Asia · Traditional

Indian cuisine

Rich, spicy curries, aromatic spices, and diverse regional cuisine.

Explore recipes Build a Indian menu Wine pairings

Food history

Why Indian cuisine is worth exploring

Indian food tells the story of geography, trade, agriculture and family cooking. The cuisine has been shaped by the ingredients people could grow, preserve, carry and share, as well as by markets, festivals, migration and regional identity.

Why it is famous

Indian cuisine is famous for dishes that feel strongly connected to place: everyday family recipes, celebration food, regional specialities and ingredients that give the cooking its recognisable character.

Regional food story

Indian cuisine is not one single style. Treat the country page as a gateway into regional dishes, local ingredients, family recipes and occasion-led cooking.

How to cook it

Flavours, ingredients and menu ideas

Signature ingredients

Look for the ingredients that define Indian cooking: staple grains or breads, seasonal vegetables, local herbs and spices, regional cheeses or dairy where relevant, preserved foods, seafood or meat traditions, and sweets linked to festivals or family gatherings.

Cooking style

The cooking style ranges from simple home dishes to more elaborate food for celebrations. Good Indian recipes usually balance staple ingredients with texture, seasoning and a clear sense of occasion.

Build a menu

Build a Indian menu by choosing a light starter, a signature main and a dessert that shows the country’s baking or sweet traditions. Add wine or drink pairings where the dish has enough richness, spice, acidity or sweetness to make the match useful.

Starters Mains Desserts

Cook by course

Indian recipes

Start with a starter, choose a main, then finish with a dessert to build a complete country-inspired menu.

Starters

Indian starters

Aloo Tikki

Crisp potato patties with cumin, chilli, ginger and chaat toppings.

Starter 50 mins

Amritsari Fish

Punjabi fish pieces marinated with ajwain, chilli, ginger-garlic and gram flour, then fried until crisp.

Starter 1 hr

Chicken 65

Spicy South Indian fried chicken with chilli, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and yoghurt marinade.

Starter 1 hr 20 mins

Pani Puri

Crisp puri shells filled with potato, chickpeas, tamarind and chilled spiced mint water.

Starter 1 hr 20 mins

Samosa

Crisp North Indian pastry triangles filled with spiced potato, peas, ginger, chilli and toasted cumin.

Starter 1 hr 25 mins

Paneer Tikka

Tandoori-style paneer cubes marinated in yoghurt, spices, peppers and onions, then charred until smoky.

Starter 1 hr 45 mins

Medu Vada

Crisp South Indian urad dal doughnuts with fluffy centres, curry leaves, pepper and green chilli.

Starter 6 hr 25 mins

Dhokla

Light fermented Gujarati gram-flour cakes tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chilli.

Starter 8 hr 20 mins

Main courses

Indian main courses

Maacher Jhol

Light Bengali fish curry with mustard oil, turmeric, nigella, potato and tomato.

Main 45 mins

Meen Moilee

Gentle Kerala fish curry with coconut milk, turmeric, green chilli, ginger and curry leaves.

Main 45 mins

Aloo Gobi

Dry potato and cauliflower curry with cumin, turmeric, ginger, chilli and coriander.

Main 50 mins

Goan Fish Curry

Coastal Goan fish curry with coconut, tamarind, chilli, turmeric and coriander seed.

Main 50 mins

Kadai Paneer

Paneer, peppers and onions in a tomato masala with freshly crushed coriander and dried chilli.

Main 50 mins

Saag Paneer

Paneer simmered in spiced spinach and mustard greens with ginger, garlic and garam masala.

Main 50 mins

Baingan Bharta

Smoky roasted aubergine mashed with onion, tomato, ginger, chilli and coriander.

Main 55 mins

Vegetable Korma

Mixed vegetables in a gentle Mughlai-style yoghurt, cashew and spice sauce.

Main 1 hr

Pav Bhaji

Mumbai mashed vegetable bhaji cooked with butter and pav bhaji masala, served with toasted bread rolls.

Main 1 hr 10 mins

Chettinad Chicken

Tamil Nadu chicken curry with roasted spices, black pepper, fennel, coconut and curry leaves.

Main 1 hr 15 mins

Bisi Bele Bath

Karnataka rice, lentil, tamarind and vegetable dish finished with ghee, curry leaves and roasted spice p…

Main 1 hr 20 mins

Kerala Beef Fry

Kerala beef ularthiyathu with black pepper, coconut slices, curry leaves and roasted spices.

Main 1 hr 55 mins

Rogan Josh

Kashmiri lamb curry with deep red chilli colour, fennel, dried ginger and aromatic whole spices.

Main 2 hr 25 mins

Andhra Gongura Mutton

Sour sorrel-leaf mutton curry with chilli, garlic and roasted Andhra spices.

Main 2 hr 30 mins

Laal Maas

Rajasthani red mutton curry with Mathania-style chillies, garlic, yoghurt and ghee.

Main 2 hr 35 mins

Butter Chicken

Delhi-style murgh makhani with tandoori-marinated chicken in a tomato, butter, cream and kasuri methi sa…

Main 2 hr 45 mins

Bengali Kosha Mangsho

Dark slow-cooked Bengali mutton curry with mustard oil, yoghurt, garam masala and caramelised onions.

