I recently shared to some of my penpals about salted egg, to identify it from the fresh eggs, it has a purple color. we add tomatoes, onion, chilli, vinegar, salt & pepper to taste; chilli is optional. this is usually eaten as a breakfast item
When I introduce this to my foreign friends as "Barney's egg", just for fun.
Please do share food / dishes that's not common outside of your city/country 
I will be back with Indian food list here for sure!
This is the image for all iconic dishes of India... Download and zoom and then read.. 😃
@Lakambini - Here is the list.. 😃 That's why I took time...
some dishes are strongly associated with a particular state, while others are shared across neighbouring regions. These are representative favourites, not an official ranking.
1. Southern India
1. Andhra Pradesh
1. Andhra Chicken Biryani — Fragrant rice layered with chicken, aromatic spices, and herbs; Andhra versions can be especially fiery.
2. Gongura Pachadi — A tangy chutney made from gongura (sorrel) leaves, chillies, and spices.
3. Pesarattu — A savoury green dosa made from whole mung beans, often served with ginger chutney or upma.
2. Karnataka
1. Bisi Bele Bath — A comforting one-pot dish of rice, lentils, vegetables, and a distinctive spice blend.
2. Mysore Masala Dosa — A crisp fermented rice-and-lentil crepe with spicy red chutney and potato filling.
3. Mysore Pak — A rich traditional sweet made from gram flour, ghee, and sugar.
3. Kerala
1. Appam with Stew — Soft, bowl-shaped fermented rice pancakes served with a mild coconut-milk stew.
2. Kerala Fish Curry — Fish cooked with chilli, turmeric, and often kokum or kudampuli for a tangy flavour.
3. Puttu and Kadala Curry — Steamed cylinders of rice flour and coconut served with a spicy black-chickpea curry.
4. Tamil Nadu
1. Idli and Sambar — Steamed rice-and-lentil cakes paired with a vegetable and tamarind-based lentil stew.
2. Dosa — A thin, crisp fermented rice-and-lentil crepe, commonly eaten with chutneys and sambar.
3. Chettinad Chicken — A boldly spiced chicken dish associated with the Chettinad region, featuring pepper, fennel, and roasted spices.
5. Telangana
1. Hyderabadi Biryani — Aromatic basmati rice and marinated meat cooked together with saffron, herbs, and spices.
2. Sarva Pindi — A savoury pan-cooked rice-flour pancake mixed with peanuts, sesame, chillies, and herbs.
3. Sakinalu — A traditional festive snack made from rice flour, sesame seeds, and spices, shaped into crunchy rings.
2. Western India
6. Goa
1. Goan Fish Curry Rice — Fish simmered in a tangy coconut-based curry with chillies and local spices.
2. Prawn Balchão — Prawns cooked in a spicy, tangy, vinegar-based masala influenced by Goan-Portuguese culinary traditions.
3. Bebinca — A rich, layered Goan dessert made with coconut milk, eggs, sugar, and ghee.
7. Gujarat
1. Dhokla — A soft, savoury steamed cake commonly made from fermented gram flour or rice-and-lentil batter.
2. Undhiyu — A winter speciality of mixed vegetables, spices, and fenugreek dumplings, traditionally slow-cooked.
3. Thepla — Thin spiced flatbreads, often made with fenugreek leaves, ideal for travel and everyday meals.
8. Maharashtra
1. Vada Pav — A deep-fried potato fritter tucked inside a bread roll with chutneys and chilli.
2. Misal Pav — A spicy sprouted-bean curry topped with crunchy farsan, onions, and coriander, served with bread.
3. Puran Poli — A sweet flatbread filled with cooked chana dal and jaggery, flavoured with cardamom.
9. Rajasthan
1. Dal Baati Churma — Baked wheat dumplings served with lentils and sweet, crumbled wheat mixed with ghee and sugar.
2. Laal Maas — A fiery mutton curry traditionally prepared with Mathania chillies and aromatic spices.
3. Gatte Ki Sabzi — Gram-flour dumplings cooked in a spiced yoghurt-based gravy.
3. Northern India
10. Punjab
1. Sarson Da Saag and Makki Di Roti — Mustard greens cooked into a hearty preparation, served with cornmeal flatbread and often butter.
2. Amritsari Kulcha — A crisp, leavened flatbread stuffed with spiced potatoes or other fillings, often paired with chickpea curry.
