asia date to 30,000 years ago. Sedentism, Sedentariness began in South Asia around 7000 BCE; ...

. Nimmatnama-i Nasiruddin-Shahi 283.jpg, A page from the '' Nimatnama-i-Nasiruddin-Shahi'', the book of delicacies and recipes. It documents the fine art of making

kheer Kheer, khir or payasam is a pudding or porridge popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice. It can be additionally flavoured with dried fruits, nuts, cardamom and saffron. Instead of rice, ...

. Sweets 1.jpg,

Medieval India Medieval India was a long period of post-classical history in the Indian subcontinent between the ancient and modern periods. It is usually regarded as running approximately from the break-up of the Gupta Empire in the 6th century to the star ...

n Manuscript Nimatnama-i-Nasiruddin-Shahi (''circa'' 16th century) showing

samosa A samosa () () (Hindi: समोसा) ( Persian: سمبوسه) is a fried South Asian and West Asian snack. It is a pastry with a savory filling that mostly consists of vegetables like spiced potatoes, onions, and peas, but can also include ...

s being served.

By culture

Afghan cuisine

Afghan cuisine is influenced by Persian, Central Asian, and Indian cuisines due to Afghanistan's close proximity and cultural ties. The cuisine is

halal ''Halal'' (; ) is an Arabic word that translates to in English. Although the term ''halal'' is often associated with Islamic dietary laws, particularly meat that is slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, it also governs ethical practices ...

and mainly based on

mutton Lamb and mutton, collectively sheep meat (or sheepmeat) is one of the most common meats around the world, taken from the domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries'', and generally divided into lamb, from sheep in their first year, hogget, from sheep in thei ...

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting animal products such as meat, Eggs as food, eggs or feathers. The practice of animal husbandry, raising poultry is known as poultry farming. These birds are most typ ...

and

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

with

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

and

Afghan bread Naan () is a leavened, oven-baked or tawa-fried flatbread, that can also be baked in a tandoor. It is characterized by a light and fluffy texture and golden-brown spots from the baking process. Naan is found in the cuisines of Central Asia, ...

. File:Afghan Palo.jpg, Afghan ''

Kabuli palaw Qabeli palaw (, , often wrongly transcribed as Kabuli pulao, ) is a variety of pilaf made in Afghanistan. The core ingredients are steamed rice mixed with caramelized carrots and raisins as well as marinated meat. Qabeli palaw is commonly garn ...

'' File:Afghan Ashak dumplings.jpg, Afghan ''aushak'' File:Afghani lamb kebab.jpg, Afghan lamb kebab with yellow saffron rice File:Afghan Bolani.jpg, Bolani File:Bread of Afghanistan in 2010.jpg, Naan (bread) from a local baker, the most widely consumed bread in Afghanistan

Bangladeshi cuisine

Bangladeshi cuisine is dominated by Bengali cuisine and has been shaped by the diverse

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

and riverine

geography of Bangladesh Bangladesh is a densely populated, low-lying, mainly riverine country located in South Asia with a coastline of on the northern littoral of the Bay of Bengal. The delta plain of the Ganges (Padma), Brahmaputra (Jamuna), and Meghna Rivers ...

. The country has a

tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate subtype that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ' ...

Rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

is the main

staple food A staple food, food staple, or simply staple, is a food that is eaten often and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard diet for an individual or a population group, supplying a large fraction of energy needs an ...

of Bangladeshi people and it is served with a wide range of

curries Curry is a dish with a sauce or gravy seasoned with spices, mainly derived from the interchange of Indian cuisine with European taste in food, starting with the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and British, and then thoroughly internation ...

Bangladeshi dishes exhibit strong

aromatic In organic chemistry, aromaticity is a chemical property describing the way in which a conjugated system, conjugated ring of unsaturated bonds, lone pairs, or empty orbitals exhibits a stabilization stronger than would be expected from conjugati ...

flavours; and often include

eggs An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo begins to develop. Egg, EGG or eggs may also refer to: Biology * Egg cell, the female reproductive cell (gamete) in oogamous organisms Food * Eggs as food Places * Egg, Austria * Egg, Switzerland ...

potatoes The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

tomatoes The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originated from and was d ...

and aubergines. A variety of

spices In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...

and

herbs Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnish (food), garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typi ...

