Cooking Delights: regional Indian recipes

Regional Indian recipes with ingredient checklists for the stove and a shopping list for the market.

What are you cooking?

• Meals: Curries, dals and rice dishes for lunch and dinner
• Biryanis & Pulav: Dum biryanis, fry biryanis and fragrant pulaos
• Breakfast: Dosas, idlis, parathas and more
• Snacks & street food: Chaat, fritters and tea-time bites
• Sides, breads & soups: Sabzis, rasams, chutneys and rotis
• Desserts: Halwas, kheers and festive sweets
• Drinks: Lassis, coolers and refreshers
• Masalas: Homemade spice blends and podis that beat the packet

Recipes

• Vermicelli Kheer · Tamil Nadu. Semiya payasam in the South and seviyan kheer in the North: thin wheat vermicelli roasted in ghee and simmered in milk with cardamom, cashews and raisins. Festival-ready in half an hour.
• Flan (Caramel Custard) · International. A silky set custard of eggs, milk and vanilla under a glossy amber caramel that pools into sauce when you turn it out. The Goan, Portuguese and Spanish party pudding, baked or steamed.
• Paneer Tikka Salad · Indian fusion. Cubes of paneer, peppers and onion in a tangy tandoori marinade, seared until blistered and tossed over a crisp salad with mint-yoghurt dressing.
• Chicken Tikka Salad · Indian fusion. Smoky tandoori-spiced chicken, charred hot from the grill, on a crunchy salad of cucumber, onion, tomato and lettuce with a cool mint-yoghurt dressing.
• Coconut Rice · Tamil Nadu. Thengai sadam, or kobbari annam in Telugu homes: cooked rice tossed with freshly grated coconut and a crackling tadka of mustard, dals, cashews and curry leaves. A temple-festival and lunchbox favourite.
• Jeera Rice · Punjab. Fluffy basmati cooked with cumin seeds crackled in ghee, with a bay leaf and a few whole spices. The everyday partner for dal and any North Indian curry.
• Upma · Tamil Nadu. Classic South Indian rava upma: roasted semolina cooked soft and fluffy with mustard seeds, curry leaves, onion, ginger and green chilli, finished with ghee and a squeeze of lemon.
• Allam Chutney · Andhra Pradesh. Andhra allam pachadi: fresh ginger fried with red chillies and dals, ground with tamarind and jaggery into a hot, sweet and sour chutney for idli, dosa and pesarattu.
• Peanut Chutney · Andhra Pradesh. Andhra palli chutney: roasted peanuts ground with chilli, tamarind and garlic into a nutty, tangy dip that every Telugu home serves with idli, dosa and upma.
• Pudina Coconut Chutney · Tamil Nadu. A bright green chutney of fresh mint, coriander and coconut with green chilli and a touch of tamarind, cool and sharp next to hot idli or dosa.
• Red Coconut Chutney · Andhra Pradesh. A fiery brick-red chutney of coconut, roasted dried chillies, tamarind and garlic, the one you want smeared inside a crisp dosa.
• Neeru Chutney · Karnataka. The thin, pourable coconut chutney ladled out at Bengaluru darshinis and Andhra tiffin centres, light enough to soak into a crisp dosa or flood a plate of idli.
• Coconut Chutney · Tamil Nadu. The everyday white chutney that goes with every idli and dosa: fresh coconut, roasted gram and green chilli ground smooth and finished with a crackling mustard and curry-leaf tadka.
• Ragi Sangati · Andhra Pradesh. Rayalaseema's daily staple: soft rice cooked with finger-millet flour and beaten into smooth, dusky balls, made for breaking into natukodi pulusu or a bowl of pappu.
• Andhra Rasam · Andhra Pradesh. The everyday Andhra tomato charu: thin, tangy and peppery with tamarind, crushed garlic and rasam powder, poured over hot rice with a spoon of ghee or sipped from a tumbler.
