20 Traditional North Indian Foods That Will Change Your Life Forever

Friday, Dec 11, 2015

India is a place full of variation and diversity. Its wide diversity can be observed in the context of climate, tradition, vegetation, wildlife and food. All these things are influenced by its climate and history. Due to its wide variation, India is famous for its regional cuisine. The favorite dish or cuisine differ from place to place, somewhere dosa is famous or somewhere Biryani is famous. We are mentioning here some delicious north Indian dishes:-

1.Awadhi Biryani :-
Aromatic rice layered with vegetables/ chicken and the proper amount of spices and condiments are cooked properly. Whether a person like or dislike Biryani but when it is served in front mouth become watery. Lucknow is famous for its sahi cuisine and style. This city is also known for its Nawabi foods. The taste of this sahi biryani increases manifold when it is served with curd.

2.Chole Bhature :-
Chole Bhature is one of the most popular Punjabi dishes which are now like almost all over India and even abroad. Chole Bhature is a combination of chick peas and Bhatoora. Chole stands for a spicy curry made with white chickpeas and bhatura is fried leavened flat bread. There is a variation in the taste of chole bhature from one place to another. This is a heavy breakfast. Chole bhature become tasty when served with sliced onion, carrot pickle, green chilies, green chutney and achaar.

3.Naan/Rumali Roti :-
Rumali Roti is a traditional element in mughlai cuisine. Now this has become the element of all the cuisine. As the name suggest, Rumali Roti is soft and thin as handkerchief. Rumali roti is cooked on the convex side of the tava. Naan is cooked in a hot clay oven. Naan is the most popular bread in Indian restaurants. Naan turns out more soft when it is treated with butter. Naan goes well with spicy gravy dish. Both Naan and Rumali roti is served hot for the sake of softness.

4.Chicken Butter Masala/Murg Makhani :-
Chicken butter masala is a simple but elegant dish. Chicken butter masala is a chicken curry in a tomato based gravy and extremely popular in India. Chicken butter masala pairs fabulously with some naan, rumali roti or even plain rotis. Indian chicken recipes liked by all for its mild flavor and deliciously rich gravy.

5.Litti Chokha :-
Litti chokha is a traditional snack food eaten mainly in north India. The stuffing material-jawain, mangrail, garlic and ginger are filled with sattu. Litti is baked preferably on an earthen stove. Litti is served filled with ghee, tasty pickle, brinjal bharta or mashed potato. Litti chokha is a completely different dish in terms of taste, texture and preparation. Basically found in cities of Bihar and East UP like Varanasi, Jaunpur, Mirzapur ect.

6.Baigan Bharta :-
In the region of uttar Pradesh and Bihar Baigan Bharta is known as baigan ka chokha. It is not only a regional dish element but it is a part of the national cuisines of Pakistan and Bangladesh as well. Baigan is cooked directly over the flame thus endowing the vegetable with a great smoky flavor. The brinjal is cooked directly over flame till the skin is charred. After cooking the brinjal the skin of the brinjal can be peeled off. The smoked and mashed brinjal is then mixed with green chilli, onion and mustard oil. Now it is ready to be served.

7.Kashmiri Dum Aloo:-
When we talk of Kashmiri cuisine then there must be non-veg item like meat. But Kashmiri duma loo is one of the most widely preferred curries. Dum aloo is named so because it is cooked under Dum or pressure. Baby potatoes are deep fried and then cooked in delicious gravy of curds and lots of spices like Kashmiri red chillies, fennel powder, cardamom powder, cumin-coriander powder, ginger and garlic. The dish is prepared using different spices according to choice. In some method chilli is replaced by paste of cashew nuts or watermelon seeds. Prepared Dum aloo is served with butter naan or tandoori roti or plain paratha or steamed rice.

8.Tandoori Chicken/Tikka Masala:-
The dish is named tandoori chicken as the dish is prepared in tandoor i.e. a bell shaped clay oven. Tandoori chicken is one of the famous Indian chicken starters. Tandoori chicken is marinated in yogurt, lemon juice, and plenty of spices, and then it is grilled in tandoor. Spices used in this dish are tandoori masala, cayenne pepper, red chili powder or Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder. It is cooked at high temperature. Paneer tikka masala and chicken tikka masala is also a popular dish. Generally these dishes are prepared on some occasion or at the time of family togetherness.

9.Parathe :-
Patatha is one of the most essential elements in the breakfast, lunch and dinner of the Punjabis. Parathas of north India especially in dhabas are the real taste giver. In Delhi a street is named ‘parathe wali gali’ due to the specialty in parathas at chandni chowk. Paratha is generally accompanied with tea, raita, pickle, dal mkhani, curd or butter. Interesting thing about paratha is that there is an array of stuffing to choose from – smashed aloo, onion, muli, gobi, methi, chicken, palak, etc.

