Regional Cuisines of India

Punjab, Kashmir & the North

The tandoor belt & the mountains

The north is the land of wheat and dairy — tandoor breads, cream-enriched gravies, and the warm, layered spicing of garam masala. It stretches from Punjab’s robust home cooking to the courtly slow-cooked dishes of Awadh and the saffron-and-fennel cooking of Kashmir, all of it built for the cold and the celebration.

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Every recipe

33 recipes in this region.

A bowl of aloo gobi — golden turmeric-coated cauliflower florets and potato chunks with julienned ginger and fresh coriander, beside roti.

Punjab / North India · Indian

Aloo Gobi (Potato and Cauliflower Curry)

The everyday North Indian dry curry: potatoes and cauliflower cooked with turmeric, cumin and ginger until golden and tender. Simple, vegan, and a benchmark home dish.

EasyMainsBeginner-friendly

A golden, blistered aloo paratha on a plate with a melting knob of white butter on top, a bowl of yogurt and a spoon of mango pickle beside it.

Punjab / North India · Indian

Aloo Paratha (Punjabi Stuffed Potato Flatbread)

North India's most comforting breakfast: whole-wheat flatbread stuffed with spiced mashed potato, rolled and griddled with ghee until golden and blistered. Eaten with white butter, yogurt, and pickle — the Punjabi morning, on a plate.

IntermediateBreakfast

A bowl of rustic baingan bharta — coarsely mashed smoky eggplant flecked with browned onion, tomato and green chile, topped with fresh coriander, beside a stack of makki di roti and a knob of white butter in warm natural light.

Punjab (North India) · Indian

Baingan Bharta (Punjabi Smoked Eggplant)

Whole eggplant charred over an open flame until it collapses, then mashed into a smoky, spiced mash with onion, tomato, ginger and green chile. This is the rustic Punjabi original — every bite carries that charcoal aroma.

EasyMainsSmoky

A dark bowl of dry bhindi masala — deep-green okra pieces blistered at the edges, tossed with golden onions and flecks of red chilli and fresh coriander, on a rustic table with roti alongside.

North India (Punjab–Delhi belt) · Indian

Bhindi Masala (Dry North Indian Okra Sabzi)

The North Indian home-kitchen classic: tender okra pan-fried until every trace of slime is gone, then tossed with onions, tomatoes and a bright, amchoor-spiked masala. A non-slimy bhindi masala that stays crisp at the edges.

EasySidesVegan

A bowl of butter chicken — charred chicken pieces in a glossy orange-red tomato-cream gravy, swirled with cream and scattered with kasuri methi, beside torn naan.

Delhi / North India · Indian

Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

Delhi's restaurant icon: tandoori-marinated chicken simmered in a silky tomato gravy finished with butter and cream. Mildly spiced, faintly sweet, and built for scooping with naan.

IntermediateMainsMake-ahead

A bowl of Mughlai chicken korma — bone-in chicken in a pale golden, creamy sauce garnished with golden fried onions, slivered almonds and saffron, beside naan.

Mughlai (Delhi, Lucknow) / North India · Indian

Chicken Korma (Mughlai Creamy Curry)

A royal Mughlai curry: chicken braised in a mild, fragrant sauce of yogurt, fried onions and nut paste, scented with cardamom and saffron. Rich and aromatic rather than fiery.

IntermediateMainsMake-ahead

A bowl of chicken tikka masala — charred chicken pieces in a creamy red-orange spiced gravy with a swirl of cream and fresh coriander, beside garlic naan.

British-Indian (rooted in Punjab) / North India diaspora · Indian

Chicken Tikka Masala

The British-Indian restaurant icon: charred marinated chicken tikka in a creamy, spiced tomato-onion gravy. A cousin of butter chicken, with more spice and a bit more bite.

IntermediateMainsMake-ahead

A plate of dark, spiced chickpea chole topped with ginger and onion beside two large puffed golden bhature, with sliced onion, green chili, and lime.

Punjab / Delhi / North India · Indian

Chole Bhature (Punjabi Spiced Chickpeas with Fried Bread)

The North Indian brunch champion: deeply spiced, tangy chole (chickpea curry) paired with bhature — soft, pillowy deep-fried leavened bread. Indulgent, satisfying, and a Delhi-Punjab institution.

IntermediateBreakfastMake-ahead

A bowl of dark, creamy dal makhani with a swirl of cream and a knob of melting butter on top, garnished with ginger juliennes, beside naan.

