Best Indian Foods to Try: Top Famous Dishes

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Best Indian Foods to Try: Top Famous Dishes

I have eaten my way across India for the better part of two decades, and the question I get most often from friends planning their first trip is the same: where do I start with the food? My honest answer is that you cannot really fail if you eat what locals around you are eating, but a short list helps. So I sat down and built one. Sixteen dishes I keep coming back to, with the places I personally order them and the rupee figures I paid on my last visit.

A few things to know before we start. India is not one cuisine, it is at least a dozen, and the food shifts every few hundred kilometres. A Punjabi dal looks nothing like a Tamil sambar. The country runs on regional pride, and every state thinks its food is the best. They are usually right about their own.

Prices below are in Indian rupees and were checked between late 2025 and early 2026. The rupee was around 83 to the US dollar, so a 300 rupee plate is roughly 3.60 dollars. Most sit-down restaurants add 5 percent GST on the bill. Street food has no tax and no receipt.

North India: The Mughal Punjab Belt

The northern plates are what most people picture when they think of curry house food. Cream, butter, tomato gravies, tandoor breads, slow-cooked meats. The cooking lineage runs through Punjabi farmers and Mughal palace kitchens, and the modern restaurant version was largely invented in Delhi in the 1940s and 50s.

1. Butter Chicken

The dish that put Indian food on the global map. Tandoor-roasted chicken simmered in tomato gravy with cream, butter, and a hit of fenugreek leaf. The recipe was developed at Moti Mahal in Daryaganj, Old Delhi, by Kundan Lal Gujral in the 1950s. He was using up unsold tandoori chicken at the end of the day and the leftover technique became a global standard.

You can still eat at Moti Mahal in Daryaganj. A half plate runs around INR 450, a full plate INR 680. The gravy at the original is less sweet than the export version most travellers know. Pair it with butter naan at INR 80.

2. Tandoori Chicken

Whole spring chicken marinated in yoghurt, ginger, garlic, and red chilli, then roasted in a clay oven at 480 degrees. Bukhara at ITC Maurya in Delhi serves what most food writers call the benchmark version. A full tandoori murg there costs INR 1,800 and a half is INR 1,200. The kitchen has not changed the menu in forty years.

For a budget version, any roadside dhaba in Punjab or Haryana sells a quarter tandoori chicken for INR 180 to 250. The flavour is honest, the bird is smaller, the smoke is the same.

3. Dal Makhani

Black urad lentils and red kidney beans, simmered for at least eight hours, finished with cream and butter. Done right, it tastes faintly of woodsmoke from the tandoor next to which the pot sits all day. Punjabi households make this for weddings and festivals. Restaurant dal makhani at Gulati on Pandara Road, Delhi, costs INR 380. A bowl at a dhaba on the Delhi-Chandigarh highway is INR 150 and is often better.

4. Naan, Roti, and Paratha

Indian bread is its own subject. Naan is a leavened flatbread baked on the wall of a tandoor. Roti is unleavened wholewheat flatbread cooked on a flat griddle. Paratha is a layered, pan-fried bread that can be plain or stuffed with potato (aloo), cauliflower (gobi), radish (mooli), or paneer.

For breakfast in Delhi, head to Paranthe Wali Gali in Chandni Chowk, serving stuffed parathas since 1872. Two parathas with pickle, curd, banana and tamarind chutney cost INR 130 to 200. Plain naan at sit-down restaurants runs INR 60 to 90, butter naan INR 80 to 110, garlic naan INR 100 to 140.

5. Samosa

Triangular pastry stuffed with spiced potato, peas, and sometimes minced meat. Deep fried until the shell goes brittle. The chaat shop standard is INR 25 to 40 for a single piece, INR 50 to 60 if served with chutneys and yoghurt on top (samosa chaat). My favourite is the oversized samosa at Bengali Sweet House in Bengali Market, central Delhi. INR 40 a piece, the pastry shatters when you bite it.