3. Chole Bhature — Spiced chickpeas served with large, fluffy, deep-fried bread.
11. Uttar Pradesh
1. Galouti Kebab — A famous Awadhi speciality of finely minced, delicately spiced meat cooked until tender.
2. Bedmi Puri with Aloo Sabzi — Crisp, spiced wheat-and-lentil puris served with flavourful potato curry.
3. Agra Petha — A translucent sweet made from ash gourd and sugar syrup, sometimes flavoured with saffron or rose.
12. Himachal Pradesh
1. Siddu — A steamed wheat-flour bread, often filled with poppy seeds, walnuts, or other savoury ingredients.
2. Himachali Dham — A festive traditional meal featuring rice, lentils, yoghurt-based curries, and regional accompaniments.
3. Chha Gosht — A Himachali mutton curry prepared with yoghurt, gram flour, and warming spices.
13. Uttarakhand
1. Kafuli — A thick, nutritious curry made from green leafy vegetables such as spinach and fenugreek.
2. Aloo Ke Gutke — Pahadi-style potatoes sautéed with mustard oil and spices, often served with red chilli chutney.
3. Mandua Roti — A traditional flatbread made from finger millet flour, valued for its earthy flavour.
14. Bihar
1. Litti Chokha — Roasted wheat dough balls stuffed with spiced sattu, served with mashed roasted vegetables.
2. Sattu Paratha — Flatbread stuffed with roasted gram flour, herbs, chillies, and mustard oil.
3. Thekua — A crunchy, deep-fried sweet made from wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee, especially associated with Chhath Puja.
15. Haryana
1. Bajra Khichdi — A wholesome preparation of pearl millet and lentils, typically served with yoghurt or ghee.
2. Kadhi Pakora — A tangy yoghurt-and-gram-flour curry containing fried gram-flour fritters.
3. Bajra Roti with White Butter — Rustic pearl-millet flatbread served with homemade butter, often alongside seasonal vegetables.
thanks for sharing @shirazikira
that's a lot!
4. Eastern India
16. West Bengal
1. Macher Jhol — A light, aromatic fish curry commonly flavoured with turmeric, mustard oil, and seasonal vegetables.
2. Kosha Mangsho — A slow-cooked, richly spiced mutton curry with a thick, dark gravy.
3. Rosogolla — Soft balls of chhena (fresh cheese) cooked in light sugar syrup.
17. Odisha
1. Pakhala Bhata — Rice soaked or lightly fermented in water, traditionally eaten with vegetables, fried fish, or other accompaniments.
2. Dalma — Lentils cooked with vegetables such as pumpkin, raw banana, and papaya, seasoned with regional spices.
3. Chhena Poda — A caramelised baked cheese dessert made from chhena, sugar, and often cardamom.
18. Assam
1. Masor Tenga — A refreshing sour fish curry made with ingredients such as tomatoes, lemon, or thekera fruit.
2. Khar — A distinctive alkaline preparation made using filtered water from banana-plant ash, often cooked with raw papaya or vegetables.
3. Pitha — Traditional rice-based cakes or snacks, prepared in sweet or savoury forms, particularly during Bihu.
19. Chhattisgarh
1. Chila — A thin savoury pancake made from rice batter, sometimes filled or flavoured with herbs.
2. Fara — Steamed rice-flour dumplings, sometimes seasoned and lightly sautéed after steaming.
3. Dubki Kadhi — A regional variation of gram-flour curry featuring soft dumplings cooked in a spiced gravy.
20. Jharkhand
1. Dhuska — Deep-fried rice-and-lentil pancakes, often eaten with potato curry or ghugni.
2. Chilka Roti — A thin pancake made from rice and lentil batter, cooked on a hot griddle.
3. Rugra Curry — A preparation using rugra, a seasonal wild mushroom prized in parts of Jharkhand, cooked with regional spices.
5. Northeastern India
21. Arunachal Pradesh
1. Thukpa — A warming noodle soup with vegetables or meat, reflecting Himalayan culinary influences.
2. Smoked Pork with Bamboo Shoots — Pork smoked for depth of flavour and cooked with bamboo shoots and local chillies.
3. Zan — A thick porridge, often made with millet or other grains, associated with Monpa food traditions.
22. Meghalaya
1. Jadoh — Khasi rice cooked with meat, commonly pork, and aromatic local seasonings.
2. Dohneiiong — Pork cooked with black sesame seeds, producing a rich, nutty gravy.
3. Tungrymbai — A traditional fermented soybean preparation cooked with aromatics and sometimes pork.
23. Nagaland
1. Smoked Pork with Bamboo Shoots — Smoky pork simmered with bamboo shoots and local chillies.
2. Pork with Axone — A strongly flavoured dish made with fermented soybeans, a characteristic ingredient in Naga cuisine.