10.Rajma chawal.:-
Rajma chawal is a simple yet delicious meal. Rajma is abundant in protein and iron and when it combines with rice it becomes a good source of carbohydrate. For preparing the dish, kidney shaped beans is soaked overnight. Rajma is cooked for 30 minutes on the low flame. Generally rajma is served with plain rice but if desired it is also served along with chapathi, roti, naan or pulav. Adding a piece of cream increases the taste of the dish manifolds.

11.Papad ki sabji :-
This dish is inspired from the state of Rajasthan. A fried or roasted papad alters the taste of meal and turns it into a flavor that is distinct and fabulous. Papad is to be fried deeply, pan fried or in the microwave. Garnish the dish with chopped fresh coriander. Finally the dish is served hot for complete taste with rice or roti.

12.Sarson Da Saag/Makki Di Roti :-
Sarson Da Saag with makki di roti is the traditional Punjabi dish. The dish uses spinach which makes the dish healthier. Generally in winter people love to have sarson da saag and makki di roti. The essential ingredients used in this dish are sarson or mustard leaves, ginger, garlic, onion, small quantity of spinach and wild spinach. The flavor of the dish comes from the Tadka. The dish is incomplete without a piece of jaggery.

13.Rogan Josh/Laal Maans :-
Rogan Josh is one of the signature recipes of kashmiri cuisine. This is a spicy dish. The piquant taste of the dish makes mouth watery. Rogan means “oil” and Josh means “intense heat”. As the name suggest Rogan Josh means made in oil at intense heat. The dish gets its color from red chili powder. Spices used in this dish are asafetida, fennel seeds and the ginger powder. Laal maans is a traditional Rajasthani dish. Curd or Kashmiri chili is used if you want color not all the heat. Generally the dish is accompanied with Bajra Roti.

14.Dal Baati Churma :-
Dal Baati Churma is a famous Rajasthani food. Dal Baati Churma is a combination of a platter of sem- sweet churma, spicy dal and deep fried Baati. Fresh baatis drowned in piping hot dal is a perfect accompaniment for churma. Baati is hard bread made up of aata. The masalas in the dal are fried in ghee. Deep fried Baatis are crushed and jaggery is mixed into them to make a sweet desert churma. This is a complete and healthy meal.

15.Dahi Vada :-
Dahi Vada is one of the most popular snacks in India. Dahi Vada is known as different names in different states. In Punjab it is popular as dahi bhalla, Bengali called it doi bora. Dahi Vada is a delicious snack of Indian festivals. Vadas are fried deeply and after that fried vadas are kept in water to make them softer. Vadas are drowned into thick beaten yogurt. After an hour or two dahi vada is ready to be served. A drizzle of imli chutney and sprinkle of spice powder on dahi vada makes the snacks tastier.

16.Kadhi :-
Kadhi is an element of Gujrati cuisine. Sour yogurt is added in it to give little sour taste. Its thick gravy is made from besan. In some places pakora is added in the kadhi. A pinch of asafoetida is used in it. It is basically a wonderful spicy curd mixture thickened with besan, which is enhanced in many ways using other ingredients like pakoras and koftas.

17.Rabri :-
Rabri is a traditional Indian sweet which is made with dahi, flour and a combination of bajre ki roti. The abundant usage of almonds and pistachio adds it texture providing something to chew on in every spoon that in turn fills up the mouth with aroma of saffron. It is served as dessert. Rabri has its origin in the holy city of Mathura. The cooking of rabri requires full fat milk over a slow flame till it reduces to a thick mixture. While making rabri it is essential to pay attention towards the quality of milk. Full cream milk should be used while making rabri. Rabri taste best when it is served chilled.

18.Aam ka Murabba :-
Aam ka murabba is made from raw mangoes with jiggery. It is commonly used in the households. It is served on the side with the main meals or with paranthas, pooris or rotis at breakfast. The murabba is made of finely chopped raw mangoes cooked in thick sugar syrup. Murabba is helps in digestion. This can be stored upto 1 year in a sterilized glass jar.

19.Ghewar :-
Ghewar is an Indian delicacy from the Rajasthani cuisine. It is specially prepared during the festivals of Teej and Rakhi. This Rajasthani dessert is very popular In Northern parts of India. It is a round mesh like fried delicacy drenched in sugar syrup and topped with sliced nuts and flavoured rabri. Ghewar sweet is known for its matchless taste. Pouring the batter in hot ghee is the tricky part to get the correct texture to the dessert. The dessert has its distinctness due to the kewda essence which is a plant extract.

20. Lassi :-
Lassi is a traditional yogurt based drink from the state of Punjab. Lassi is the most popular drink of the people of India. Sweet lassi contains sugar or fruits and salt lassi is spiced with cumin. This is a great refreshing drink in the summer. A good lassi can be obtained using thick homemade dahi that is absolutely chilled and hand blended with a wooden churner. Lassi can be flavoured differently using cardamom powder, saffron, dry fruits, nuts, fruits like mango, papaya and banana.