Cookbook:Cuisine of India

Cookbook | Ingredients | Cuisines | South Asian cuisines

Indian cuisine is the general term for the wide variety of cooking styles from India. Indian food is almost always prepared with fresh ingredients along with delicate mixtures of many different fresh and dried spices and the exact recipes often vary greatly from one household to the next. To refer to Indian Cuisine is almost a misnomer, since the regional dishes vary tremendously from region to region.

Perception and Myths

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Curry Phenomenon: In Western countries, such as Great Britain and the United States, the complex formulations of fresh and dried spices are often replaced by simple dry powders such as red chilli powder and curry powder. The word curry comes from the Tamil kari or Marathi kadi (a type of thick sauce).

Hot/Spice Factor: Indian food is usually perceived as 'spicy' or 'hot'. While that is sometimes true, most Indian foods are not necessarily 'spicy' or 'hot'. Chilli peppers similar to cayenne chili peppers, commonly referred to as "chilli(es)" in Indian cookbooks and lexicon, are the common culprit for making the dishes fiery hot. If you do not prefer the heat, stay away from dishes that contain liberal use of chillies, or tone down the chilli amount to suit your taste. The other ingredient to be careful with is peppercorn, most commonly referred to as "pepper" in Indian recipes and cookbooks. Cloves and cinnamon can be used to balance out the heat.

As an aside, no distinction is made between "spicy" and "hot". There are many recipes which have a lot of spice, but no chillies, and therefore are spicy and not hot!

As in most cuisines, most vegetable and meat dishes are called by thousands of different names, depending on the region, language, ingredients and method of preparation. The recipes listed here are only examples of a few Indian dishes and should not be considered as a general guide to Indian food. Feel free to experiment with them. Substituting spices and altering the suggested procedures is encouraged. Indians regularly engage in such practices and often create unique tastes in their household.

Main Dishes

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Rice Dishes

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Non-Vegetarian Dishes

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Accompaniments

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Breads

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Snacks

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Sweets

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Beverages

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Ingredients and their Cookbook names