Punjab / North India · Indian

Dal Makhani (Punjabi Black Lentils)

The slow-simmered Punjabi classic: whole black urad and kidney beans cooked for hours into a velvety, smoky, buttery dal. Restaurant-rich at home — the patience is the recipe.

IntermediateMainsMake-ahead

A copper karahi of golden dal tadka topped with a sizzling ghee tempering of sliced garlic, cumin and dried red chillies, scattered with fresh coriander, warm light on a rustic table.

Punjab / North India · Indian

Dal Tadka (Restaurant-Style Tempered Yellow Dal)

The North Indian dhaba classic: soft-simmered toor dal finished with a searing ghee tadka of cumin, garlic and dried red chilli poured over the top. Comforting, protein-rich and on the table in under an hour.

EasyMainsHigh-protein

A bowl of gajar ka halwa — deep orange-red grated carrot pudding, glossy with ghee and studded with chopped pistachios, almonds and raisins, served warm.

Punjab / North India · Indian

Gajar ka Halwa (Carrot Halwa)

North India's beloved winter dessert: grated carrots slow-cooked in milk and ghee until jammy and rich, studded with nuts and scented with cardamom.

IntermediateSweetsFestive

Several small, deep-golden galouti kebab patties on a plate with thin paratha, rings of raw onion, a wedge of lime, and green mint chutney.

Lucknow, Awadh (Uttar Pradesh) / North India · Indian

Galouti Kebab (Lucknowi Melt-in-the-Mouth Mince Kebab)

The legendary Awadhi kebab said to be invented for a toothless Nawab: spiced minced meat tenderised with raw papaya and enriched with ghee, fried into soft patties that dissolve on the tongue. Lucknow's edible silk.

AdvancedSnacksMake-ahead

Deep golden-brown gulab jamuns glistening in amber rose syrup in a bowl, garnished with slivered pistachios and a few saffron strands.

North India / pan-Indian · Indian

Gulab Jamun (Milk Dumplings in Rose-Cardamom Syrup)

The king of Indian sweets: soft khoya dumplings fried to deep gold and soaked in warm rose-and-cardamom syrup until they swell, juicy and melting. The dessert no Diwali or wedding is complete without.

IntermediateSweetsFestive

A bowl of brothy Kashmiri haak — vivid green whole collard-style leaves in a thin peppery broth with a whole dried red chili — beside a mound of steamed rice.

Kashmir / North India · Indian

Haak (Kashmiri Collard Greens)

The everyday green of every Kashmiri table: leafy haak simmered whole in water with mustard oil, asafoetida, and a single dried red chili, until silky and brothy. Minimalist, soulful, and eaten with rice at nearly every meal.

EasySides30-minute

A pile of bright orange jalebis — crisp fried spirals glistening with saffron syrup, garnished with slivered pistachios.

North India / pan-Indian (and across West and South Asia) · Indian

Jalebi (Crisp Syrup-Soaked Spirals)

India's festive sweet: fermented batter piped into spirals, fried crisp, and soaked in saffron syrup. Crunchy outside, juicy inside, and best eaten hot.

IntermediateSweetsMake-ahead

Kadai paneer served in a black cast-iron kadai — cubes of paneer with charred green capsicum, onion petals and julienned ginger in a glossy brick-red masala, scattered with coriander, warm natural light.

Punjab & Delhi (North India) · Indian

Kadai Paneer (Restaurant-Style, with Fresh Kadai Masala)

Paneer, onions and capsicum in a semi-dry tomato masala built on freshly pounded coriander seeds and red chillies — the peppery, aromatic North Indian classic named for the wok it's cooked in. Nothing like the flat, creamy versions.

IntermediateMainsVegetarian

Diamond-shaped pieces of pale ivory kaju katli topped with edible silver leaf, arranged neatly on a plate.

North India / pan-Indian · Indian

Kaju Katli (Cashew Fudge Diamonds)

The elegant, melt-in-the-mouth cashew fudge of Diwali: just cashews and sugar cooked into a smooth dough, rolled thin, and cut into the signature silver-leafed diamonds. Four ingredients, endless festive prestige.

AdvancedSweets30-minute

Golden baby potatoes in a glossy deep-red Kashmiri yogurt gravy in a copper bowl, lightly garnished, with steamed rice beside.