, along with

mustard oil Mustard oil can mean either the pressed oil used for cooking or a pungent essential oil, also known as volatile oil, of the mustard plant. The essential oil results from grinding mustard seed, mixing the grounds with water, and isolating the resu ...

and

, is used in Bangladeshi cooking. The main breads are

naan Naan () is a leavened, oven-baked or tawa-fried flatbread, that can also be baked in a tandoor. It is characterized by a light and fluffy texture and golden-brown spots from the baking process. Naan is found in the cuisines of Central Asia ...

, porota,

bakarkhani Bakarkhani or Baqarkhani or Bakorkhoni also known as bakarkhani roti, is a thick, spiced flat-bread that is part of the Mughlai cuisine. Bakarkhani is prepared on certain Muslim religious festivals in South Asia and is now popular as sweet brea ...

and luchi.

Dal Dal is a term in the Indian subcontinent for dried, split pulses. Dal or DAL may also refer to: Places Cambodia *Dal, Ke Chong Finland * Laakso, a neighbourhood of Helsinki India * Dal Lake, in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India * Dal ...

is the second most important staple food which is served with rice/porota/luchi.

Fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

is a staple in Bangladeshi cuisine, especially

freshwater fish Freshwater fish are fish species that spend some or all of their lives in bodies of fresh water such as rivers, lakes, ponds and inland wetlands, where the salinity is less than 1.05%. These environments differ from marine habitats in many wa ...

, which is a distinctive feature of the country's gastronomy. Major fish dishes include ''ilish'' (

hilsa The ilish (''Tenualosa ilisha'') (), also known as the ilishi, hilsa, hilsa herring or hilsa shad, is a species of fish related to the herring, in the family Clupeidae. It is a very popular and sought-after food in the Bengal region, and is ...

'')'', ''pabda'' ( butterfish), ''rui'' ( rohu), ''pangash'' ( pangas catfish), ''chitol'' ( clown knifefish), ''magur'' (

walking catfish The walking catfish (''Clarias batrachus'') is a species of freshwater airbreathing catfish native to Southeast Asia. It is named for its ability to "walk" and wiggle across dry land, to find food or suitable environments. While it does not tr ...

), ''bhetki'' (

barramundi The barramundi (''Lates calcarifer''), Asian sea bass, or giant sea perch (also known as dangri, apahap or siakap) is a species of catadromous fish in the family Latidae of the order Carangiformes. The species is widely distributed in the I ...

) and

tilapia Tilapia ( ) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the coelotilapine, coptodonine, heterotilapine, oreochromine, pelmatolapiine, and tilapiine tribes (formerly all were "Tilapiini"), with the economically mos ...

. Meat consumption includes

, lamb,

venison Venison refers primarily to the meat of deer (or antelope in South Africa). Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edible, including the internal organs. Venison, much like beef or pork, is categorized into spe ...

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...

squab In culinary terminology, squab is an immature domestic pigeon, typically under four weeks old, or its meat. Some authors describe it as tasting like dark chicken. The word "squab" probably comes from Scandinavia; the Swedish word means "loose ...

and koel. Vegetable dishes, either mashed (''bhorta''), boiled (''sabji''), or leaf-based (''

saag Saag also spelled sag, saagh or saga, is a leafy vegetable dish from the Indian subcontinent. It is eaten with bread, such as roti or naan, or in some regions with rice. Saag can be made from mustard greens, collard greens, basella or finel ...

