“Food is the ingredient that bind us together”. For every new city you visit in India, there is a new taste on offer. Indian Food is one of the tastiest and subtlest in the world. There is no homogeneity of flavour between North and South or East and West but rather, a wealth of flavours that is simply astonishing. There is so much to Indian cuisine that one should rather talk of “Indian Cuisines”. Each region offers their own culinary distinctive characteristics and numerous traditional dishes.
If you start off on a culinary journey throughout the country, it is going to be practically impossible to experience all the food scenes in a single try. Such is the variety of food India boasts.
The cultural diversity and soil colour that changes frequently reflect in the taste of Indian food
Traveling in India is all about the discovery of varieties in the Indian culture along with their exotic cuisines. Lined with an array of variety food ranging from Ghee-laden Punjabi cuisine, fiery Bengali food, lip-smacking street delicacies of the Delhi street or the relishing seafood in Goa ; there is something for everyone out here !
Here, I will discuss about the top 6 Indian food which is famous for it’s FOOD TRAILS.
1.DELHI
Starting with the capital city. Delhi is always known for its lip smacking street Indian food, that covers all the available varieties of chaat items.
Delhi is famous for its chaat items, try the famous Aloo Tikki or shallow fried potato patty on the street of Chandni Chowk and enjoy a scrumptious meal of Parantha i.e.
Deep-fried stuffed flat Indian bread from the iconic centuries-old lane called Gali Paranthe Walle. Then dive into a lip-smacking array of succulent Kebabs, Korma, butter chicken and luscious rice pudding in the historic lanes in and around Jama Masjid, India’s biggest mosque. Head towards Karim’s to try the Mughlai Cuisine.
Then head towards to indulge in different flavors of Kulfi or the Indian version of Ice-cream at over a century old Kulfi shop. Delhi is a city where tradition and modernity live side by side. Cherish the glimpse of the two through the lunch tour.
Experience how the native dishes have evolved as you move from the bustling streets of Paharganj to the heart of Delhi, Connaught Place. You can have Chole Bature at Paharganj.
Delicacies to savor at Connaught Place include much-acclaimed south Indian delicacies like Idli Sambhar, Vada Sambhar, Masala Dosa and Butter Chicken, Chicken Pulao, Butter Naan, Tandoori Roti and sweets. Also, don’t forget to taste the different flavors of paan.
2.MUMBAI
Moving towards the Financial capital of India. Food is everything to the Mumbaikar. From socializing, to festivals to even journeys, our days just revolve around food. Just like anything Mumbai offers, even the food can be a sensory overload. You just don’t know where to begin. You can start your food trail with breakfast at Kyani bakery and restaurant in South Mumbai. It’s an Iranian restaurant. Have the Iranian tea, Bun Maska, sausagesand three different types of egg preparations.
Go for Malvani cuisine which is the standard cuisine of the Konkan region of Maharashtra and Goa, and some northern parts of West Karnataka. Have Bhakri (chapati made with rice), Kombdi Vade, Sol Kadhi (made from the kokam fruit and Coconut Milk), mutton curry. You can also visit Matunga to enjoy a South Indian ‘plantain leaf’ platter. Matunga is a mini South India. You can try Udipi platter along with the rasam,sambhar.
Coming to the street Indian food, you will just fall in love with Mumbai’s street food. Mumbai is the land of “Puri’s”, i.e, Pani Puri, Sev Puri, Bhel Puri. A trip to Mumbai is not complete without trying one of the city’s signature snacks, Vada Pav, also known as the Indian burger. With approximately 50,000 food stalls around the city selling this unique treat, there’s no shortage of places to find it. The dish consists of a deep-fried potato fritter that is placed in a pan-fried bun called a pav or pao. Also have the best Pav Bhaji at the Chaupaty Beach and also don’t forget to have the Ice-Gola.
3.HYDERABAD
The “biryani destination” of India – Hyderabad, can spoil you with delicious choices when it comes to Indian food. The food culture of Hyderabad offers a beautiful blend of Deccani and Telugu cuisines, with slight influences of Marathwada, Arabic, and Mughlai culinary styles.
It’s a good idea to start early, so you have enough time to recover between meals. And there’s nothing better than nihari-kulcha at Shadab Cafe in the old city to kick things off.