Main 3 hr 30 mins

Lucknowi Mutton Biryani

Elegant Awadhi mutton biryani with separately cooked yakhni-style meat and perfumed basmati rice.

Main 3 hr 40 mins

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

Layered dum biryani with marinated chicken, basmati rice, fried onions, mint, coriander, saffron and ghe…

Main 4 hr 10 mins

Chole Bhature

Spiced chickpea curry served with large fluffy fried bhature bread.

Main 9 hr 30 mins

Rajma Masala

North Indian kidney bean curry simmered with onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and warming spices.

Main 9 hr 40 mins

Dal Makhani

Slow-cooked black lentils and kidney beans finished with butter, cream and kasuri methi.

Main 11 hr

Pork Vindaloo

Traditional Goan pork vindaloo with vinegar, garlic, dried chilli, cumin and warm spices.

Main 13 hr 30 mins

Masala Dosa

Crisp fermented rice-lentil crepes filled with spiced potato masala, served with chutney and sambar.

Main 15 hr 30 mins

Desserts

Indian desserts

Mysore Pak

Rich South Indian gram-flour sweet cooked with ghee and sugar until fudgy or porous.

Dessert 40 mins

Sandesh

Delicate Bengali chenna sweet lightly sweetened and scented with cardamom or saffron.

Dessert 50 mins

Gulab Jamun

Soft milk-solid dumplings fried gently and soaked in cardamom-rose syrup.

Dessert 1 hr 5 mins

Ada Pradhaman

Kerala payasam with rice ada, coconut milk, jaggery, cardamom, cashews and coconut pieces.

Dessert 1 hr 10 mins

Kheer

Slow-cooked Indian rice pudding with milk, cardamom, sugar, nuts and raisins.

Dessert 1 hr 10 mins

Gajar Ka Halwa

North Indian carrot halwa slowly cooked with milk, ghee, sugar, cardamom and nuts.

Dessert 1 hr 40 mins

Rasmalai

Soft chenna dumplings soaked in saffron-cardamom thickened milk.

Dessert 2 hr 30 mins

Jalebi

Fermented crisp spirals soaked in saffron-cardamom syrup.

Dessert 12 hr 25 mins

Wine and drink pairings

What to drink with Indian food

When pairing wine with Indian food, match the structure of the dish first: fresh whites for seafood and herbs, medium reds for tomato, spice or roast meat, sparkling wines for fried or salty starters, and sweet or fortified wines for desserts.

Red

Beaujolais / Gamay

Juicy light red with cherry, raspberry and low tannin. Excellent slightly chilled with charcuterie, poultry, pâté, saus…

Grape: Gamay Region: Beaujolais, Loire, Switzerland

Red

Chianti / Sangiovese

Savoury, high-acid Italian red with cherry, dried herbs and firm but food-friendly tannins. Built for tomato, olive oil…

Grape: Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Colorino Region: Tuscany, Umbria, Emilia-Romagna

Red

Côtes du Rhône / GSM Blend

Southern Rhône-style blend with dark fruit, herbs, pepper and moderate tannin. Reliable with stews, roast meat, beans a…

Grape: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre Region: Rhône, Languedoc, Australia

Red

Douro Red

Structured Portuguese red with dark fruit, spice and firm tannin. Excellent with Francesinha, roast pork, beef, smoky d…

Grape: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Alicant… Region: Douro Valley, Dão, Alentejo

Red

Pinot Noir / Burgundy

Elegant red with red cherry, earth, spice and fine tannins. Great with duck, mushroom, poultry, pork and lighter beef d…

Grape: Pinot Noir, Spätburgunder Region: Burgundy, Oregon, Central Otago, Baden

Red

Rioja / Tempranillo

Spanish red with red fruit, vanilla, leather and spice. Good with garlic chicken, lamb, roast meat, paprika and grilled…

Grape: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano Region: Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Navarra

Red

Syrah / Shiraz

Peppery, dark-fruited red with savoury spice and medium-to-firm tannins. Great with grilled meat, pepper, smoke, sausag…

Grape: Syrah, Shiraz Region: Northern Rhône, Barossa, South Africa

White

Albariño / Vinho Verde

Fresh coastal white wine with citrus, peach, sea-spray minerality and bright acidity. Excellent with seafood, salt cod…

Grape: Albariño, Alvarinho, Loureiro, Arinto Region: Rías Baixas, Minho, Vinho Verde

Local beers

Indian beers

Wine can lead the meal, but local beer tells another story: what people drink in bars, restaurants and shops alongside everyday food.

Explore local beers

Kingfisher Premium

Lager 4.8% ABV

United Breweries

India’s best-known mainstream beer and common across restaurants and hotels.

Bira 91 Blonde

Blonde lager 4.5% ABV

B9 Beverages

A modern Indian beer brand that became popular in urban bars and restaurants.

Royal Challenge Premium Lager

Lager 5% ABV

United Breweries

A widely sold Indian lager with strong national recognition.

Haywards 5000

Strong lager 7% ABV

SABMiller India / AB InBev

A famous Indian strong beer, especially visible in the strong lager segment.

Godfather Super Strong

Strong lager 7.5% ABV

Devans Modern Breweries

A north Indian strong beer brand with loyal regional following.

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