''), are widely served. Seafood such as

lobster Lobsters are Malacostraca, malacostracans Decapoda, decapod crustaceans of the family (biology), family Nephropidae or its Synonym (taxonomy), synonym Homaridae. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on th ...

s and shrimps are also often prevalent. Islamic dietary laws are prevalent across Bangladesh. Halal foods are food items that Muslims are allowed to eat and drink under Islamic dietary guidelines. The criteria specifies both what foods are allowed, and how the food must be prepared. The foods addressed are mostly types of meat allowed in Islam. Bangladeshi people follow certain rules and regulations while eating. It includes warm hospitality and particular ways of serving as well. This is known as ''Bangaliketa'' (). The culture also defines the way to invite people to weddings and for dinner. Gifts are given on certain occasions. ''Bangaliketa'' also includes a way of serving utensils in a proper manner. Bengali cuisine has the only traditionally developed multi-course tradition from the subcontinent that is analogous in structure to the modern ''

service à la russe (; , ) is a style of serving food in which dishes are brought to the table sequentially and served separately to each guest. ''Service à la russe'' was developed in France in the 19th century by adapting traditional Russian table service to ex ...

'' style of

French cuisine French cuisine is the cooking traditions and practices of France. In the 14th century, Guillaume Tirel, a Court (royal), court chef known as "Taillevent", wrote ''Le Viandier'', one of the earliest recipe collections of medieval France. In ...

, with food served course-wise rather than all at once.

Bhutanese cuisine

Bhutanese cuisine employs a lot of red rice (like brown rice in texture, but with a nutty taste, the only variety of rice that grows at high altitudes), buckwheat, and increasingly maize. The diet in the hills also includes chicken, yak meat, dried beef, pork, pork fat, and mutton. It has many similarities with

Tibetan cuisine Tibetan cuisine includes the culinary traditions and practices of the Tibetan people in the Tibet region. The cuisine reflects the Tibetan landscape of mountains and plateaus and includes influences from neighbors (including India and Nepal ...

Indian cuisine

Indian cuisine is characterized by its sophisticated and subtle use of many

Indian spices Indian spices include a variety of spices grown across the Indian subcontinent (a sub-region of South Asia). With different climates in different parts of the country, India produces a variety of spices, many of which are native to the subcont ...

. There is also the widespread practice of

vegetarianism Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

across its society although, overall a minority. Indian cuisine is one of the world's most diverse cuisines, each family of this cuisine is characterized by a wide assortment of dishes and cooking techniques. As a consequence, Indian cuisine varies from region to region, reflecting its ethnically diverse demographics. India's

religious beliefs A belief is a subjective attitude that something is true or a state of affairs is the case. A subjective attitude is a mental state of having some stance, take, or opinion about something. In epistemology, philosophers use the term "belief" to ...

and

culture Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

has played an influential role in the evolution of its cuisine. It has influences from

Middle Eastern cuisine Middle Eastern cuisine includes a number of cuisines from the Middle East. Common ingredients include olives and olive oil, pitas, honey, sesame seeds, dates, sumac, chickpeas, mint, rice and parsley, and popular dishes include '' kebabs'', ...

Southeast Asian cuisine This is a list of Asian cuisines, by region. A cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, usually associated with a specific culture or region. Asia, being the largest, most populous and culturally diverse continent, ...

East Asian cuisine This is a list of Asian cuisines, by region. A cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, usually associated with a specific culture or region. Asia, being the largest, most populous and culturally diverse continent, ...

and

Central Asian cuisine Central Asian cuisine has been influenced by Persian, Indian, Arab, Turkish, Chinese, Mongol, and Russian cultures, as well as the culinary traditions of other varied nomadic and sedentary civilizations. Contributing to the culinary diversi ...

, as well as the

Mediterranean cuisine Mediterranean cuisine is the food and methods of preparation used by the people of the Mediterranean basin. The idea of a Mediterranean cuisine originates with the cookery writer Elizabeth David's book, ''A Book of Mediterranean Food'' (1950), ...

s due to the historical and contemporary cross-cultural interactions with these neighboring regions. Regional cuisine includes: *

East India East India is a region consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The states of Bihar and West Bengal lie on the Indo-Gangetic plain. Jharkhan ...

n cuisines: **

Bengali cuisine Bengali cuisine is the culinary style of Bengal, that comprises Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, and Assam's Karimganj district. The cuisine has been shaped by the region's diverse history of Bengal, history and climate. It is k ...