• Navratan Korma · Mughlai. The Mughal court's nine-jewel korma: vegetables, paneer, pineapple and fried nuts in a mild, creamy white gravy perfumed with saffron, cardamom and kewra.
• Aloo Palak · Punjab. Homely Punjabi potatoes cooked into fresh spinach with garlic, ginger and cumin. Simple, green and gone with a stack of hot phulkas.
• Paneer Tikka Masala · Punjab. Smoky, charred paneer tikka with peppers and onion, folded into a buttery tomato and cashew masala scented with kasuri methi.
• Chettinad Veg Curry · Chettinad. Chettinadu mixed vegetable curry built on a freshly roasted masala of pepper, fennel, kalpasi and coconut. Dark, peppery and fiercely aromatic.
• Palak Dal · Andhra Pradesh. Andhra palakura pappu: soft toor dal cooked with a big bunch of spinach, tomato and green chillies, mashed smooth and finished with a garlicky tadka. Everyday comfort with rice, ghee and an avakaya pickle.
• Koya Kaju · Telangana. The rich restaurant favourite: ghee-fried whole cashews and crumbled khoya in a silky onion, tomato and cashew gravy finished with cream and kasuri methi.
• Veg Kurma · Tamil Nadu. The roadside-hotel kurma of Tamil Nadu: mixed vegetables in a fragrant coconut, fennel and roasted gram gravy, gentle enough to mop up with flaky parotta or soft chapati.
• Bendakaya Pulusu · Andhra Pradesh. Andhra home-style okra simmered in a sweet, sour and spicy tamarind gravy with a mustard and fenugreek tadka. Best poured over hot rice with a spoon of ghee.
• Dry Chana Masala · Punjab. Punjabi sookhe chole: dark, tangy chickpeas tossed in a thick roasted masala with amchur and anardana until every one is coated. Made for bhature, kulcha or a pile of sliced onions.
• Baby Corn Fry · Indo-Chinese. Indo-Chinese crispy baby corn: batter-fried batons tossed with garlic, green chilli, spring onion and a splash of soy until they crackle.
• Fried Maggi Noodles · Indian fusion. Street-style fried Maggi: the noodles boiled just short of done, then pan-fried with onion, capsicum and the masala tastemaker until crisp and toasty in spots.
• Veg Hakka Noodles · Indo-Chinese. Proper restaurant-style hakka noodles: boiled noodles tossed on high heat with a heap of shredded vegetables, garlic, soy sauce and vinegar until smoky and slippery.
• Chicken Hakka Noodles · Indo-Chinese. Thin strips of soy-marinated chicken and crunchy vegetables tossed with hakka noodles in a roaring wok, just like your favourite Chinese corner.
• Egg Hakka Noodles · Indo-Chinese. Street-cart hakka noodles tossed in a smoking wok with scrambled egg, shredded cabbage, carrot and spring onion, seasoned with soy, vinegar and plenty of pepper.
• Chicken Manchurian · Indo-Chinese. The Indo-Chinese classic: crisp fried chicken bites tossed in a glossy garlic, ginger, soy and chilli sauce, made dry as a starter or saucy to eat with fried rice.
• Malabar Tawa Fish · Kerala. Kerala fish rubbed with a shallot, pepper and Kashmiri chilli masala and slow-fried on a hot tawa in coconut oil, finished under a heap of crisp curry leaves.
• Andhra Prawns Fry · Andhra Pradesh. Royyala vepudu: prawns dry-fried with curry leaves, Guntur chilli and a freshly ground coriander and fennel masala until crisp, dark and clinging to every curl.
• Easy Fish Fry (Andhra Style) · Andhra Pradesh. Thick fish steaks rubbed with a fiery Guntur chilli, garlic and lemon paste and shallow-fried until the crust is crisp and the flesh stays juicy.
• Egg Fry · Andhra Pradesh. Andhra kodi guddu vepudu: halved boiled eggs tossed in a dark, oniony red chilli masala with curry leaves until every egg is coated and crisp at the edges.
