India is a huge country with different culinary traditions and specialities. Each region has its own unique flavours, ingredients and cooking techniques. Below is a brief overview of the main regional cuisines in India:

North Indian cuisine
When India became independent, it was mostly people from the Northern provinces who came to Europe. What is often considered ‘Indian’ here in the Netherlands is in fact more a representation of North Indian cuisine. For instance, dairy products such as ghee, paneer and yoghurt are widely used. And North Indians generally prefer wheat, flour and grains. From which they make tandoori roti, naan, rumali roti and paratha, which are eaten for breakfast and dinner. It is also known for its rich and flavoursome meat dishes like chicken tandoori and butter chicken.

South Indian cuisine
South Indian cuisine is mainly vegetarian. Key ingredients include coconut, curry leaves and tamarind. It is also a cuisine that contains many spicy and herbal flavours. And while in the north many breads are served with dishes, in the south rice is the basis of many dishes. Populair South Indian dishes that incluse rice are dosa (kind of pancake made of lentils and rice), Idlis (steamed rice cakes) and appams (kind of pancake made of fermented rice batter and coconut milk). Another popular dish is vada (deep-fried savoury doughnuts made from legume flour).

East Indian cuisine
East Indian cuisine contains many fish dishes, due to its location by the sea and its many rivers. Freshwater fish such as shrimp, salmon, hilsa and carp are particularly common. Other important ingredients are mustard oil, fenugreek and rice. Popular dishes include machher jhol (fish curry) and chingri malai curry (shrimp curry made with coconut milk).

West Indian cuisine
This cuisine is heavily influenced by the cuisine of Gujarat, the fifth largest Indian state. Here, many people have a vegetarian diet. Vegetables such as potatoes and lentils are therefore often the main ingredient of a meal. Popular dishes include dhal (dish made with lentils), thepla (spiced flatbread made with fresh fenugreek ‘methi’ leaves and whole wheat flour) and dhokla (savoury steamed cake made from chickpea flour). Goa, a small coastal region in the west, on the other hand, eats a lot of fish and seafood. Here you can see many Portuguese influences, still from the time of the voyages of discovery. Portuguese introduced the red chilli pepper, beef and pork. A famous dish is Vindaloo, a tasty curry with chillies.

Central Indian cuisine
Central India’s cuisine is influenced by the Mughal empire and includes dishes like biryanis and various types of kebabs. The cuisine is also known for its use of millet, a grain commonly grown in this region.

Northeast Indian cuisine
This cuisine is influenced by neighbours China, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. In fact, it lies even further east then Bangladesh, as a result, it falls a bit outside the rest of India. A relatively high amount of meat and fish is eaten compared to the rest of India. Chinese influence can be seen in noodles, dumplings and fermented foods such as bamboo shoots. Towards the Myanmar border is the Nagaland region where the Naga Jolokia pepper comes from, this is one of the hottest chilli peppers in the world. Popular dishes of Northeast Indian cuisine include momos (steamed dumplings stuffed with meat or vegetables) and thukpa (hearty noodle soup).