3. Galho — A comforting rice-and-vegetable porridge, sometimes prepared with meat and fermented ingredients.
24. Manipur
1. Eromba — A pungent, spicy mash of boiled vegetables, chillies, and fermented fish.
2. Singju — A crunchy salad of finely sliced vegetables, herbs, and other seasonal ingredients, often dressed with roasted gram flour.
3. Chak-Hao Kheer — A fragrant dessert made from Manipur's distinctive purple-black rice, milk, and sugar.
25. Mizoram
1. Bai — A simple, wholesome dish of vegetables cooked with herbs and sometimes pork or fermented ingredients.
2. Sawchiar — A rice porridge cooked with meat, often chicken or pork, and seasoned lightly.
3. Mizo Vawksa Rep — Smoked pork prepared with chillies and local seasonings, valued for its deep smoky flavour.
26. Sikkim
1. Momos — Steamed dumplings filled with vegetables or meat, served with spicy dipping sauce.
2. Thukpa — A hearty noodle soup influenced by Tibetan and Himalayan food traditions.
3. Phagshapa — A traditional pork dish cooked with radishes and dried red chillies.
27. Tripura
1. Mui Borok — The broader name for traditional Tripuri cuisine, known for simple preparations and distinctive fermented ingredients.
2. Chakhwi — A traditional vegetable dish often cooked with bamboo shoots and sometimes pork, using regional alkaline ingredients.
3. Mosdeng Serma — A fiery tomato chutney mixed with chillies, onion, and sometimes fermented fish.
6. Central India
28. Madhya Pradesh
1. Poha-Jalebi — Flattened rice seasoned with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and spices, eaten with sweet, syrup-soaked jalebi.
2. Dal Bafla — Baked or boiled wheat dough balls finished with ghee, served with lentils; a close relative of Rajasthan's dal baati.
3. Bhutte Ka Kees — Grated corn cooked slowly with milk, spices, and sometimes coconut, particularly associated with Indore.
If you're exploring Indian cuisine for the first time, try one dish from each state that represents its signature flavour — such as Andhra pesarattu, Gujarati undhiyu, Kashmiri rogan josh, Bengali macher jhol, Manipuri eromba, and Madhya Pradesh bhutte ka kees. Together, they offer a wonderful introduction to India's regional food traditions.
@Chantal- , @Fleurke , @csbianca, @Yue_ , @Pennarossa2024, As you love Indian culture, so here is the list of Indian iconic dishes, you can share iconic dishes from your countries too. @Hima , @TheLOVERofMachines - Verify your state's food.. 😃
thanks for sharing @shirazikira
that's a lot!
the food I had tried are as follows: Chicken Biriyani, Mutton Biriyani (but I think they used a goat meat), Dosa, Sambar, & Idli, Chole Bhatur - from the lists above 😁
4. Eastern India
📸️
16. West Bengal
1. Macher Jhol — A light, aromatic fish curry commonly flavoured with turmeric, mustard oil, and seasonal vegetables.
2. Kosha Mangsho — A slow-cooked, richly spiced mutton curry with a thick, dark gravy.
3. Rosogolla — Soft balls of chhena (fresh cheese) cooked in light sugar syrup.
📸️
17. Odisha
1. Pakhala Bhata — Rice soaked or lightly fermented in water, traditionally eaten with vegetables, fried fish, or other accompaniments.
2. Dalma — Lentils cooked with vegetables such as pumpkin, raw banana, and papaya, seasoned with regional spices.
3. Chhena Poda — A caramelised baked cheese dessert made from chhena, sugar, and often cardamom.
📸️
18. Assam
1. Masor Tenga — A refreshing sour fish curry made with ingredients such as tomatoes, lemon, or thekera fruit.
2. Khar — A distinctive alkaline preparation made using filtered water from banana-plant ash, often cooked with raw papaya or vegetables.
3. Pitha — Traditional rice-based cakes or snacks, prepared in sweet or savoury forms, particularly during Bihu.
📸️
19. Chhattisgarh
1. Chila — A thin savoury pancake made from rice batter, sometimes filled or flavoured with herbs.
2. Fara — Steamed rice-flour dumplings, sometimes seasoned and lightly sautéed after steaming.
3. Dubki Kadhi — A regional variation of gram-flour curry featuring soft dumplings cooked in a spiced gravy.
📸️
20. Jharkhand
1. Dhuska — Deep-fried rice-and-lentil pancakes, often eaten with potato curry or ghugni.
2. Chilka Roti — A thin pancake made from rice and lentil batter, cooked on a hot griddle.
3. Rugra Curry — A preparation using rugra, a seasonal wild mushroom prized in parts of Jharkhand, cooked with regional spices.