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Spices
Cookbook Hindi-Urdu Punjabi Bhojpuri Gujarati Tamil Malayalam Telugu Marathi Kannada Oriya Bengali
asafoetida hing hing hing hing perungayam kaayam Inguva hinga Ingu Hengu Hing
cardamom elaichi elaichi elaichi Elchi elakkai, yelakkai elakka Yalakulu veldoDe Elakki Gujurati elach
chili mirchi marchan marcha Marchu milagai mulaku mirapakaaya mirchi menasu / meNasinakaayi Lanka lanka
cinnamon dalchini dalchini darchini Taj lavangapattai, patthai karuvapatta dalchina chekka dalchini dalchini / chakke dalchini darchini
clove lauang lauang lauang Laving kirambu gramboo Lavangam lavang lavanga labanga labanga
coriander leaf (cilantro) Kothmir, hara dhaniya Kothmir, hara dhaniya hara dhaniya Dhana kothamalli ilai Malli ela Kothimeera kothimbir kottambari soppu Dhania, dhaniya patra Dhone, dhone pata
coriander seed dhaniya dhaniya sabut dhaniya Dhana dhaniya, kothamalli vithai, varakothamalli Malli Dhaniya dhaNe kottambari beeja, onagida dhaniya gota dhaniya Gota dhone
cumin jeera jeera jeera Jeeru jerragham Jeerakam jeelakarra jeera jeerige jeera jeera
curry leaves kari patta kari patta no name (not used) Limdo karivepillai karivepilla karivepaaku kadhipatta karibevina soppu bhrusunga patra kari pata
fenugreek seed methi methi methi Methi vendhayam uluva Menthi methi menthye Methi Methi
fennel saunf saunf saunf Varialli soombu, peerunjeeragam perumjeerakam sompu baDishop somp pana mahuri Mouri
garlic lahsun Lasan lehsun Lasan ullipundu, vellai poondu veluthulli Velluli lasuN beLLuLLi rasuna rasun
ginger adrak adrak aadi Aadu inji inji Allam ala hasi shunThi ada ada
mint pudina pudina pudina Fudino pothina pudhina ela Pudina podhina Pudina Podina pudina pata
nigella kalonji kalonji mangrail Kalonji kalonji Karim Jeerakam kalonji kalonji oum kaaLu/ouma kala jeera kalo jeere
mustard seed sarson saron sarson Rai kadugu kadugu Aavalu mohari saasive gota sorisa gota sorsa
saffron Zafran, Kesar Zafran, Kesar jaffran/kesar Kesar kesar,kunguma poo kumkuma poovu Kunkuma puvvu keshar Kesari Kesari Zafran, Kesar
sesame seeds til til til Tal ellu ellu Nuvvulu teeL eLLu til til
tamarind imli imli imli Amli puli puli Chinthakaya chincha huNase huli tentuli tentul
turmeric haldi haldi hardi Haldar manjal manjal Pasupu haLad arishiNa haladi halud
Grains
Cookbook Hindi-Urdu Punjabi Bhojpuri Gujarati Tamil Malayalam Telugu Marathi Kannada Oriya Bengali
barley Jau Jau Jau jau barli arisi barli jaava jau jau jab
buckwheat kootu kootu not used kollu Mudira Niru Kanigalu
Finger Millet mundal, makra ragi keazhvaragu ragi ragi naachani naachani, raagulu naachani raagi raagi
maize makkai, bhutla makkai makkai makai makka cholam cholam mokka jonna makka mekke joLa, musukina joLa, mekke tene makka Bhutta
millet bajra bajra bajra bajri kambu saddalu baajri jola bajra bajra
rice chawal chaul chaur chokha arisi ari biyyam bhaat akki chaula (uncooked rice), bhata (cooked rice) chal
rice - raw arwa chawal Jhona arwa chaur chokha, chawal pachaarisi pachari pachi biyyam tanduL hasi akki arua chaula Atop chal
rice - parboiled usna chawal usna chaur ukra chawal puzhungal arisi puzhungalari dampudu biyyam shijlela bhaat kusupalakki usuna chaula siddha chal
semolina sooji sooji sooji rava, rawa rava rawa rawaa rave simei suji
sorghum juar juar juar juwar, jowar cholam zavaar jonna jwaree joLa jowar jowar
wheat gehun Kanak gehum ghau godumai gothambu godhuma gahu godhi gahama gom
Little Millet Samai Saame
Kodo Millet Varagu ಹರಕ (harka)
Proso Millet பனிவரகு ಬರಗು (baragu)
Pulses
Cookbook Hindi-Urdu Punjabii Bhojpuri Gujarati Tamil Telugu Marathi Kannada Oriya Bengali Malayalam
split peas / lentils dal dal dal dal paruppu pappu Daal thogari beLe dali dal parippu
black-eyed peas lobia lobia lobia chora karamani pesarlu chavali alasande kaaLu kala chana karamanipparippu
Chickpea - Bengal gram chana chana chana chana kondai kadalai sanagapappu chaNyachi DaaL kadle kaaLu, Kabul kaDale kaaLu chana dali cholar dal kadalapparippu
Vigna aconitifolia
mung bean mung, moong mung mung mug pachipayar, payatham pesarapappu mugachi DaaL hasiru beLe, hesarubeLe muga dali mug dal cherupayaruparippu
red lentil masoor masar masoori masur mysur paruppu masur masurichi DaaL masoori thogari beLe masura dali musur dal masoor
pigeon pea / red gram arhar, tuvar arhar, toor arhar tuvar tuvarai, tuavaram kandipappu turichi DaaL kempu togari-beLe arhar dali arhar dal thuvarapparippu
urad bean urad urad urad alad uzhundhu uddipappu udaDachi DaaL uddina-beLe biri dali biulir dal uzhunnu
Vegetables
Cookbook Hindi-Urdu Punjabi Bhojpuri Gujarati Tamil Malayalam Telugu Marathi Kannada Oriya Bengali
bell peppers shimla mirch, badi mirch shimla mirch shimla mirch motamircha kodaimilagai Kuda Mulaku bangalore mirchi simla mirchi,bhopli mirchi dappa menasinakayi/doDDa menasinakayi simla mirichi capsicum
Brussels sprouts chote bund gobhi choti bund gobhi not used nhanu kobi kalakose Banglore Cabbage
cabbage bund gobhi bund gobhi bund gobhi kobi muttaikosu mottakkuse,cabbage cabbage paan kobi yele kosu / cabbage bandha kobi bandha kopi
cauliflower phool gobhi phul gobhi phul gobhi pangoli, kobi phul kovippu cauliflower gobi puvvu phul kobi hoo kosu / cauliflower phula kobi phul kopi
cucumber kakri, khira khira kakri, khira tansal, kakdi vellari, kirakai vellarikka dosakaya,keerakaya kaakaDi soutekaayi kakudi shosha
drumsticks sajjan ki phalli phallian sahejan sargvani sing murangaikai muringaa kaya munaga kaaya shevgyachi sheng nugge kaayi sajana chhuin sojne danta
eggplant baingan baingan, bataaun baingan ringana, vaingan kathirikai vazhuthananga vankaya waanga badanae kaayi baigana begun
fava beans kalisiam-ki-phalli, chastny kalisiam-di-phallian not used fafda papdi karpu avaraikai papdichi sheng chapparadavarekayi
fenugreek leaves methi methi methi methi vendhaya kerai uluva menthi aaku methi pala menthye soppu methi methi
green beans badi baquala, binnis beans faras been fansa kulaka beans Chikkudikaya shenga huraLi kaayi beans beans
kohlrabi gath gobhi gandh gobhi not used nolkol knolkol navilu kosu ul kobi ol kopi, ol
lettuce kahu, kasmi saag kasmi saag not used salat aver kerai lettuce masura patra lettuce
okra bhendi bhindi bhindi bhinda vendaikai vendakka bendakaaya bhenDi bhendekaayi bhendi dhenros
onion piyaz piyaz piyaj dungli, kanda vengayam savala ullipaaya kaandaa eeruLLi piyaja penyaz
peas badla, mattar mattar mattar-chhemi vatana pattani payar battaani "waTaaNe",maTaar baTaaNi matar matar
potato aloo aloo aloo bateta urulaikkizhangu urulakkizhangu aalu,allugadda, Bangaladumpa baTaTa aalugadde aloo aloo
pumpkin kumra, lal kaddu lal kaddu kohra lal phupala Poosani mathanga Gummadi Kaaya laal bhopLa kumbalakaayi kakharu kumro
spinach palak palak palak palak bhaji passale kerai cheera paala kura paalak paalak soppu palanga saga palang sak