• Goat Paya Soup · Hyderabad. Hyderabad's restorative trotters soup: goat paya simmered for hours with whole spices, ginger, garlic and black pepper into a rich, sticky, gently spiced broth.
• Hyderabadi Mutton Masala · Hyderabad. The everyday Hyderabadi home curry: mutton cooked with browned onions, yoghurt, tomato and a roasted paste of dry coconut, sesame and poppy seed, finished with fistfuls of mint and coriander.
• Karivepaku Mamsam Iguru · Andhra Pradesh. Andhra curry-leaf mutton: tender goat cooked down until thick and almost dry in a deep green paste of roasted curry leaves, pepper and red chillies. Made for hot rice and ghee.
• Hyderabadi Shahi Goat Korma · Hyderabad. The royal Hyderabadi wedding korma: goat braised in yoghurt with crushed birista, cashew, khoya and poppy seed, scented with saffron, kewra and rose water and finished with a slick of ghee.
• Badami Gosht · Hyderabad. A Hyderabadi nawabi curry of goat slow-cooked with yoghurt, fried onions and whole spices, then finished in a silky, pale gravy of ground almonds and a touch of saffron.
• Mutton Chilli Roast · Andhra Pradesh. A fierce Andhra dry roast: tender mutton fried down in a paste of soaked Guntur chillies and garlic, then hit with a tempering of whole dried chillies and curry leaves.
• Chettinad Goat Pepper Fry · Chettinad. Bone-in goat cooked soft, then roasted dark with shallots, curry leaves and a freshly ground masala of black pepper and fennel. Hot, fragrant and dry enough to pick up with your fingers.
• Mutton Liver Fry (Kaleja Fry) · Telangana. Telangana's Sunday-morning kaleja fry: tender cubes of goat liver tossed fast in onion, ginger-garlic, green chilli and curry leaves until glossy and peppery. Best eaten straight from the pan.
• Andhra Natukodi Pulusu · Andhra Pradesh. Slow-cooked country chicken in a thin, tangy tamarind gravy fired up with Guntur chillies and a roasted coriander masala. Unlike our Telangana Natu Kodi Kura, this is the sour, soupy pulusu version made for pouring over hot rice.
• Pepper Chicken Fry · Tamil Nadu. A South Indian dry fry where chicken, shallots and curry leaves are roasted in a heap of freshly crushed black pepper until dark, glossy and warmly fiery.
• Mirapakaya Kodi Vepudu · Andhra Pradesh. Andhra green chilli chicken fry: boneless chicken tossed dry with a coarse paste of green chillies, garlic and coriander until it is blistered, fragrant and searingly hot.
• Hyderabadi Murgh Masala · Hyderabad. A Deccani chicken curry thickened with a roasted paste of dry coconut, poppy seeds and sesame, finished with fried onions, mint and a squeeze of lime.
• Chicken Gongura · Andhra Pradesh. Andhra's beloved gongura kodi: chicken cooked with a mountain of sour gongura (red sorrel) leaves and fiery Guntur chillies into a tangy, deep green-brown curry.
• Palak Chicken · Punjab. Tender chicken simmered in a bright green, garlicky spinach gravy. A Punjabi home favourite that tastes rich but is easy going on the waistline.
• Chicken Tikka Masala · Punjab. Smoky, chargrilled chicken tikka folded into a bold onion, tomato and cream masala. Punchier and more onion-forward than butter chicken, with the tikka's char front and centre.
• Shahi Murgh Badami · Mughlai. A royal Mughlai chicken curry in a pale, silky gravy of almonds, cream and saffron, gently spiced with green cardamom and mace. Rich, fragrant and barely hot.
• KFC-Style Fried Chicken · International. A copycat of the famous bucket: bone-in chicken brined overnight in buttermilk, double dredged in an 11-spice seasoned flour and deep fried until craggy, golden and juicy.