East India: Hyderabad and Bengal

The east is biryani country in the Deccan and sweets country in Bengal. Two food cultures that do not really overlap but both deserve their own pilgrimage.

6. Hyderabadi Biryani

Hyderabadi dum biryani is long-grain basmati and marinated mutton or chicken layered raw, sealed with dough, and slow cooked over low heat so the steam does the work. The meat releases its juices into the rice, the rice perfumes the meat, and the whole pot finishes together. The dish came down from the Mughal kitchens through the Nizams of Hyderabad.

Paradise in Secunderabad is the most famous address, with branches around the city. A chicken biryani single plate costs INR 280, jumbo INR 380, mutton biryani INR 360 to 480. Bawarchi at RTC Crossroads is the local favourite for late-night biryani at INR 320. Both come with mirchi ka salan and raita.

If you are in Kerala, do not miss Paragon in Calicut for the Malabar fish biryani. INR 380, made with small grain kaima rice instead of basmati. See more in the Kerala itinerary guide.

7. Bengali Sweets: Mishti Doi and Sandesh

Bengal does sweets like nobody else in India. The base is chhena, fresh paneer made by curdling milk with lemon juice. Sandesh is chhena kneaded with sugar and shaped into discs. Rasgulla is chhena rolled into balls and boiled in sugar syrup. Mishti doi is sweetened yoghurt set in clay pots, the sugar caramelised first to give the brown hue.

KC Das in Kolkata claims to have invented the modern rasgulla in 1868. Their main shop on Esplanade still sells two rasgullas in syrup for INR 30. Mishti doi in a clay pot is INR 60 to 90. Sandesh runs INR 40 to 80 a piece. The morning batch is the freshest.

South India: Rice, Lentils, Coconut

Southern food is built on rice, lentils, coconut, curry leaves, and tamarind. It is mostly vegetarian on the Hindu side, mostly seafood on the coast, and includes some of the spiciest curries in the country in Andhra and Tamil Nadu.

8. Masala Dosa

A fermented rice and urad dal crepe, crisped on a flat tawa, filled with spiced potato and onion, served with coconut chutney and sambar. The Mavalli Tiffin Room (MTR) in Lalbagh, Bangalore, has been making it since 1924 and most South Indians say it is still the standard. The MTR masala dosa costs INR 150 with rasam-sambar. A breakfast plate at Saravana Bhavan, the chain that now runs globally, is INR 120 to 180.

For street prices, any tiffin centre in Chennai or Bangalore serves a plain dosa for INR 65 to 90 and a masala for INR 100 to 140. The dosa should be paper-thin at the edges and chewy in the middle.

9. Idli and Sambar

Steamed rice and lentil cakes, soft and slightly tangy from overnight fermentation. Served with sambar (tangy lentil-vegetable stew) and at least two chutneys. Idli is breakfast across South India and is one of the easiest foods to digest. Hospital food, baby food, hangover food.

A plate of two idlis at Saravana Bhavan costs INR 120. Local tiffin centres in Tamil Nadu do the same plate for INR 50 to 80. At Murugan Idli Shop in Chennai, a four-idli plate is INR 110.

10. Chicken Chettinad

The Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu cooks with a heavy spice hand. Roasted coriander, fennel, black pepper, dried red chilli, and stone flower (a lichen called dagad phool) are ground into a dark masala that goes into the chicken curry. The result is fiery and aromatic at the same time.

A plate at any Chettinad restaurant in Chennai or Madurai runs INR 280 to 420. The Bangala in Karaikudi, a heritage hotel run by a Chettiar family, serves a thali with three Chettinad curries for around INR 1,200 and is worth the detour.

11. Kerala Fish Curry: Meen Moilee

Kingfish or pomfret simmered in coconut milk with green chilli, ginger, curry leaves, and turmeric. The proper meen moilee is gentle and white-gravied, a contrast to the fiery red Goan and Andhra fish curries. Eat it with appam (lacy rice pancakes) or kappa (steamed cassava). A plate at a Kerala home-style restaurant costs INR 320 to 480. At Kashi Art Cafe in Fort Kochi, fish curry meal is around INR 450.

