c. 3000 BCE onward
Ancient grain and spice base
Rice, wheat, lentils and native spices like black pepper and turmeric form the subcontinent's ancient culinary foundation.
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Cuisine book · 5 cities · 10 dishes
India
A billion people, a thousand kitchens
Indian food is not one cuisine but dozens, shaped by Mughal court cooking, Portuguese and British trade, and immense regional variety in spice, grain and technique from Punjab to Kerala.
History
Where it all comes from
16th–18th centuries
Mughal court cuisine
Persian-influenced Mughal kitchens introduce biryani, kebabs and rich meat gravies, refining North Indian cooking.
16th–17th centuries
Portuguese introduce New World crops
The Portuguese bring chilli, potato and tomato through Goa, permanently transforming Indian spice cooking.
19th–20th centuries
British colonial fusion
Anglo-Indian dishes and railway catering culture, alongside British tea plantations, shape a new hybrid food culture.
Today
Global Indian diaspora cuisine
Regional Indian food, from Punjabi to South Indian to Bengali, spreads globally through one of the world's largest diasporas.
Jump to a city
City 1 of 5
Delhi
Mughal capital cuisine with rich, spiced gravies.
Butter chicken
Invented at Moti Mahal, 1950s
Tandoori chicken in a creamy tomato and butter gravy, invented by chefs adapting leftovers into a new dish.
Chole bhature
Punjabi-Delhi street classic
Spiced chickpea curry served with fried, fluffy bread, a beloved weekend breakfast dish.
Paranthe (Paranthe Wali Gali)
19th-century old-city tradition
Stuffed, griddle-fried flatbreads from a lane in Old Delhi dedicated entirely to them since the 1870s.
City 2 of 5
Mumbai
Coastal metropolis famous for street food and Parsi cuisine.
Vada pav
Mumbai street food, 1960s–70s
A spiced potato fritter in a soft bun with chutney, considered Mumbai's answer to the burger.
Pav bhaji
Mill-worker street food origin
A mashed spiced vegetable mix served with buttered bread rolls, invented as a quick worker's meal.
City 3 of 5
Chennai
Tamil capital with deep South Indian rice-and-lentil traditions.
Masala dosa
South Indian classic
A crisp fermented rice-lentil crepe filled with spiced potato, served with sambar and coconut chutney.
Chettinad chicken
Chettinad regional tradition
A fiery, deeply spiced chicken curry from the Chettinad merchant community's distinct spice blends.
City 4 of 5
Kolkata
Bengali capital known for fish curries and sweets.
Machher jhol
Bengali household staple
A light, mustard-spiced fish curry, reflecting Bengal's deep relationship with river and delta fish.
Rosogolla
19th-century Kolkata invention
Spongy syrup-soaked cheese balls, a Bengali sweet said to have been perfected in Kolkata in the 1860s.
City 5 of 5
Hyderabad
Nizami capital famous for its distinctive layered biryani.
Hyderabadi biryani
Nizam court tradition, 18th century
Basmati rice and marinated meat layered and slow-cooked in a sealed pot, the city's signature dish.
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