• Kandi Podi (Andhra Gunpowder) · Andhra Pradesh. Andhra's beloved gunpowder of roasted toor dal, chana dal, red chillies and garlic, mixed into hot rice with a generous spoon of ghee.
• Andhra Kura Karam (Mamsam Masala) · Andhra Pradesh. The fiery, coriander-rich curry powder Andhra homes roast for chicken and mutton curries: guntur chillies, poppy seeds, dry coconut and whole garam spices.
• Chai Masala · Gujarat. Warming cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, clove and black pepper, ground together so a pinch turns plain milky tea into roadside masala chai.
• Tandoori Masala · Punjab. A deep red, smoky-warm blend of Kashmiri chilli, roasted whole spices, kasuri methi, ginger and garlic for tikkas and tandoori chicken.
• Chaat Masala · Delhi. The tangy, salty, faintly sulphurous sprinkle that makes chaat taste like chaat: roasted cumin, amchur, black salt and dried mint.
• Rasam Powder · Tamil Nadu. A peppery, cumin-forward podi for thin, tangy South Indian rasam. Lighter on dal than sambar powder and sharper on the nose.
• Sambar Powder · Tamil Nadu. Tamil-style sambar podi of roasted coriander, red chillies, dals, fenugreek and curry leaves. One batch makes about 20 pots of sambar that taste like home.
• Hyderabadi Biryani Masala · Hyderabad. The perfumed blend behind a proper Hyderabadi dum biryani: shahi jeera, mace, stone flower, cubeb and rose petals, roasted gently and ground fine.
• Garam Masala (Punjabi Style) · Punjab. The warm, peppery, cardamom-heavy blend of North Indian home kitchens and dhabas. Freshly ground, it smells nothing like the dusty shop-bought jar.
• Mutton Yakhni Pulao · Uttar Pradesh. A gentle, aromatic pulao in the Awadhi and Mughlai tradition: mutton simmered in a fennel and coriander-scented stock, then the rice cooked in that golden yakhni until every grain is full of flavour.
• Chicken Pulao · Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra and Hyderabadi Sunday pulao: chicken simmered with green chillies, mint and whole spices, then the rice cooked right in it, with coconut milk for a softer, richer finish.
• Veg Pulao · Punjab. An everyday one-pot pulao of basmati, carrots, beans and peas cooked in ghee with whole spices, light enough for a weeknight and pretty enough for guests.
• Kolkata Chicken Biryani · Kolkata. Kolkata's gentle, perfumed biryani with Awadhi roots: mild chicken, golden potatoes and boiled eggs under long-grain rice scented with kewra, rose water, mace and saffron.
• Ambur Chicken Biryani · Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu's famous Arcot-style biryani: short-grain seeraga samba rice cooked right in a brick-red chicken masala built on soaked dried chilli paste, mint and plenty of shallots.
• Hyderabadi Goat Mughlai Biryani · Hyderabad. The royal kacchi biryani of the Nizams: raw goat marinated overnight with khoya, nut paste and birista, sealed under three stages of saffron rice and slow-cooked until meltingly tender.
• Fish Biryani · Kerala. Thick steaks of seer fish fried in a chilli-turmeric crust, nestled into a tomato and shallot masala and steamed under ghee rice with fried onions, cashews and raisins.
• Dalgona Coffee · International. Instant coffee, sugar and hot water whipped into a thick, glossy toffee-coloured foam and spooned over a glass of cold milk. Stir it through before you sip.
• Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani · Hyderabad. Carrots, beans, potato, cauliflower and peas marinated in spiced yogurt with birista and mint, then sealed under saffron rice in true Hyderabadi dum style.
• Paneer Dum Biryani · Hyderabad. Golden cubes of paneer in a creamy, mint-flecked yogurt masala, layered with saffron basmati and slow-steamed for a vegetarian biryani that feels like a feast.