5. Northeastern India
📸️
21. Arunachal Pradesh
1. Thukpa — A warming noodle soup with vegetables or meat, reflecting Himalayan culinary influences.
2. Smoked Pork with Bamboo Shoots — Pork smoked for depth of flavour and cooked with bamboo shoots and local chillies.
3. Zan — A thick porridge, often made with millet or other grains, associated with Monpa food traditions.
📸️
22. Meghalaya
1. Jadoh — Khasi rice cooked with meat, commonly pork, and aromatic local seasonings.
2. Dohneiiong — Pork cooked with black sesame seeds, producing a rich, nutty gravy.
3. Tungrymbai — A traditional fermented soybean preparation cooked with aromatics and sometimes pork.
📸️
23. Nagaland
1. Smoked Pork with Bamboo Shoots — Smoky pork simmered with bamboo shoots and local chillies.
2. Pork with Axone — A strongly flavoured dish made with fermented soybeans, a characteristic ingredient in Naga cuisine.
3. Galho — A comforting rice-and-vegetable porridge, sometimes prepared with meat and fermented ingredients.
📸️
24. Manipur
1. Eromba — A pungent, spicy mash of boiled vegetables, chillies, and fermented fish.
2. Singju — A crunchy salad of finely sliced vegetables, herbs, and other seasonal ingredients, often dressed with roasted gram flour.
3. Chak-Hao Kheer — A fragrant dessert made from Manipur's distinctive purple-black rice, milk, and sugar.
📸️
25. Mizoram
1. Bai — A simple, wholesome dish of vegetables cooked with herbs and sometimes pork or fermented ingredients.
2. Sawchiar — A rice porridge cooked with meat, often chicken or pork, and seasoned lightly.
3. Mizo Vawksa Rep — Smoked pork prepared with chillies and local seasonings, valued for its deep smoky flavour.
📸️
26. Sikkim
1. Momos — Steamed dumplings filled with vegetables or meat, served with spicy dipping sauce.
2. Thukpa — A hearty noodle soup influenced by Tibetan and Himalayan food traditions.
3. Phagshapa — A traditional pork dish cooked with radishes and dried red chillies.
📸️
27. Tripura
1. Mui Borok — The broader name for traditional Tripuri cuisine, known for simple preparations and distinctive fermented ingredients.
2. Chakhwi — A traditional vegetable dish often cooked with bamboo shoots and sometimes pork, using regional alkaline ingredients.
3. Mosdeng Serma — A fiery tomato chutney mixed with chillies, onion, and sometimes fermented fish.
6. Central India
📸️
28. Madhya Pradesh
1. Poha-Jalebi — Flattened rice seasoned with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and spices, eaten with sweet, syrup-soaked jalebi.
2. Dal Bafla — Baked or boiled wheat dough balls finished with ghee, served with lentils; a close relative of Rajasthan's dal baati.
3. Bhutte Ka Kees — Grated corn cooked slowly with milk, spices, and sometimes coconut, particularly associated with Indore.
If you're exploring Indian cuisine for the first time, try one dish from each state that represents its signature flavour — such as Andhra pesarattu, Gujarati undhiyu, Kashmiri rogan josh, Bengali macher jhol, Manipuri eromba, and Madhya Pradesh bhutte ka kees. Together, they offer a wonderful introduction to India's regional food traditions.
@Chantal- , @Fleurke , @csbianca, @Yue_ , @Pennarossa2024, As you love Indian culture, so here is the list of Indian iconic dishes, you can share iconic dishes from your countries too. @Hima , @TheLOVERofMachines - Verify your state's food.. 😃
In Himachal Pradesh we have a few things
Sepu Baddi
Siddu
Dhooyin Dal
Badane da Mitha
Khatta Ambla
Kreyale ki sabzi
Baabru
Thukpa (in higher reaches)
Many many more...
Even though I live in Karnataka, I don't know much about the food habits here 🙁
And as for the non-Indians (even Indians to a large extent) The only way you could eat these dishes in a restaurant (Pahari cuisine isn't exactly famous) is if you went to Himachal or Uttarakhand or made it yourself (which would be cool since there are ample tutorials on YouTube).
In Himachal Pradesh we have a few things
Sepu Baddi
Siddu
Dhooyin Dal
Badane da Mitha
Khatta Ambla
Kreyale ki sabzi
Baabru
Thukpa (in higher reaches)
Many many more...
Even though I live in Karnataka, I don't know much about the food habits here 🙁
And as for the non-Indians (even Indians to a large extent) The only way you could eat these dishes in a restaurant (Pahari cuisine isn't exactly famous) is if you went to Himachal or Uttarakhand or made it yourself (which would be cool since there are ample tutorials on YouTube).