West India: Mumbai Streets and Goan Coast

The west is where street food peaks and where Portuguese colonial cooking left a lasting mark.

12. Pav Bhaji

Mumbai's signature street food. A thick mash of mixed vegetables (potato, cauliflower, peas, capsicum, tomato) cooked on a giant flat tawa with butter and pav bhaji masala, served with two soft buttered bread rolls (pav). You eat it with chopped onion, lemon and a green chilli. Workers' food from the textile mills of the 1850s, now a national obsession.

A plate at Sardar Pav Bhaji in Tardeo costs INR 180. Cannon Pav Bhaji near CST is INR 140. A standard plate runs INR 80 to 180 depending on how upmarket the place.

13. Vada Pav

Mumbai's sandwich. A spiced potato fritter (vada) inside a soft white bread roll (pav) with green chutney, garlic chutney, and a fried green chilli. The price has barely moved in twenty years: INR 25 to 35 at a roadside stall, INR 40 to 50 at a fancier place. Ashok Vada Pav near Kirti College in Dadar is the address most Mumbaikars name first. INR 30 a piece, the queue starts at 8 am.

14. Goan Vindaloo

A Portuguese-origin pork curry from Goa, made with vinegar, garlic, dried red chilli, cumin and palm sugar. The name comes from carne de vinha d'alhos, meat in wine and garlic. Indian cooks swapped wine for palm vinegar and added more chilli. The result is sour, hot, and dark.

Most beach shacks in North Goa do a pork vindaloo plate with rice for INR 350 to 480. Martin's Corner in South Goa is the famous address at around INR 450 for the curry alone. If you do not eat pork, try chicken cafreal or fish recheado at the same places.

Sweets and Snacks

15. Gulab Jamun, Jalebi, and Rasgulla

Gulab jamun is fried milk-solid balls soaked in cardamom-rose sugar syrup. Two pieces at a sweet shop cost INR 30 to 60. Jalebi is a coiled batter fried until crisp and dunked in saffron syrup, eaten hot, often for breakfast in north India with a cup of milk. INR 200 to 320 a kilo.

For Delhi, head to Bikanervala or Haldiram's for clean, packaged sweets. For something old-school, Old Famous Jalebi Wala in Chandni Chowk has been frying jalebis in pure ghee since 1884 at INR 60 a plate.

16. Pani Puri / Golgappa / Phuchka

The same dish, three regional names. Hollow crisp puri shells filled with spiced tamarind water, mashed potato, chickpeas, and chutneys. You pop the whole thing in your mouth in one go because the shell breaks if you bite. In Delhi it is golgappa, in Mumbai it is pani puri, in Kolkata it is phuchka, and the Kolkata version uses mashed potato spiced with black salt and a more sour tamarind water.

A plate of six is INR 30 to 60 at a clean stall. Always look for a stall where the puri is filled fresh in front of you with bottled water, not a communal bucket.

Comparison Table: Where to Eat What

Dish	Region	Where to Try	INR	Veg	Heat
Butter chicken	North	Moti Mahal Delhi	450-680	N	Mild
Tandoori chicken	North	Bukhara, ITC Maurya	1,200-1,800	N	Medium
Dal makhani	North	Gulati Pandara Road	280-380	Y	Mild
Aloo paratha	North	Paranthe Wali Gali	130-200	Y	Mild
Samosa	North	Bengali Sweet House	25-60	Y	Medium
Hyderabadi biryani	South-East	Paradise, Bawarchi	280-450	Choice	Medium
Mishti doi	East	KC Das Kolkata	60-90	Y	NA
Masala dosa	South	MTR Bangalore	65-150	Y	Mild
Idli sambar	South	Saravana Bhavan	50-120	Y	Mild
Chicken Chettinad	South	Bangala Karaikudi	280-420	N	Hot
Meen moilee	South	Paragon Calicut	320-480	N	Mild
Pav bhaji	West	Sardar Pav Bhaji	80-180	Y	Medium
Vada pav	West	Ashok Vada Pav Dadar	25-50	Y	Medium
Pork vindaloo	West	Martin's Corner Goa	350-480	N	Hot
Gulab jamun	All	Bikanervala, Haldiram	30-60	Y	NA
Pani puri	All	Local chaat stalls	30-60	Y	Medium

