India
Namak Para
नमक पारे
A North Indian savory fried pastry made from flour and carom seeds. It is a Diwali snack.
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India
Explore 380 foods connected to India, from everyday staples to rare local specialties.
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Traditional foods from India.
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India
Nariyal chutney (Coconut chutney)
Papita chutney (Papaya chutney)
Coconut chutney: grated coconut ground with green chilli and tempered with mustard seeds.
Karnataka, India
Neer Dosa
ನೀರ್ ದೋಸೆ
A thin, watery rice batter dosa from Karnataka that forms a lacy, bubbly crepe. It is soft and served with chicken curry or chutney.
Delhi, India
Nihari
निहारी
A slow-cooked stew of meat and bone marrow, traditionally eaten for breakfast in Delhi and Lucknow. It is simmered overnight and served with naan.
Lucknow, India
Nimish
निमिष
Milk foam is whipped with sugar and saffron into Lucknow's fleeting winter dessert.
Kerala, India
Olan
ഓളൻ
A mild Kerala curry made with white gourd, cowpeas, and coconut milk. It is part of the traditional sadya.
India
Paal Payasam
പാൽ പായസം
A South Indian milk pudding of rice or vermicelli, scented with cardamom.
Odisha, India
Pakhala
ପଖାଳ
Cooked rice is soaked and lightly fermented in water, then served cool with salt, curd, and fried accompaniments in Odisha.
Punjab, India
Pakistani Basmati
باسمتی چاول
Long-grain aromatic rice grown in the Punjab plains between the Ravi and Chenab, aged before milling to lengthen the grain.
India
Pakora
पकोड़ा
A deep-fried fritter made by dipping vegetables in spiced gram flour batter. It is a monsoon snack across India.
India
Palak Paneer
पालक पनीर
Paneer cubes in a smooth spinach puree flavored with garlic, cumin, and fenugreek. A nutritious North Indian vegetarian classic.
India
Paneer Butter Masala
पनीर बटर मसाला
Paneer in a mildly spiced, buttery tomato-cream gravy. It is the vegetarian counterpart to butter chicken.
India
Paneer tikka
पनीर टिक्का
Paneer cubes are marinated with yogurt and spices, skewered with vegetables, and roasted until charred.
India
Pani Puri
पानी पूरी
A chaat of hollow crispy puris filled with spiced potatoes and tangy tamarind water. It is one of India's most beloved street snacks.
Tamil Nadu, India
Paniyaram
பணியாரம்
Soft, round dumplings of fermented rice-lentil batter, cooked in a special pan.
India
Panjiri
پنجیری
Wholemeal flour roasted in ghee with sugar, gum arabic, melon seeds and nuts, eaten by the spoonful in winter and after childbirth.
West Bengal, Bangladesh
Panta Bhat
পান্তা ভাত
Cooked rice left overnight under water so it ferments lightly, eaten cold with salt, raw onion, green chilli and a little dried fish.
West Bengal, Bangladesh
Pantua
পান্তুয়া
Chhena and semolina balls deep-fried to a dark brown and then steeped in syrup — the Bengali forerunner of gulab jamun.
India
Papad
पापड़
A thin, crispy, sun-dried flatbread made from lentil or rice flour. It is roasted or fried and served with meals.
Rajasthan, India
Papad Ki Sabzi
पापड़ की सब्जी
A Rajasthani curry made with roasted papad pieces in a yogurt gravy. It is a quick, comforting dish using leftover papads.
India
Papdi Chaat
पापड़ी चाट
A North Indian chaat of crispy fried dough wafers topped with potato, yogurt, chutneys, and spices. It is creamy and crunchy.
India
Paratha
पराठा
A flaky, layered North Indian flatbread made with whole wheat and ghee, pan-fried until crisp. It can be plain or stuffed with potatoes, cauliflower, paneer, or radish.
Kerala, India
Parippu Curry
പരിപ്പ് കറി
A Kerala-style plain moong dal curry with coconut. It is the first dish served in a sadya.
Kerala, India
Parotta
பரோட்டா
A layered, flaky flatbread from South India, especially Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Made with maida and oil, it is served with salna or curry and shredded in kothu parotta.
India
Pasanda
پسندہ
Flattened, marinated meat is browned and folded into a rich onion, yogurt, and spice gravy, part of the Mughal and North Indian-Pakistani continuum.
India
Patra
પાત્રા
A Gujarati snack of colocasia leaves smeared with spiced gram flour paste, rolled, steamed, and fried. It is tangy and crunchy.
West Bengal, India
Paturi
পাতুরি
A Bengali dish of fish or vegetables wrapped in banana leaf and steamed.
Mumbai, India
Pav Bhaji
पाव भाजी
A Mumbai street food of mashed vegetables cooked with spices and served with buttered bread rolls. It is tangy, spicy, and buttery.
Lahore, India
Paye
پائے
Cow or goat trotters simmered overnight until the collagen dissolves into a sticky, gelatinous gravy, eaten at breakfast with naan.
India
Peda
पेड़ा
Reduced milk solids are kneaded with sugar and cardamom into soft Indian milk fudge rounds.
Iran
Persian Sheermal
شیرمال
A traditional Persian saffron and milk sweet bread, soft and slightly sweet, often served with cheese, herbs and tea for breakfast.
Andhra Pradesh, India
Pesarattu
పెసరట్టు
A green mung bean dosa from Andhra Pradesh, thin and slightly crisp. It is often served with upma inside and ginger chutney.
India
Phirni
फिरनी
Ground rice is simmered in milk with sugar, saffron, and cardamom, then chilled in shallow clay bowls.
India
Phulka
फुल्का
A small, thin, fully puffed roti cooked directly over a flame. It is lighter than chapati and common in everyday North Indian meals.
India
Pindi Chole
पिंडी छोले
A dry chickpea preparation from Rawalpindi, made without onions or tomatoes, using tea for color and amchur for tang. Served with kulcha or bhatura.
Punjab, India
Pinni
ਪਿੰਨੀ
Whole wheat flour, ghee, nuts, and jaggery are cooked into dense Punjabi winter balls or squares.