** Cuisine of Chhattisgarh **

Odia cuisine Odia cuisine is the cuisine of the Indian state of Odisha. Compared to other regional Indian cuisines, Odia cuisine uses less Cooking oil, oil and is less spicy, while nonetheless remaining flavorful. Rice is the staple food of this region. ...

Bhojpuri cuisine Bhojpuri cuisine is a style of food preparation common among the Bhojpuri people of Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh in India, and also the Terai region of Nepal. Bhojpuri foods are mostly mild and tend to be less hot in terms of spic ...

** Jharkhandi cuisine ** Maithil cuisine **

Bihari cuisine Bihari cuisine is eaten mainly in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, as well as in the places where people originating from the state of Bihar have settled: Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mauritius, South Africa, Fiji, some cities of P ...

File:Bengali Fish meal.jpg, Bengali Fish meal File:Odia Mutton Curry (Mansha Tarkari).jpg, Odisha style Mutton Curry File:Rasgullas from Odisha and Bengal.jpg,

Rasgulla Rasgulla (literally "syrup filled ball") is a syrupy dessert popular in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of South Asia. It is made from ball-shaped dumplings of chhena dough, cooked in light sugar syrup. This is done until the syrup perm ...

a famous syrupy dessert from

Eastern India East India is a region consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The states of Bihar and West Bengal lie on the Indo-Gangetic plain. Jharkhan ...

n cuisines: **

Assamese cuisine Assamese cuisine is the cuisine of the Indian state of Assam. It is a style of cooking that is a confluence of cooking habits of the hills that favour fermentation and drying as forms of preservation and those from the plains that provide extr ...

** Arunachalese cuisine ** Meghalayan cuisine **

Manipuri cuisine Manipuri cuisine refers to the cuisine of Manipur, a state of northeastern India. Daily meals are based on rice, with a few side dishes of vegetables, fish and meat. A meal would usually have a vegetable stew called or , flavored with dried ...

Naga cuisine Naga cuisine consists of foods from or commonly eaten by the Naga people in Northeast India and Kachin, Sagaing Region of Myanmar, or by the Naga diaspora. Each ethnic group of the Nagas prepares its own unique style of cuisines. It most nota ...

** Mizo cuisine ** Sikkimese cuisine **

Tripuri cuisine Tripuri cuisine is the type of traditional foods of the Tripuri people served in the northeastern region of India (mainly Tripura) and Bangladesh. The Tripuri cuisine reflect the organic lifestyle and evolving cultural trend with times from ...

** Gorkha cuisine File:Assamese Thali.jpg, Assamese Thali File:Yongchaak eromba (2).jpg, Non-Vegetarian

Eromba Eromba () is an ethnic dish of the Meitei community of Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the n ...

from

Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...

File:Tan Ngang.JPG, Tan Ngang a bread from

File:Thukpa_a_Tibetan_delicacy.jpeg,

Thukpa Thukpa ( Tibetan: ཐུག་པ; IPA: /tʰu(k̚)ˀ˥˥.pə˥˥/ ) is a Tibetan noodle soup, which originated in the eastern part of Tibet. ''Amdo thukpa'', especially '' thenthuk'', is a variant among the Indians, especially Ladakhis and the ...

from

Sikkim Sikkim ( ; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Koshi Province of Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the ...

North Indian cuisine North Indian cuisine is collectively the cuisine of North India, which includes the cuisines of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Terr ...

s: **

Awadhi cuisine Awadhi cuisine (, ) is a cuisine native to the Awadh region in Northern India and Southern Nepal. Awadhi cuisine can be divided in two parts; Traditional Awadhi cuisines and Nawabi cuisines. Cooking patterns of Lucknow are similar to those of C ...

** Cuisine of Uttar Pradesh ** Himachali cuisine **

Kashmiri cuisine Kashmiri cuisine refers to the traditional culinary practices of the Kashmiris, Kashmiri people, primarily from the Kashmir Valley in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. The cuisine has strong influences from neighbouring regions in ...

Kumaoni cuisine Kumauni cuisine is the food of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India. Kumaoni food is simple and nutritious, suited to the harsh environment of the Himalayas. Pulses like '' gouhat'' (or ''kulath'', a local type of bean) are fashioned into ...