Vegetarian Friendly: Roughly 60 Percent of the Menu

India has the largest vegetarian population in the world. About 30 percent of the country eats no meat at all, and another 20 percent eats meat only occasionally. Pure vegetarian food is everywhere, never an afterthought, and often the local speciality. South Indian breakfast is entirely vegetarian. Gujarati and Rajasthani thalis are vegetarian. Bengal has fish, but the daily home cooking is heavily vegetable. Of the sixteen dishes above, ten are vegetarian or have a vegetarian version. Look for the green-dot symbol on menus and packaged food: green dot means vegetarian, red dot means non-vegetarian. The system is government-mandated and reliable.

Where Indians Eat When Travelling

A good local trick is to eat at state government bhavans in Delhi. Andhra Bhavan on Ashok Road serves an unlimited Andhra meal at lunch for INR 250 with rice, sambar, rasam, four vegetables, papad, curd, pickle and a sweet. The food is subsidised because the bhavan is meant for Andhra government employees, but the canteen is open to the public. The queue starts at 12:30. Karnataka Bhavan, Kerala House and Tamil Nadu Bhavan run similar canteens.

For Mughlai food, Karim's near Jama Masjid in Old Delhi has been open since 1913. Mutton korma is INR 280, mutton biryani INR 320. The lanes around Jama Masjid are full of small kebab stalls that come alive after sunset.

The Saravana Bhavan chain has outlets in every major Indian city and now globally. The food is consistent, the kitchens are clean, and the pricing is fair. A safe choice when you are unsure about a new city. A full meals plate costs INR 280 to 360.

For more North India travel ideas, see my piece on the best India destinations for a February week and the five top places in India.

Hygiene Rules: How to Eat Without Getting Sick

I have been getting sick from Indian food less and less the older I get, and it is mostly because I follow four rules.

First, eat hot-cooked food. If a dish is steaming when it reaches your table, the bacteria are dead. Avoid lukewarm buffet food, room-temperature curries, and pre-cooked meat sitting at a counter. Street food is fine if it is fried fresh in front of you.

Second, drink only bottled water and use it for brushing teeth. Bisleri, Aquafina, Kinley and Himalayan are the standard brands. Check the seal before opening. A 1-litre bottle costs INR 20 to 30. Avoid ice unless they specifically say it is made from filtered water.

Third, peel fruit yourself or eat fruit with thick skin (banana, orange, mango). Pre-cut fruit at street stalls is the single biggest culprit for traveller's stomach. Salads in budget restaurants are washed in tap water - eat them only at hotels and well-known restaurants.

Fourth, lassi at a clean shop is safe. It is yoghurt-based and the lactobacillus actually helps your gut adjust. A salted lassi at a roadside dhaba is one of the safest cold drinks you can order. Carry rehydration salts (ORS sachets at every Indian pharmacy for INR 25 each). If you do get sick, drink an ORS sachet in a litre of bottled water and skip food for 12 hours.

Spice Levels: How to Order

Indian heat varies enormously. A Kashmiri rogan josh is mild, an Andhra gongura mutton is brutal, a Kerala fish curry is medium, a Goan vindaloo is hot. When ordering, ask for "less spicy" or "low chilli" and most restaurants will accommodate.

If you are tasting heat for the first time, start with North Indian gravy dishes (butter chicken, korma, dal makhani) which are dairy-rich and gentler. Move to South Indian sambar and rasam, which are sour-spicy rather than chilli-spicy. Then graduate to Andhra and Chettinad. Goan vindaloo and Kolhapur lamb are at the upper end. Curd, lassi and plain rice all help cut heat. Water makes it worse because capsaicin is fat-soluble.