• Chicken Fry Biryani · Telangana. Crisp, red, curry-leaf chicken fry tucked between layers of mint basmati, the way Hyderabad's late-night biryani joints serve it.
• Mutton Fry Biryani · Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra and Telangana restaurant favourite: fiery, curry-leaf-scented mutton fry layered with fragrant basmati and steamed on dum so the spice seeps into every grain.
• Jackfruit Biryani (Panasa Pottu) · Andhra Pradesh. Andhra's favourite meat-free biryani: chunks of raw jackfruit fried, marinated in a spicy yogurt masala and sealed under basmati until they turn meaty and tender.
• Lotus Biscoff Shake · Indian fusion. The café favourite at home: Lotus Biscoff biscuits and spread blended with cold milk and vanilla ice cream into a thick, caramel-spiced shake, served in a crumb-rimmed glass.
• Besan Chilla · Rajasthan. Rajasthani gram-flour pancakes speckled with onion, tomato and chilli. Whisked in a bowl, cooked in a frying pan, and full of protein.
• Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry · Punjab. Home-style Punjabi chicken curry made start to finish in one pressure cooker: onion, tomato and ready-ground spices, done in three whistles.
• Moong Dal Khichdi · Gujarat. Gujarati one-pot comfort food: rice and yellow moong dal pressure-cooked soft with ginger and cumin and finished with ghee.
• Bombay Masala Toast · Maharashtra. Mumbai's street sandwich: spiced potato, green chutney, onion, tomato and cucumber between buttered bread, toasted crisp in a pan.
• Bread Upma · Karnataka. Karnataka's answer to stale bread: cubes tossed with a mustard and curry leaf tadka, onion, tomato and peanuts until they soak up the masala.
• Paneer Bhurji · Punjab. Crumbled paneer cooked Punjabi style with onion, tomato and a little garam masala. Twelve minutes to a high-protein dinner with roti.
• Egg Fried Rice · Indian fusion. Indo-Chinese street-cart fried rice: cold leftover rice tossed over high heat with egg, garlic, vegetables, soy sauce and plenty of pepper.
• Curd Rice · Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu's thayir sadam: soft rice mashed into cool curd with a crackling mustard and curry leaf tadka. The best use of leftover rice.
• One-Pot Tomato Rice · Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu's thakkali sadam: rice cooked in one pot with a tangy, spiced tomato masala. Lunchbox food that's good warm or cold.
• Masala Veg Noodles · Indian fusion. A packet of instant noodles turned into a proper meal with onion, tomato, peas and carrot and a little extra masala.
• Masala Omelette · Delhi. The Delhi dhaba breakfast: a thin omelette packed with onion, green chilli and coriander, with buttered toast on the side.
• Egg Bhurji · Maharashtra. Mumbai street-cart scrambled eggs cooked in butter with onion, tomato and green chilli, scooped up with soft pav.
• Mysore Pak · Karnataka. Mysore's royal sweet: gram flour cooked into a sugar syrup with hot ghee poured in a spoon at a time, until it froths, sets porous and melts in the mouth.
• Gajar ka Halwa · Punjab. The Punjabi winter pudding: grated red carrots cooked slowly in full-fat milk until it all reduces, then fried in ghee with sugar, cardamom and nuts.
• Bisi Bele Bath · Karnataka. Karnataka's hot lentil rice: rice, toor dal and vegetables cooked soft with tamarind, jaggery and a freshly roasted spice powder, finished with ghee and cashews.
• Chettinad Chicken · Chettinad. A fiery, aromatic chicken curry from Chettinad, built on a freshly dry-roasted masala of red chillies, black pepper, fennel, whole spices and coconut.
• Lemon Rice (Chitranna) · Karnataka. Karnataka's bright yellow everyday rice: cooled rice tossed with a crackling tadka of mustard, dals, peanuts, chillies and curry leaves, and plenty of lemon.
• Ven Pongal · Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu's soft, savoury rice and moong dal porridge, cooked mushy and finished with a ghee tadka of whole pepper, cumin, ginger and cashews.