Are you from Hiamchal? Wow..
I like different Dham of Himachal..
Chambyali Dham, Kangri Dham, Mandyali Dham, Kullvi Dham, Bilaspuri (Kehluri) Dham, Shimla Dham, Sirmur Dham..
Personally I liked Kangri and Mandyali Dham!!
Have you ever tried Dham there?
Are you from Hiamchal? Wow..
I like different Dham of Himachal..
📸️
Chambyali Dham, Kangri Dham, Mandyali Dham, Kullvi Dham, Bilaspuri (Kehluri) Dham, Shimla Dham, Sirmur Dham..
Personally I liked Kangri and Mandyali Dham!!
Have you ever tried Dham there?
Dham is a kind of communal feast and I have eaten it more times than I can count , most of the items in the list I have given are items served in dhams
@shirazikira I highly recommend you don't mention that you like Mandyali dham to anybody who isn't from Mandi, as Mandyali dham is sees as the worst. In my opinion the Bilaspuri (my district's dham) and the Kangri dham are the best.
@TheLOVERofMachines why Mandyali dham is considered the worst?
are dhams like curry?
@shirazikira recommended a vegetarian curry to me that I should order 😁
@TheLOVERofMachines why Mandyali dham is considered the worst?
are dhams like curry?
@shirazikira recommended a vegetarian curry to me that I should order 😁
The dham is NOT a single dish, rather it's a multi coursed feast consisting of several dishes or pulse-soups (dal), curries, sweet gravies (either pumpkin or badana) with rice.
Mandyali dham is ok, not bad but inferior because they dont prepare non-veg or kadhi (which they swap with boiled curd with spices (called kheru) and they remove the dhooyin dal for other things, and they lack amble ka khatta. The only plus point they score is that they serve sepu baddi.
the Indian shops here or the ones I had visited doesn't prepare dham, even those that I havent tried, but they have an online store, it's not on their menu. though Indian dishes differ & has multiple varieties per state, but one thing that's mostly common is Chicken Biriyani, and Gulab Jamun
the Indian shops here or the ones I had visited doesn't prepare dham, even those that I havent tried, but they have an online store, it's not on their menu. though Indian dishes differ & has multiple varieties per state, but one thing that's mostly common is Chicken Biriyani, and Gulab Jamun
Well the dham isn't popular even in most of India, leave abroad, like I said before if you are a foreigner, the only practical way you can get it, is by preparing all the dishes by your own, (which takes a painful amount of effort to prepare 5-7 different dishes), and don't get me started on sourcing the ingredients out of Himachal (difficult in India itself). I live in Bangalore (a neat 2040.77 km away from my village) and the only way we can prepare all the item is if someone from Himachal is coming and getting some ingredients (so every time we go, we just bring about 10-12 kg of food)
Well the dham isn't popular even in most of India, leave abroad, like I said before if you are a foreigner, the only practical way you can get it, is by preparing all the dishes by your own, (which takes a painful amount of effort to prepare 5-7 different dishes), and don't get me started on sourcing the ingredients out of Himachal (difficult in India itself). I live in Bangalore (a neat 2040.77 km away from my village) and the only way we can prepare all the item is if someone from Himachal is coming and getting some ingredients (so every time we go, we just bring about 10-12 kg of food)
that's a lot of effort.. @shirazikira will u be able to visit Himachal? and maybe bring some of this food items, when you visit Philippines again 😁
that's a lot of effort.. @shirazikira will u be able to visit Himachal? and maybe bring some of this food items, when you visit Philippines again 😁
If you don't mind me saying so, but if you have the money, why not visit India rather than us visiting you, India has everything, heritage, mountains, beaches, deserts, rainforests, tropical lagoons and so on. Himachal is famous for it's hill stations, why not come over and feel the snow? And unlike some other foreigners actually see India from your perspective rather than a BBC documentary on a slum/
If you don't mind me saying so, but if you have the money, why not visit India rather than us visiting you, India has everything, heritage, mountains, beaches, deserts, rainforests, tropical lagoons and so on. Himachal is famous for it's hill stations, why not come over and feel the snow? And unlike some other foreigners actually see India from your perspective rather than a BBC documentary on a slum/
been planning to visit India, particularly in Kerala 🫣 @neeraj, and Chennai.. what month does Himachal will have it's snow?
been planning to visit India, particularly in Kerala 🫣 @neeraj, and Chennai.. what month does Himachal will have it's snow?
December to January is the best time, used to be all-year in some places, but well that was the past.