Try the jabaan (goat tongue) nihari with shirmal – saffron bread. Another breakfast option that’s lighter on your tummy is chai-biscoot at Café Niloufer in Red Hills.
It opens at 4.30am, and serves an array of biscuits, including Osmania, the pride of Hyderabad, along with other bakery goods, with enticing names like Dilkhush and Dilpasand. Wash it down with pauna, a thick, milky chai. Try the Mutton Biryani at the famous Paradise Restaurant.
Try the bheja fry, the Bahar special mutton and, if your stomach permits, the qubani ka meetha, an extra-sweet dessert made with dried apricots at Café Bahar. Hyderabadi cuisine has a strong Arabic influence, and this is evident at Mataam al Arabi.
Try the Mandi – a biryani rice sprinkled with cashews, almonds and raisins, served in a gigantic plate, which two or three people usually share, either with laham (mutton), chicken, fish or quail.
Head north-west from the city centre and the complexion of the city changes completely. Rayalaseema Ruchulu here is a must-visit. Try the naatu kodi vepudu, a fried country chicken, and the chepala pulusu, Maral fish in a spicy, tangy gravy.
The dishes here are extremely spicy, But no food trail is complete without vegetarian fare And Chutneys, a chain of restaurants, delivers on this front. Try the lip-smacking breakfast of Guntur idlisand mango uttapam, served with six types of chutney, and a sambar so delicious that you might just forget that it’s only an accompaniment.
4.KOLKATA
The cultural haven of India. This famous 350-year old metropolitan city always boasts about it’s buzzing streets, luscious ghats, lively nightlife, famous bazaars set on the banks of Hoogly and the much renowned Roshogollas and Sondesh.
But Kolkata is not only about Roshogollas and Sondesh. Starting from the street foods, there are a lot of varieties like Phuchka ( Bengali version of Pani puri), Ghugni, Churmur, Jhal Muri, Bhel Puri, Momo, Fish Cutlet, Fish Kabiraji, Chowmin, etc.
For breakfast visit Tiretta Bazaar, which is a historic hub for street food in Calcutta and famous for Chinese breakfast. Pork momos, fish dumplings, lap cheong, pork pantras (Chinese spring rolls), fried Chinese savoury breadsticks, fluffy Chinese buns or paus, and dim sums—there is an endless list of Indian food to choose from. Also known as Old Chinatown, it is Calcutta’s first Chinese settlement dating back 250 years. You can also visit Flury’s in Park Street to have the iconic English breakfast.
Originally built as an old English tearoom, Flurys is one of the most iconic and stylish cafes of Kolkata. If you are looking for some traditional Indian breakfast, visit Putiram near College Street to have the Kochuri.
This is another legendary shop in College Street area, famous for its Kochuri and other sweets. Any Kochuri trail in the city would be unqualified without a pit stop at this shop.
The best part is that you can get a Kochuri here any time of the day. For lunch, there are some outstanding Bengali restaurants in Kolkata, where you can enjoy authentic and delicious tasting Bengali cuisine.
You can visit 6 Ballygunje Place / Bhojohori Manna / Spatapadi restaurant for enjoying a traditional Bengali thali which will consist from Bhapa Ilish (baked Hilsa) to Chingri Macher Malaikari, from Kosha Mangsho to Doi Katla. To get the most from your dining experience, keep in mind how Bengalis eat their food to preserve the subtle flavors — vegetarian dishes first, followed by fish, and then meat.
At the evening, you can have some street food which I have already mentioned above. Grab a Kathi Roll. It is tough to recall any locality of Kolkata where you won’t find a Kathi roll shop.
Small or large, neat or cramped – roll shops are found almost at every nook and cranny of the city. Kolkata Kathi Roll was invented at Nizam’s. Try the Mutton Kebab Roll there.
For dinner you should must have the Kolkata Biryani, as no Kolkata food story is complete without biryani. And while the battle of the best biryani is a never-ending one.
Arsalan, Zeeshan, Royal, Aminia, Nizam’s, and Shiraz are some of the legends, and sell theirs with a potato. At last don’t forget to have the famous Kolkatar Misthi (sweets).
Bongs take immense pride in their large selection of delectable mishti. Also, don’t forget to try the
Misthi Doi and Nolen Gurer Payesh.