• Idli with Coconut Chutney · Tamil Nadu. Soft, fluffy steamed rice and urad dal cakes from a naturally fermented batter, with a fresh green-chilli coconut chutney and a mustard-seed tadka.
• Kerala Egg Roast · Kerala. Hard-boiled eggs tossed in a deep, jammy onion and tomato masala, slow-cooked in coconut oil with fennel, pepper and curry leaves.
• Appam with Vegetable Stew · Kerala. Lacy, bowl-shaped rice and coconut pancakes with soft spongy centres, served with a mild, peppery Kerala stew of vegetables simmered in coconut milk.
• Kerala Avial · Kerala. A sadya essential: batons of mixed vegetables cooked just tender in a coarse coconut, chilli and cumin paste, soured with curd and finished with raw coconut oil and curry leaves.
• Laal Maas · Rajasthan. Rajasthan's fiery red mutton curry, cooked in ghee with a paste of Mathania chillies, yogurt and garlic, and finished with a puff of charcoal smoke.
• Dal Baati Churma · Rajasthan. Rajasthan's festive platter: crusty baked wheat baatis drenched in ghee, a five-lentil panchmel dal, and sweet crumbled churma with cardamom.
• Kosha Mangsho · Bengal. Bengal's Sunday mutton: bone-in pieces slow-fried in mustard oil with a mountain of onions until the masala turns dark, glossy and clings to the meat.
• Macher Jhol · Bengal. Bengal's everyday fish curry: fried rohu steaks and potatoes in a light, brothy gravy with mustard oil, panch phoron and ginger.
• Chicken Cafreal · Goa. Goan chicken marinated in a sharp green masala of coriander, chilli, whole spices and vinegar, then pan-fried until the masala clings and chars.
• Goan Fish Curry · Goa. A bright orange coconut curry soured with kokum and coloured with Kashmiri chillies, simmered just long enough to cook kingfish or pomfret.
• Khaman Dhokla · Gujarat. Soft, spongy steamed gram-flour cake from Gujarat, soaked with a sweet-sour mustard seed and curry leaf tempering.
• Kanda Poha · Maharashtra. Maharashtra's weekday breakfast: thick flattened rice tossed with onions, peanuts, mustard seeds and curry leaves, finished with lemon and fresh coconut.
• Vada Pav · Maharashtra. Mumbai's everyday snack: a spiced potato fritter in besan batter, tucked into a soft pav with fiery dry garlic chutney, green chutney and a fried chilli.
• Pav Bhaji · Maharashtra. Mumbai's beach-stall favourite: mashed spiced vegetables cooked down in plenty of butter, scooped up with soft pav toasted on the same griddle.
• Gulab Jamun · Uttar Pradesh. Soft khoya dumplings fried slowly to a deep brown and soaked in a warm cardamom and rose syrup.
• Lucknowi Mutton Korma · Uttar Pradesh. Awadhi slow-cooked mutton in a pale, fragrant gravy of yogurt, browned onion and nut paste, scented with saffron, cardamom and kewra.
• Malai Kofta · Uttar Pradesh. Golden paneer and potato dumplings with a raisin-cashew centre, served in a silky, mildly sweet cashew-cream gravy.
• Tandoori Chicken · Punjab. Chicken legs slashed, marinated twice in lemon, chilli and spiced yogurt, then roasted hot until charred at the edges and juicy inside.
• Dal Tadka · Punjab. Yellow toor and moong dal cooked soft with onion and tomato, then finished with a sizzling ghee tadka of cumin, garlic and red chilli.
• Aloo Paratha · Punjab. Whole-wheat flatbreads stuffed with spiced mashed potato, cooked crisp on a tawa with ghee and served with white butter and curd.
• Kadai Paneer · Punjab. Paneer, capsicum and onion tossed in a thick tomato masala with freshly roasted and pounded coriander, red chilli and cumin.