For more travel food guides, compare with my French food guide, the Czech beer pieces from Prague, and the Turkey regions guide. Country background sits in the India facts post.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Indian food safe for vegetarian travellers?
Very. India has the strongest vegetarian food culture in the world. Look for the green-dot symbol on menus and packaging. Pure-veg restaurants (no meat in the kitchen at all) are common in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and South India. A vegetarian thali is one of the best-value meals you will eat anywhere - INR 180 to 350 for unlimited rice, dal, vegetables, bread, curd, papad, pickle, and a sweet.

2. Can I find Jain food (no onion, no garlic, no root vegetables)?
Yes, especially in Mumbai, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. Many Mumbai restaurants offer a Jain version of any dish on request. Pav bhaji, dosa, pizza, even Chinese food is adapted. In airports, look for the Jain-tag on packaged food. Major sweet shops (Bikanervala, Ghasitaram, Haldiram) sell Jain sweets without alum or fermented ingredients.

3. Is the water really unsafe to drink?
Yes, in most cities. Tap water carries bacteria your gut has not met before. Stick to sealed bottled water (INR 20 for 1 litre) for drinking and brushing. Better hotels have filtered water taps in the room. Cooked food and boiled tea or coffee are safe because the heat kills bacteria.

4. Is lassi safe at a roadside stall?
Generally yes. Lassi is fermented and the live cultures help your gut. The risk is the water used to thin it. Order lassi at a busy stall where turnover is high and the yoghurt is fresh. Avoid lassi sitting in a glass jug for hours. A salted lassi (namkeen lassi) is also safer than a sweet one because the salt limits bacterial growth.

5. I have a nut allergy. How careful do I need to be?
Cashews are common in North Indian gravies (korma, butter chicken base, biryani garnish). Peanuts go into Maharashtrian and South Indian dishes (pav bhaji garnish, mirchi salan, peanut chutney). Tell the waiter about your allergy before ordering and ask the kitchen to confirm. Stick to South Indian breakfast (idli, dosa, vada, sambar) which uses lentils and rice, not nuts.

6. I am gluten-free. What can I eat?
Almost everything in South India. Rice and lentil dishes (idli, dosa, uttapam, sambar, rasam, pongal) are naturally gluten-free. Avoid wheat-based North Indian breads (naan, roti, paratha, kulcha). Indian sweets are often safe but check for wheat flour in laddoo varieties. Tell waiters you cannot eat wheat (gehun in Hindi).

7. What about beef and pork?
Beef is illegal or restricted in most Indian states because cows are sacred to Hindus. You will find it in Goa, Kerala, the Northeast, and at certain restaurants in Mumbai and Bangalore. Pork is widely available in Goa, Kerala, the Northeast, and at Chinese restaurants. Mutton in India almost always means goat, not lamb.

8. How much should I tip?
At sit-down restaurants where service charge is not included, 10 percent is standard. Many places now add 5 to 10 percent service charge automatically (it is legal but optional, and you can ask for it to be removed). At dhabas and street stalls, no tip is expected. For hotel staff, INR 50 to 100 per service is generous.

Final Notes

The thing I love about Indian food is that you can travel for years and still find new dishes. I have not even mentioned the Northeast (bamboo shoot pork, smoked meat curries, fermented soybean), the Parsi food of Mumbai (dhansak, salli boti, akuri), or the Anglo-Indian railway curries that still exist on long-distance trains. Each region has its own twenty-dish list.

If you only have a week, pick one north city (Delhi or Amritsar), one south city (Chennai or Bangalore), and one of the food capitals (Hyderabad, Kolkata, or Mumbai). Eat at three places a day. Skip the hotel buffet for at least one meal. Walk for the rest. You will go home full and you will book a return flight.

For deeper background, the Wikipedia entry on Indian cuisine is comprehensive, and the Wikivoyage Indian cuisine guide covers practical eating advice. The Wikipedia biryani article goes deep on the rice-dish history. For official tourism information, Incredible India is the government portal.

Eat well. Drink bottled water. Tip the dhaba boy.

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