5.LUCKNOW
What to eat in Lucknow is one of the most important things to know about Lucknow. The City of Nawabs is known for the centuries-old Awadhi cuisine, which is mostly influenced by the culinary culture of the Mughal era because the Mughal Emperors hired officials for administration of the Awadhi Province.
The traditional Indian food menu has incorporated Lucknow food from the Awadhi cuisine over years. A paradise for foodies in India, Lucknow City is a labyrinthine trail of food from biryanis to kebabs, chaats and paans.
Start your food tour with Paya ki Nihari, the non-vegetarian menu that Lucknow City is famous for. It is a spicy broth of lamb trotters, cooked slowly for 6-7 hours.
Lucknow owes this dish to Haji Abdul Rahim Sahib who started serving it with kulche for morning breakfast in the year 1890. Since then, the city has been breaking its fast with a bowl of Paya ki Nihari and a plate of kulche in the morning.
Biryani is one of the unique things to eat in Lucknow. It is one of the must-have dishes on the traditional Indian food menu. Influenced by the Awadhi cuisine during the era of Nawabs, Lucknow Biryani is unlike the Dum Biryani of Hyderabad in cooking style and flavor.
Rice and meat are cooked separately. Both are mixed later and flavored with garden-fresh spices. Lalla Biryani and Wahid Biryani are the places to eat in Lucknow. The former is famous for mutton biryani and the latter is known for chicken biryani.
Galawati Kebab or Galauti Kebab is what to eat in Lucknow during a trip or food tour. It is said that the recipe was invented for a change of taste when a Nawab wished to eat something new that would melt in his mouth. Galawati Kebab does really melt in the mouth as it is made from ground meat.
Add Tunday Kababi near Akbari Gate to your list of best places to eat in Lucknow City as it serves authentic Galauti Kebab with paratha.
You should add Tokri Chaatto your list of never-tasted-before things to eat in Lucknow. Generally, chaat is an Indian street food and a popular monotony-breaking snack.
Tokri Chaat is a Lucknow-special dish of deep-fried basket-shaped dough filled with a mix of boiled peas and potato mash.
No meal is complete without a Lucknowi paan, which is not just another experience. Stuffed with several different tongue-teasing ingredients including mango pulp in summer, paan is omnipresent in this Indian heritage city. Mango Paan at Mehrotra Paan Corner is a unique bliss of Lucknow.
Your tour of the best places to eat in Lucknow would remain incomplete without an experience of Prakash ki Kulfi and Chanakya ki Kulfi.
These two varieties of kulfi in different flavors including malai, rose, elaichi and kesar-pista will leave an indelible impact on the foodie in you. Parkash ki Kulfi with sweet noodles is a must try in Aminabad, and the place offering Chanakya ki Kufli exhibits food related poems on the walls.
6.AMRITSAR
If you’re a traveller who loves food, a trip to Amritsar especially for its culinary scene will be totally worth it.
Whether you’re a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian Indian food, the city whips up authentic and delicious dishes that you won’t get enough of. You haven’t eaten in Amritsar until you’ve tried the grand kulchas here.
You can go to Monu Kulcha or even Kulcha Land for your dose of this beloved bread. They’re usually served with a side of chole and spicy chutney.
For the best chicken dishes in town, head to the little place called Chicken Corner. They’re best known for their tandoori chicken brushed with dollops of butter. For a taste of ghee roasted chicken head to the very famous Beera Chicken House.
From spicy fish tikkas to fried fish, the best can be had at Makhan Fish and Chicken Corner. Even Jagir Singh Fish Wala is known to serve a unique variety called the catfish tikka that comes with a generous serving of green chutney.
If there’s one eatery in Amritsar that you mustn’t miss at any cost, it’s Kesar da Dhaba. About a century old, the best items on the menu include mah ki dal (black lentils that are cooked for over 12 hours) served with lachcha paratha.
Remember to wash it down with their king-size thick creamy lassi. Do not forget to try the sweet dishes at Amritsar. From Jalebis and Gulab Jamum and the famous Kulfa (phirni served with a dash of kulfi, falooda andrabri) at A-one Kulfa shop.
Finally, these are 6 Indian food which you should look for while visiting those places. Apart from Indian food you may also love to read about Indian destinations to visit. Here is for you/