• Paneer Butter Masala · Delhi. Soft paneer cubes in a smooth, gently sweet tomato-cashew gravy enriched with butter and cream, the Delhi restaurant favourite.
• Aloo Gobi · Punjab. Dry Punjabi sabzi of potato and cauliflower florets cooked slowly with turmeric, ginger and cumin until golden at the edges.
• Rajma Chawal · Punjab. Punjab's Sunday lunch: red kidney beans simmered soft in an onion-tomato masala until the gravy turns thick and creamy, ladled over steamed basmati.
• Kokum Sharbat · Goa. A ruby-red Goan and Konkan cooler of soaked dried kokum, sugar and roasted cumin: sweet, sour and cooling.
• Nimbu Shikanji · Delhi. Delhi's street-side lemonade, sharpened with roasted cumin, black salt and pepper and served over lots of ice.
• Aam Panna · Uttar Pradesh. A sweet-sour summer cooler from Uttar Pradesh made with roasted raw mango, roasted cumin, black salt and mint.
• Masala Chaas · Gujarat. Gujarat's thin, salty spiced buttermilk with roasted cumin, ginger, mint and coriander, drunk ice-cold with lunch.
• Mango Lassi · Punjab. Thick, cold Punjabi yogurt drink blended with ripe mango, a little sugar and cardamom.
• Vegetable Bullets · Telangana. A Hyderabadi bakery and street snack: spiced potato and mixed-vegetable filling rolled in thin pastry, shaped like bullets and fried until shatteringly crisp.
• Indian Chicken Pizza · Indian fusion. Homemade pizza with a buttery makhani sauce, smoky tandoori chicken tikka, onion, capsicum and mozzarella, finished with coriander and chaat masala.
• Chicken Haleem · Telangana. Hyderabad's Ramzan favourite made with chicken: broken wheat and lentils slow-cooked with shredded chicken into a thick, savoury porridge, topped with birista, ghee, mint and lime.
• Miryala Rasam · Andhra Pradesh. A thin, peppery Andhra rasam of tamarind, tomato and crushed garlic, sharp with black pepper and cumin. The one you want when you have a cold.
• Dal Makhani · Punjab. Punjab's slow-simmered whole black urad and rajma, cooked down until creamy and finished with butter and cream.
• Sambar · Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu's everyday toor dal and tamarind stew with drumstick, shallots and brinjal, made with a freshly roasted sambar powder.
• Saffron Rice Kheer · Uttar Pradesh. Rice slow-cooked in full-cream milk with saffron and cardamom until thick and creamy, topped with pistachios.
• Kashmiri Rogan Josh · Kashmir. Slow-braised mutton in a deep red gravy of Kashmiri chilli, fennel and dry ginger, with no onion or tomato.
• Masala Dosa · Karnataka. Crisp golden dosas folded around a turmeric potato masala, with coconut chutney and sambar on the side.
• Amritsari Chole · Punjab. Dark, tangy Punjabi chickpeas simmered with tea for colour and finished with amchur and ghee. Best with bhature.
• Palak Paneer · Punjab. Soft paneer in a bright green spinach gravy with garlic, green chilli and a little cream.
• Paneer Tikka Kathi Roll · Kolkata. Charred, smoky paneer tikka and peppers wrapped in a warm roti with spicy makhani gravy, crisp lettuce, vinegar onions and mint chutney.
• Telangana Natu Kodi Kura · Telangana. Country chicken cooked slowly in a rustic masala of roasted coconut, poppy seeds and whole spices, the way it's made in village kitchens.
• Old Delhi Butter Chicken · Delhi. Tandoori-style chicken simmered in a silky tomato, butter and cream gravy, finished with kasuri methi.
• Apollo Fish · Telangana. A Hyderabad restaurant classic: crisp fried fish tossed in a tangy yogurt, garlic and curry-leaf sauce.