** Ladakhi cuisine **

Mughlai cuisine Mughlai cuisine consists of dishes developed or popularised in the early-modern Indo-Persian cultural centres of the Mughal Empire. It represents a combination of cuisine of the Indian subcontinent with the cooking styles and recipes of C ...

Punjabi cuisine Punjabi cuisine is a culinary style originating in the Punjab, a region in the northern part of South Asia, which is now divided into an Punjab, India, Indian part to the east and a Punjab, Pakistan, Pakistani part to the west. This cuisine ha ...

Rajasthani cuisine . Rajwaadi culinary tradition Rajasthan is known for its Royal ''Rajwaadi cuisine'' (also known as ''Raajsi cuisine'') which emanated from the culinary traditions of Royal courts and temples. The ''Rajwaadi cuisine'' is characteri ...

File:Vegetarian Curry.jpeg, Traditional North Indian Vegetarian Thali,

File:Rogan josh02.jpg,

Rogan josh Rogan josh ( English: /ˌroʊɡən ˈdʒɑʃ/);Rogan Josh
Oxford English Dictionary ), also spell ...

is a popular Kashmiri dish from

File:Tandoorimumbai.jpg,

Chicken tikka Chicken tikka is a chicken dish popular in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the United Kingdom. It is traditionally small pieces of boneless chicken baked using skewers on a brazier called or over charcoal after marinating in Indian spices and ...

, is a popular dish in

File:GhevarRajasthaniSweet.jpg,

Ghevar Ghevar or Ghewar is a disc-shaped Rajasthani sweet with a honeycomb-like texture, made from ghee, maida, and sugar syrup. It is traditionally associated with the month of Shraavana and the festivals of Teej and Raksha Bandhan. It is a part of ...

a popular sweet dessert from

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

South Indian cuisine South Indian cuisine includes the cuisines of the five South India, southern states of India—Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana—and the union territories of Lakshadweep, and Puducherry (union territory), Pondicherr ...

s: ** Chettinad cuisine ** Dhivehi cuisine (Minicoy) **

Hyderabadi cuisine Hyderabadi cuisine (native: ''Hyderabadi Ghizaayat''), also known as Deccani cuisine, is the cooking style characteristic of the city of Hyderabad and its surrounding area in Telangana, India. Hyderabadi cuisine is an amalgamation of South A ...

Kerala cuisine Kerala cuisine is a culinary style originated in the Kerala, a state on the southwestern Malabar Coast of India. Kerala cuisine offers a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry and red meat with rice ...

Karnataka cuisine Dating back to the Iron Age, Karnataka’s cuisine is said to be one of the oldest surviving in the country. Karnataka cuisine includes the cuisines of the different regions and communities of the Indian state of Karnataka, namely, Uttara Karn ...

** Mangalorean cuisine **

Tamil cuisine Tamil cuisine is a generic term used to describe culinary practices among Tamil language, Tamil-speaking populations, originating from Southern India and neighboring Sri Lanka. It encompasses several distinct styles of cuisine or cooking reper ...

Telugu cuisine Andhra cuisine, culturally known as Telugu cuisine, is a cuisine of India native to the state of Andhra Pradesh and is the culinary style of Telugu people. It is generally known for its tangy, hot, and spicy taste. Regional variations The r ...

** Thalassery cuisine **

Udupi cuisine Udupi cuisine is a cuisine of South India. It forms an important part of Kannada- Tuluva cuisine and takes its name from Udupi, a city on the southwest coast of India in the Karavali region of the state of Karnataka. Most of Udupi cuisine is ...

File:Hyderabadi Biryani with Raita, Mirchi Ka Salan and Salad.JPG, Hyderabadi Dum Biryani,

File:Dosai Chutney Hotel Saravana Bhavan.jpg,

Dosa Dosa may refer to: Belief * Dosa or dvesha, a Buddhist concept of hate or aversion People * Bogoljub Mitić Đoša (1968 - 2017), Serbian actor * Csaba Dosa (born 1951), Romanian athlete * Dosa ben Harkinas, Jewish Tanna sage * Dosa ben S ...

served with sambar and

chutney A chutney () is a spread typically associated with cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt, or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion ...

