Do you know how many cusines are there in india ?| India’s Culinary Tapestry
India is not a country with one cuisine but a continent of flavors. With its diverse geography, climates, religions, and cultures, India’s food traditions are as varied as its people. From the snow-covered valleys of Kashmir to the tropical shores of Kerala, from the deserts of Rajasthan to the bustling cities of Delhi and Mumbai, food in India tells a story of heritage, adaptation, and celebration.
Historians often group Indian cuisine into 8–10 major regional categories, but within those lie dozens of sub-cuisines and micro-cuisines that reflect local history, ingredients, and influences. Let’s embark on a flavorful journey through India’s culinary landscape.
North Indian Cuisine – Rich, Robust, and Regal
North India’s food is famous worldwide for its rich gravies, breads, kebabs, and dairy-based dishes. Influenced by Mughal kitchens, Persian flavors, and Punjabi hearths, it is hearty and bold.
Punjab – The Land of Tandoor and Butter
Punjab’s cuisine is synonymous with warmth and abundance. Famous for its tandoori cooking, the state gave the world iconic dishes like butter chicken, tandoori roti, and paneer tikka. Dairy is central — from lassi to ghee. Punjabi food is robust, celebratory, and meant for sharing.
Kashmir – Fragrance and Delicacy
Kashmiri cuisine is shaped by Persian and Central Asian influences. Signature dishes include rogan josh (lamb cooked in a spiced gravy), yakhni (a yogurt-based curry), and kahwa (a saffron-infused tea). The famous Wazwan feast showcases 36 elaborate dishes, highlighting the artistry of Kashmiri chefs.
Uttar Pradesh & Delhi – Awadhi Grandeur
The heart of Mughlai and Awadhi traditions, Delhi and Lucknow are famous for kebabs, biryanis, and kormas. Street food thrives here too — chaats like golgappa, aloo tikki, and chole bhature are staples. Delhi’s cosmopolitan nature makes it a melting pot of flavors from across India.
Rajasthan – The Desert’s Culinary Ingenuity
Rajasthan’s harsh desert climate led to ingenious dishes that rely on legumes, pulses, and preserved foods. Iconic dishes include dal baati churma, gatte ki sabzi, laal maas (spicy red mutton curry), and ker sangri (a desert bean preparation). The cuisine is bold, spicy, and deeply tied to Rajput warrior traditions.
South Indian Cuisine – Rice, Spices, and Soulful Comfort
South India is a land of rice paddies, coconut groves, and spice plantations. The cuisine here is lighter but intensely flavored, marked by fermented foods, coconut, curry leaves, tamarind, and seafood.
Tamil Nadu – The Temple of Food
Tamil Nadu’s cuisine revolves around rice, lentils, and spices. Popular dishes include idli, dosa, sambar, rasam, and Chettinad chicken. The Chettinad region, in particular, is renowned for fiery masalas and meat dishes. Tamil cuisine is also deeply linked to temple traditions, with elaborate vegetarian meals served on banana leaves.
Kerala – God’s Own Country on a Plate
Kerala, blessed with a coastline, offers a seafood-rich cuisine. Staples include appam with stew, fish curry with coconut milk, avial (vegetable medley), and the elaborate Sadya feast with 20+ vegetarian dishes. Spices like black pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon — once coveted globally — remain integral.
Karnataka – A Harmony of Flavors
Karnataka’s cuisine ranges from mild to spicy. Signature dishes include bisi bele bath (spiced lentil-rice dish), ragi mudde (millet balls), Mysore masala dosa, and Mangalorean seafood curries. Udupi cuisine, vegetarian and temple-inspired, is celebrated for its balance of flavors.
Andhra Pradesh & Telangana – The Heat of India
This region is famous for its fiery spice levels and rich biryanis. Andhra meals feature gongura pachadi (sorrel leaf chutney), spicy curries, and coastal seafood. Hyderabad, in Telangana, gave the world the legendary Hyderabadi biryani and haleem, a royal fusion of Mughal, Persian, and local flavors.
East Indian Cuisine – Rivers, Rice, and Refined Flavors
The east is marked by rivers like the Ganges and Brahmaputra, fertile plains, and a love for fish, rice, and sweets.
Bengal – The Land of Fish and Sweets
West Bengal’s cuisine revolves around freshwater fish and rice. Dishes like machher jhol (fish curry), shorshe ilish (hilsa in mustard sauce), mishti doi (sweet yogurt), and rasgulla are iconic. Bengali food emphasizes balance between sweet, sour, and mustardy sharpness.
