10 Irresistible Indian Dishes You Cant Afford To Miss

Known for its heavy use of traditional and home grown spices and herbs, India’s cuisine is a reflection of the country’s rich culture. To give you a glimpse of delicacies offered from the kitchens of India, here is a list of 10 of the most wonderful dishes to whet your appetite.

Butter Chicken

Considered to be the signature non-vegetarian dish of India, butter chicken is exactly how it sounds. Prepared in thick and spicy gravy, this chicken dish is made rich with a lot of butter in it. One bite and you won’t be able to stop yourself until the bowl is clean and empty as new.

Best consumed with: tandoori roti (bread prepared in a clay oven) and chopped onion salads.
Seekh Kebab | © Dheerajk88/WikiCommons

Seekh Kebab

Seekh kebabs are minced meat rolls, smoke-baked or grilled to give them the crisp and spices to add to the flavor and aroma. Although it originated in Middle East, the dish has found a whole new form and taste in the Indian sub-continent. Visit the honorable city of Luckhnow and try the Tundey Kebab.

Best consumed with: mayonnaise, coriander chutney, and chopped onions.
Masala Dosa | © Jamie/Flickr

Masala Dosa

The representative of South Indian cuisine, Masala Dosa has its fame worldwide. However, just as the best pizza can only be found in Italy or Mexico only can offer the best original taco, the best Dosa can only be tasted in India. It is traditionally prepared from rice batter and filled with mashed potatoes and other vegetables.

Best consumed with: lentil-based vegetable stew called ‘Sambhar’ and coconut chutney.
Kadhai Paneer | © Acoomar/WikiCommons

Kadhai Paneer

Considered to be the vegetarian alternative to butter chicken, Kadhai Paneer is a deep-fried cottage cheese preparation, made in thick gravy (or dry) and with oodles of Indian spices. Get introduced to one of the most popular vegetarian dishes in India.

Best consumed with: tandoori roti and chopped onion salad.
Hyderabadi Biryani | ©Dheerajk88/WikiCommons

Hyderabadi Biryani

While Masala Dosa is the representative of South Indian cuisine, Hyderabadi Biryani represents non-vegetarian delicacies from the southern India area. An iconic dish, biryani is a rice preparation mixed with meat (chicken or mutton), spices, onions, yoghurt, coriander leaves, and a hint of saffron.
Gulaab Jaamun | © Karthikeyan N/WikiCommons

Gulaab Jaamun

Behold the king of desserts in India – the famous Gulaab Jaamun, made from milk solids kneaded into a dough and deep fried in the form of balls.

Best consumed with: hot pieces of Gulaab Jaamun with additional scoops of ice-cream (vanilla flavor recommended).
Ras Malai | © Rutvi Mistry/WikiCommons

Ras Malai

‘Ras’ means juice and ‘Malai’ means cream. This sweet dish, originating from the eastern state of West Bengal, is a combination of unripened curd cheese (called ‘Chhena’) soaked in milk syrup made by boiling milk with sugar, cardamom, saffron, and pistachios.
Rajma | © Scott Veg/WikiCommons

Choley Bhature

Not that the Northern part of India rules the cuisine culture, but it does has a lot of it to offer; Choley Bhature is another one in the list. A combination of spicy chick peas (Choley) and fried bread made from bleached wheat flour (Bhature), the delicacy has a reputation of sidelining any dish on a table.

Best consumed with: pickle, chopped onions, and coriander chutney.
Rajasthani Laal Maans | © VD/Flick

Rajasthani Laal Maans

The signature non-vegetarian dish from the state of Rajasthan is the Laal Maans (Red Meat). This is a spicy mutton curry prepared with sauce of curd and a number of Indian spices, especially red chillies.

Best consumed with: tandoori roti

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.