File:Vegetarian Andhra Meal.jpg, South Indian vegetarian Thali,

File:Fish Moilee Kerala Style (aka KeralaFish Molly).JPG,

Fish moolie Fish moilee/moily or fish molee (meen molee) is a spicy fish and coconut dish of possible Portuguese or Indian origin. It is common in India, Malaysia and Singapore. During the times of the British Empire, it spread into other places of South-Eas ...

Kerala Style *

West India Western India is a loosely defined region of India consisting of western states of Republic of India. The Ministry of Home Affairs in its Western Zonal Council Administrative division includes the states of Goa, Gujarat, and Maharashtra al ...

n cuisines: **

Goan cuisine Goan cuisine consists of regional foods popular in Goa, an Indian state located along India's west coast on the shore of the Arabian Sea. Rice, seafood, coconut, vegetables, meat, bread, pork and local spices are some of the main ingredients in ...

Gujarati cuisine Gujarati cuisine is the cuisine of the Indian state of Gujarat. The typical '' Gujarati thali'' consists of '' rotli'', ''dal'' or ''curry'', rice, and ''shaak'' (a dish made up of several different combinations of vegetables and spices, which ma ...

Maharashtrian cuisine Maharashtrian or Marathi cuisine is the cuisine of the Marathi people from the Indian state of Maharashtra. It has distinctive attributes, while sharing much with other Indian cuisines. Traditionally, Maharashtrians have considered their food to ...

Malvani cuisine Malvani may refer to: *Malvani people, people from the Malvan region of Maharashtra, on the Konkan coast of western India *Malvani language, a dialect of Konkani, with heavy influence from Marathi *Malvani cuisine, cuisine of the Malvan region, with ...

Parsi cuisine Parsi cuisine refers to the traditional cuisine of the Parsi people who had migrated into the Indian subcontinent from Persia, and currently spread across the modern-day South Asian republics of India and Pakistan. Primary meals The basic feat ...

Sindhi cuisine Sindhi cuisine ( Sindhi: سنڌي کاڌا) refers to the distinct native cuisine of the Sindhi people from Sindh, Pakistan. Sindhi cuisine has been influenced by Central Asian, Iranian, Mughal food traditions. It is mostly a non-vegetarian cuisi ...

** Thathai Bhatia Cuisine File:Pav Bhaji.jpg, Pav Bhaji a popular fast food from

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

File:Vindalho.jpg, Pork

Vindaloo Vindaloo or vindalho is a curry dish from the state of Goa in India. It is known globally in its British-Indian form as a staple of curry houses and Indian restaurants and is often regarded as a fiery, spicy dish. Vindaloo evolved from the Port ...

being served at a restaurante in

File:Dhansak.JPG,

Dhansak Dhansak is a popular Indian dish, originating among the Parsi community. It combines elements of Persian and Gujarati cuisine. Dhansak is made by cooking mutton or goat meat with a mixture of lentils and vegetables. This is served with ca ...

a famous

Parsi The Parsis or Parsees () are a Zoroastrian ethnic group in the Indian subcontinent. They are descended from Persian refugees who migrated to the Indian subcontinent during and after the Arab-Islamic conquest of Iran in the 7th century, w ...

dish from

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

* Other Indian cuisines include: **

Indian Chinese cuisine Indian Chinese cuisine, Chinese Indian cuisine, Indo-Chinese cuisine, Sino-Indian cuisine, Chindian cuisine, Hakka Chinese or Desi-Chinese cuisine is a distinct style of Chinese cuisine adapted to Indian tastes and spices. Though Asian cuisi ...

Jain vegetarianism Jain vegetarianism is practised by the followers of Jain culture and philosophy. It is one of the most rigorous forms of spiritually motivated diet on the Indian subcontinent and beyond. The Jain cuisine is completely lacto-vegetarian and excl ...