Odisha – Ancient Simplicity
Odisha offers dishes rooted in temple culture, such as dalma (lentils with vegetables), pakhala bhata (fermented rice water dish), and chhena poda (baked cottage cheese sweet). The temple food of Puri’s Jagannath Temple, the Mahaprasad, remains one of India’s most sacred culinary traditions.
Assam – Spices of the Brahmaputra
Assamese cuisine highlights simplicity with bold flavors. Dishes like duck curry, fish tenga (sour curry), and rice-based meals showcase seasonal produce and light spices. The use of bamboo shoots, mustard oil, and herbs is distinctive.
North-East India – Tribal and Indigenous Traditions
The seven sister states of the North-East preserve tribal and indigenous foodways. Nagaland’s smoked pork with bamboo shoot, Manipuri eromba (vegetable mash with fermented fish), Arunachal thukpa (Tibetan noodle soup), and Mizoram’s bai (steamed vegetables with pork) are unique. Fermentation, smoking, and herbal flavors dominate.
West Indian Cuisine – Spice, Street Food, and Seafood
The west blends desert foods with coastal abundance. It is home to some of India’s most iconic street foods and festive dishes.
Gujarat – Vegetarian Abundance
Gujarati cuisine is largely vegetarian and emphasizes a balance of sweet, sour, and spicy. Undhiyu (mixed vegetable casserole), dhokla, thepla, farsan, and handvo are staples. Meals are often served as elaborate thalis.
Maharashtra – Street Food Meets Coastal Fare
From Mumbai’s vada pav and pav bhaji to coastal Malvani curries and puran poli, Maharashtra offers diversity. Kolhapur is known for its spicy mutton dishes, while Nagpur has fiery Saoji curries.
Goa – A Portuguese Fusion
Goa blends Indian spices with Portuguese influences. Famous for vindaloo, xacuti, bebinca, and feni (local cashew liquor), Goan cuisine is rich in seafood, coconut, and chili. Catholic and Hindu traditions intertwine in its dishes.
Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh Overlaps
Central India overlaps here, with dishes like millet rotis, spiced lentils, jungle meat curries, and pickled vegetables. The cuisine is rustic and hearty, built to withstand harsh climates.
Sub-Cuisines and Micro-Cuisines – India’s Hidden Gems
Beyond the major regions, India is home to countless micro-cuisines.
Awadhi Cuisine (Lucknow)
Known for its dum pukht style (slow cooking under sealed lids), Awadhi cuisine gave us galouti kebabs, biryanis, kormas, and nihari. Royal yet refined, it remains one of India’s greatest culinary heritages.
Hyderabadi Cuisine
Another regal tradition, Hyderabadi cuisine blends Mughal and Deccan influences. Its biryani, haleem, mirchi ka salan, and qormas are celebrated worldwide.
Parsi Cuisine
The Parsis, descendants of Zoroastrian immigrants, developed a unique cuisine blending Persian and Gujarati influences. Dishes like dhansak, patra ni machhi (fish in banana leaves), and lagan nu custard are iconic.
Sindhi Cuisine
The Sindhi community, though displaced after Partition, preserved a rich culinary identity. Sai bhaji (greens with lentils), dal pakwan, koki (flatbread), and sindhi kadhi remain beloved.
Anglo-Indian Cuisine
A fusion born of colonial history, Anglo-Indian cuisine includes dishes like railway mutton curry, ball curry, and mulligatawny soup — blending British techniques with Indian spices.
Tribal and Indigenous Cuisines
India’s tribal communities preserve ancient foodways. Bamboo shoot dishes of Nagaland, red ant chutney from Chhattisgarh, millet-based foods of Jharkhand, smoked meats of Mizoram, and mahua flower brews reflect sustainable, seasonal traditions often overlooked in mainstream narratives.
India’s Culinary Kaleidoscope
The cuisines of India cannot be confined to one definition. They are a kaleidoscope of regions, histories, and communities, each telling its own story through food. From royal kitchens to street vendors, from temple feasts to tribal foraging, Indian cuisine is one of the richest and most diverse in the world.
With 8–10 major regional cuisines, 25+ state cuisines, and 50+ micro-cuisines, India’s food is both ancient and ever-evolving. It embodies history, geography, religion, and innovation — yet at its core, it is about hospitality and sharing.
To sit at an Indian table is to taste centuries of tradition and creativity, a reminder that food is not just nourishment but culture, identity, and memory served on a plate.