• Hyderabadi Haleem · Telangana. Ramzan's most famous dish: mutton, broken wheat and lentils slow-cooked and beaten into a silky, spiced porridge, topped with birista and ghee.
• Kodi Guddu Pulusu · Andhra Pradesh. Boiled eggs, scored and pan-fried, then simmered in a sweet-sour tamarind and onion gravy.
• Guntur Kodi Vepudu · Andhra Pradesh. A dry, peppery chicken fry from Guntur, tossed with fried curry leaves, cashews and plenty of red chilli.
• Royyala Iguru · Andhra Pradesh. Prawns roasted in a thick, dry masala of browned onion, ginger-garlic and fresh-ground spices, from the Godavari delta.
• Chepala Pulusu · Andhra Pradesh. Coastal Andhra's fish in tamarind: firm fish steaks simmered without stirring in a hot, sour, deep-red gravy.
• Gongura Mamsam · Andhra Pradesh. Mutton slow-cooked in onion and spice, then simmered with a mash of sour gongura leaves until dark, tangy and rich.
• Andhra Chicken Curry · Andhra Pradesh. Kodi kura the Andhra way: bone-in chicken in a fiery red masala of Guntur chillies, poppy seeds and fresh-ground garam masala.
• Pachi Pulusu · Telangana. A raw tamarind rasam from Telangana summers, no cooking needed: tamarind water with charred onion, chilli and a quick tadka.
• Mirchi ka Salan · Telangana. Long green chillies fried and simmered in a tangy peanut, sesame and coconut gravy, the classic partner to Hyderabadi biryani.
• Double ka Meetha · Telangana. Hyderabad's bread pudding: ghee-fried bread soaked in saffron sugar syrup and reduced milk, finished with nuts.
• Bagara Baingan · Telangana. The Hyderabadi wedding favourite: baby brinjals in a rich, nutty gravy of peanuts, sesame and coconut, soured with tamarind.
• Sarva Pindi · Telangana. Telangana's crisp rice-flour pancake with peanuts, chana dal and sesame, pressed into a pan by hand and dotted with holes.
• Bobbatlu · Andhra Pradesh. Ugadi and Sankranti's sweet flatbread: a soft maida dough wrapped round chana dal and jaggery filling, rolled thin and cooked in ghee.
• Punugulu · Andhra Pradesh. Vijayawada's street-side fritters: crisp outside, soft inside, made from leftover idli-dosa batter and eaten with peanut chutney.
• Majjiga Pulusu · Andhra Pradesh. Cooling buttermilk curry simmered with bottle gourd and a ground coconut, chilli and ginger paste.
• Bendakaya Vepudu · Andhra Pradesh. Crisp Andhra okra fry with a crushed peanut, garlic and chilli powder that clings to every piece.
• Chintapandu Pulihora · Andhra Pradesh. Temple-style tamarind rice: tart, a little sweet, crunchy with peanuts and chana dal, and better a few hours after it's made.
• Mukkala Pulusu · Andhra Pradesh. A tangy-sweet tamarind stew of mixed vegetables, thickened with a little rice flour and fragrant with fenugreek.
• Tomato Pappu · Andhra Pradesh. Everyday Andhra dal: toor dal cooked soft with tomatoes and green chillies, mashed and finished with a garlic-mustard tadka.
• Gutti Vankaya Kura · Andhra Pradesh. Small purple brinjals stuffed with a roasted peanut, sesame and coconut masala and braised whole until meltingly soft.
• Gongura Pachadi · Andhra Pradesh. Andhra's signature sorrel chutney: tangy gongura leaves cooked down with roasted red chillies and finished with a garlic tadka.
• Pesarattu with Allam Pachadi · Andhra Pradesh. Thin, crisp green moong dosa from coastal Andhra, scattered with onion and chilli and served with a sweet-sour-hot ginger chutney.
• Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani · Hyderabad. Kacchi-style marinated chicken under saffron basmati, sealed with dough and slow-cooked on dum until every grain smells of cardamom.