Indian fast food The fast food industry in India has evolved with the changing lifestyles of the young Indian population. The variety of gastronomic preferences across the regions, hereditary or acquired, has brought about different modules across the country. M ...

File:Gobi manchurian.jpg, A popular Indian Chinese dish File:Samosachutney.jpg,

Samosa A samosa () () (Hindi: समोसा) ( Persian: سمبوسه) is a fried South Asian and West Asian snack. It is a pastry with a savory filling that mostly consists of vegetables like spiced potatoes, onions, and peas, but can also include ...

with Pudina Chutney

Maldivian cuisine

Maldivian cuisine, also called Dhivehi cuisine, is the cuisine of the Nation of

and of

Minicoy Minicoy, locally known as Maliku (), is an island in Lakshadweep, India. Along with Viringili, it is on Maliku atoll, the southernmost atoll of Lakshadweep archipelago. Administratively, it is a census town in the Indian States and territories ...

. The traditional cuisine of

Maldivians Maldivians (, ) are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnic group and nation native to the Maldive Islands, constituting the Maldives, Republic of Maldives and the island of Minicoy (within Lakshadweep, a union territory of India). They share ...

is based on three main items and their derivatives: coconuts, fish and starches. File:Masroshi Maldives.jpg, Masroshi Maldivian savory snacks File:Maldivian gulha33.JPG,

Gulha Gulha ( Dhivehi: ގުޅަ IAST: ''guḷa'' IPA: ) is a typical and popular Maldivian snack food. ''Gulha'' are small ball-shaped dumplings that are stuffed with a mixture of tuna, finely chopped onion, grated coconut, and chili. Depending on ...

is a popular snack in

Nepalese cuisine

Nepalese cuisine comprises a variety of cuisines based upon

ethnicity An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they Collective consciousness, collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, ...

, soil and

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteoro ...

relating to Nepal's

cultural diversity Cultural diversity is the quality of diverse or different cultures, as opposed to Monoculturalism, monoculture. It has a variety of meanings in different contexts, sometimes applying to cultural products like art works in museums or entertainment ...

and

geography Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...

.'' Dal-bhat-tarkari'' () is eaten throughout Nepal. Nepali cuisine has significant influences from Neighboring Indian and

s. Nepalese cuisine includes: *

Newa cuisine Newa cuisine/नेवा: नसा (also referred to as ''Newari'' cuisine) is a distinctive subset of Nepalese cuisine that has developed over centuries among the Newars of Nepal Mandala region in Nepal. Newa cuisine is the most celebrated foo ...

* Maithil cuisine File:Nepali Meal.jpg, Dal-bhat-tarkari is a traditional dish in

Nepalese cuisine Nepali cuisine comprises a variety of cuisines based upon ethnicity, alluvial soil and Geography of Nepal#Climate, climate relating to cultural diversity and Geography of Nepal, geography of Nepal and neighboring regions of Sikkim and Gorkha ...

Image:Plateful of Momo in Nepal.jpg, Plateful of Momo in Nepal

Pakistani cuisine

Pakistani cuisine () is part of the greater South Asian with significant influence from

West Asian cuisine Middle Eastern cuisine includes a number of cuisines from the Middle East. Common ingredients include olives and olive oil, pitas, honey, sesame seeds, dates, sumac, chickpeas, mint, rice and parsley, and popular dishes include ''kebabs'', ''dol ...

s and

s due to its geographic location and influence. As a result of

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

legacy, Pakistan also mutually inherited many recipes and dishes from that era alongside India. Regional cuisines include: *

Balochi cuisine Balochi cuisine is the food and cuisine of the Baloch people native to the Balochistan region spanning Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan – as well as diasporan communities worldwide. Balochi food has a regional variance in contrast to the many ...

* Chitrali cuisine * Kalash cuisine * Lahori cuisine *

Cuisine of Karachi Karachi cuisine () refers to the cuisine found mainly in the city of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It is a multicultural cuisine as a result of the city consisting of various ethnic groups from different parts of Pakistan. Karachi is considered the me ...

