North India Cuisine And Its Peculiarity

It is universal truth that you can eat more varieties of cuisines in India than the rest of the world together. India is a multi-faceted country because of the diversity of culture, traditions, food, festivals, languages, outfits and so on. The delightful Indian recipes as rich and diverse as its civilization have been passed on through generations purely by word of mouth. The range varies from region to region, right from the taste, color, texture to the appearance. Each tiny place of the country has a distinctiveness of its own.

The northern region of India comprises states like Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.

North Indian Cuisine is chiefly influenced by the Mughal style of cuisine. The Mughal Dynasty spanned over 500 years in India so they contributed a lot to India in variety of cuisine. Since the Mughals were originally from central Asia, the cuisine bears much resemblance to the central Asian style of cooking.

Ample uses of butter based curries and dried fruits and nuts are prominent features of north Indian cuisine. Wheat grows abundantly in northern India which is the reason behind the larger portion of north Indian meal with wheat related cuisine. Different to the southern and Eastern part of India where rice is the chief food, north India lives on Roti, Chappatis, Paratha and Tandoori all made from wheat.

Lots of oil, ghee and butter along with rich spices are used as the medium for cooking which impart the north Indian food a very strong flavor.

Meat also enjoys a superior place in north Indian cuisine. A range of Kebabs and Biriyanis (a tempting infusion of rice and meat) bear the Mughal legacy.

Samosa is maybe the most popular snack in north India. Lassi is another drink made from curd, which has an irresistible taste. Gulab Jamun and Motichur Laddoo are famous sweets in the northern states.

Some fascinating north Indian Non-vegetarian dishes are Reshmi Kabab, Seekh Kabab, and Shammi Kabab, Kashmiri Pulao, Tandoori Chicken and Mutton to name only a few.

List of famous North India Cuisines and its characteristics:

Name	Description
Aloo baingan masala
Aloo baingan
Gobhi Aloo	Cauliflower with potatoes sauteed with garam masala.
Aloo ki Tikki
Aloo Matar	Potatoes and peas in curry.
Aloo methi	Methi leaves and potatoes nicely flavoured. Potato, fresh Methi leaves.
Aloo shimla mirch
Amriti with Rabdi
Amritsari fish
Amritsari Kulcha
Arbi masala	Edoes cooked in onion tomato masala.
Baati	Ghee (Clarified butter). Wheat flour.
Baigan bharta	Eggplant (Baingan) cooked with tomatoes or onions.
Bharwaan baigan
Bharwaan tinde
Bharwein karela
Bhatura	Bread. All-purpose flour, Vegetarian
Bhindi Masala	Okra sautéed with onions and tomatoes.
Biryani	Main or side dish. Mixed rice dish, optional spices, optional vegetables, meats or seafood. Can have with plain yogurt.
Butter Chicken
Chaat	Typical north Indian tadka.
Chana masala
Chapathi	Bread. Whole wheat flour.
Chicken Razala	Bhopali style chicken cooked in a rich gravy with mint.
Chole bhature	Main. Chick peas, assorted spices, wheat flour and yeast for bhatura.
Daal Baati Churma	Rajasthani special.
Daal Puri	Stuffed dal in parathas.
Dal makhani (Kali Dal)	Main. A typical type of lentil is used.
Dal	Main. Assorted types of lentils, such as toor, urad, chana, masoor dal.
Dal fry with tadka	Typical north Indian tadka.
Dum Aloo	Potatoes cooked in Curry.
Poha	Specialty from Madhya Pradesh. Common snack in Central part of India. Flattended rice, potato, turmeric.
French bean aloo
Gajar ka Halwa	A sweet dish native to U.P./ Punjab. Carrot, Milk, Ghee, Cashew.
Gajar matar aloo
Gobhi matar
Hari Mutter ka Nimona (Green pees daal)	Typical north Indian tadka.
Jeera aloo
Kachori	Rajasthani /marwari special.
Kadai paneer
Kadhi Pakoda	Gram Flour with Yogurt with gramflour fried balls.
Karela Bharta	Bitter gourd/melon.
Katha meetha petha/halwakadoo
Kheer	Rice Cooked with Milk and dry fruits. Milk and Rice, dry Fruits.
Khichdi	Rice cooked with daal and veggies and sauteed.
Kofta	Gram flour balls fried with vegetables. Gram flour, veggies, rolled into balls with gram flour and fried in oil and then cooked with curry.
Kulfi falooda
Lauki ke kofte	Bottle gourd.
Lauki ki subji	Bottle Gourd.
Makki di roti, Sarson Da Saag	Punjabi specialty.
Mathura ke pede
Methi Saag, Chaulai Saab	Veggie leaves sauteed in oil and garlic with little masalas. Cooked mostly in Central part of India.
Misi roti
Mixed vegetable
Moong dal ka halwa
Mushroom do pyaza
Mushroom matar
Naan	Tandoor-baked soft flatbread. Refined wheat flour.
Navrattan korma
Palak Daal	Spinach with toor daal.
Palak Paneer	Cottage cheese cubes in spinach gravy. Spinach, Paneer.
Paneer butter masala
Paneer Tikka Masala
Pani Puri	Typical north Indian tadka.
Panjeeri
Paratha	Bread. Wheat flour. Can be stuffed: Common stuffings: potato mixture, paneer, muli (white radish).
Pattor
Phirni
Pindi chana
Pinni
Rajma Chaval	Bean curry with rice.
Rajma	Main. Kidney beans & assorted spices.
Ramatori subji
Rice	Rice
Rongi
Samosa	Normally served as an entree or appetiser. Potatoes, onions, peas, coriander, and lentils, may be served with a mint or tamarind sauce
Samose	Typical north Indian tadka.
Sattu ki Roti	Dish from bihar.
Shahi paneer
Shahi tukra	Bread. Bread pudding in a rich sauce of thickened milk, garnished with sliced almonds.
Singhada Halwa	Lotus fruit dried and powdered to make this fasting sweet meat.
Sooji Halwa	Semolina cooked with clarified butter and Dry fruits.Semolina (Suji), clarified butter, cashew nuts.
Sweet Pethas/ kesar petha/ pista petha
Vegetable Jalfrezi

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