Pashtun cuisine Pashtun cuisine () refers to the cuisine of the Pashtun people and is covered under both Afghan and Pakistani cuisines. It is largely based on meat dishes including mutton, beef, chicken, and fish as well as rice and some other vegetables. Ac ...

* Saraiki cuisine *

File:Chapli Kabab.JPG,

Chapli kebab Chapli kebab or chapli kabab (Pashto: چپلي کباب) is a Pashtun-style minced kebab, usually made from ground beef, mutton or chicken with various spices in the shape of a patty. The chapli kabab originates from Peshawar in Pakistan. The Pes ...

, a popular kebab from

Pashtunistan Pashtunistan () or Pakhtunistan is a historical region on the crossroads of Central and South Asia, located on the Iranian Plateau, inhabited by the Pashtun people of southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan, wherein Pashtun cu ...

File:Sindhi Biryani.JPG,

Sindhi biryani Sindhi Biryani is a special meat and rice biryani dish originating from the Sindh province of Pakistan. Owing to its popularity, it forms one of the most consumed dishes of Pakistani cuisine and Sindhi cuisine. Ingredients The following are ...

File:Sohan Halwa.JPG, Sohan halwa from

Multan Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...

, a popular Saraiki dessert File:Sajji.JPG,

Sajji Sajji ( Balochi and Urdu: سجی) is a Pakistani dish originating from the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Traditional and authentic sajji consists of lamb, marinated only in salt with a few spices. Sajji is considered done when it is at the ...

, a popular meat dish of

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; , ), also spelled as Baluchistan or Baluchestan, is a historical region in West and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region o ...

File:Ghalmandi herbs.jpg, Ghalmandi with cottage cheese and herbs from

Chitral Chitral () is a city situated on the Kunar River, Chitral River in northern area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Lower Chitral District, and was previously the capital of Chitral District, and before ...

File:Aloo Paratha1.jpg,

Aloo paratha ''Aloo paratha'' () is a paratha (flat bread dish) stuffed with potato filling native to South Asia. It is traditionally eaten for breakfast. It is made using unleavened dough rolled with a mixture of mashed potato and spices ( amchur, garam m ...

from

Faisalabad Faisalabad, formerly known as Lyallpur, is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, second-largest city and primary List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, industrial center of the Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan ...

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

Other Pakistani cuisine include: *

Pakistani Chinese cuisine Pakistani Chinese cuisine () comprises the styles and variations of Chinese cuisine that are cooked and consumed in Pakistan. Chinese migrants to Pakistan have developed a distinct Pakistani-style Chinese cuisine. History Chinese cuisine in are ...

* Mughlai cuisine (Karachi) *

Pakistani fast food Pakistani cuisine (, romanized: ''pākistānī pakwān'') is a blend of regional cooking styles and flavours from across South, Central and West Asia. It is a culmination of Iranic, Indic & Arab culinary traditions. The cuisine of Pakistan ...

Sri Lankan cuisine

Sri Lankan cuisine has been shaped by many historical, cultural, and other factors. Foreign traders who brought new food items; influences from

Malay cuisine Malay cuisine (; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the traditional food of the ethnic Malays of Southeast Asia, residing in modern-day Malaysia, Indonesia (parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan), Singapore, Brunei, Southern Thailand and the Philippines (most ...

and

are evident. File:Kiribath.jpg,

Kiribath Kiribath () is a traditional Sri Lankan dish made from rice. It is prepared by cooking rice with coconut milk, hence this name, and can be considered a form of rice cake or rice pudding. Kiribath is an essential dish in Sri Lankan cuisine. It i ...

is a traditional

rice pudding Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and commonly other ingredients such as sweeteners, spices, flavourings and sometimes eggs. Variants are used for either desserts or dinners. When used as a dessert, it is commonly c ...

from

File:SL-rice and curry.jpg,

n rice and curry platter

References

{{South Asian topics * *

Staples and common ingredients

History

By culture

Afghan cuisine

Bangladeshi cuisine

Bhutanese cuisine

Indian cuisine

Maldivian cuisine

Nepalese cuisine

Pakistani cuisine

Sri Lankan cuisine

See also

References