Kashmir / North India · Indian

Kashmiri Dum Aloo (Baby Potatoes in Yogurt-Fennel Gravy)

A jewel of the Kashmiri Pandit table: baby potatoes fried until golden, then slow-cooked (dum) in a glossy red yogurt gravy scented with fennel and dry ginger, and — true to tradition — no onion or garlic. Rich, aromatic, vegetarian.

IntermediateMains

A deep red Kashmiri rogan josh in a copper bowl, tender bone-in lamb pieces in a glossy, oil-flecked red gravy, garnished lightly, beside steamed rice.

Kashmir / North India · Indian

Kashmiri Rogan Josh (Aromatic Red Lamb Curry)

The Kashmiri Wazwan classic: lamb slow-cooked in a brick-red gravy coloured by Kashmiri chilies and ratan jot, perfumed with fennel, ginger powder, and warm spices — and, in the Pandit style, no onion or garlic. Aromatic, not fiery.

IntermediateMains

A dark kadhai of keema matar — richly browned spiced lamb mince studded with bright green peas — glossy with ghee, garnished with julienned ginger and fresh coriander, warm side light, a roti and lemon wedge alongside.

North India (Punjab & the Mughlai belt) · Indian

Keema Matar (Punjabi Minced Lamb with Peas)

The North Indian comfort classic: lamb or mutton mince slow-fried into a deep, spiced masala with sweet green peas. The secret is the bhuna — searing the meat hard until the fat runs and the spices caramelize.

IntermediateMainsOne-pan

A bowl of malai kofta — golden fried paneer-potato dumplings in a creamy orange tomato-cashew gravy with a swirl of cream and coriander, beside naan.

North India (Mughlai-influenced) · Indian

Malai Kofta (Paneer-Potato Dumplings in Creamy Gravy)

A vegetarian restaurant showpiece: soft paneer-and-potato dumplings in a rich, mildly sweet tomato-cashew gravy. Indulgent, festive, and made for special occasions.

IntermediateMains

Thick slices of pale malai kulfi studded with pistachios and almonds on a small plate, a saffron-flecked kulfi still in its conical metal mould beside it, soft natural light.

North India (Mughal-era Delhi) · Indian

Malai Kulfi (Traditional Indian Frozen Custard)

The original Indian frozen dessert — full-fat milk slow-cooked until thick and caramel-sweet, scented with cardamom, saffron and pistachio, then frozen dense and hard. No churning, no ice-cream machine, just patience.

IntermediateSweetsNo-churn

A copper karahi of matar paneer — cubes of soft white paneer and bright green peas in a glossy orange-red onion-tomato gravy, finished with cream swirls and fresh coriander, warm natural light.

Punjab, North India · Indian

Matar Paneer (Punjabi Peas & Paneer Curry)

Soft paneer and sweet green peas simmered in a silky onion-tomato masala finished with kasuri methi and cream — the North Indian home-and-dhaba classic, rich but not heavy, and ready in under an hour.

IntermediateMainsVegetarian

A stack of soft blistered naan brushed with butter and flecked with nigella seeds and coriander, one torn to show the airy interior.

North India (via Persia and Central Asia) · Indian

Naan (Soft Leavened Flatbread)

The pillowy, blistered flatbread of North Indian restaurants — made at home on a hot skillet or under the broiler, no tandoor required. Soft, chewy, and brushed with butter.

EasyBreadsMake-ahead

A wide bowl of deep reddish-brown Old Delhi nihari with tender bone-in mutton in a glossy gravy, topped with julienned ginger, sliced green chilli, fresh coriander and fried onions, a lemon wedge and warm khameeri roti alongside on a dark rustic table.

Old Delhi (Purani Dilli), Mughal era · Indian

Nihari (Old Delhi Slow-Cooked Meat Stew)

The legendary dawn stew of Mughal-era Delhi — mutton or lamb shank braised overnight in a deep, spice-laden gravy thickened with wheat flour and finished with sizzling ghee. Rich, silky and unforgettable, eaten with warm khameeri roti or naan.

AdvancedMainsSlow-cooked

A bowl of palak paneer — soft white paneer cubes in a vibrant green spinach gravy with a swirl of cream, beside warm roti.

Punjab / North India · Indian

Palak Paneer (Spinach and Paneer Curry)

North India's beloved greens-and-cheese curry: soft paneer cubes in a bright, gently spiced spinach gravy. Vegetarian, quick, and a benchmark of a good home kitchen.

EasyMainsBeginner-friendly

Skewers of charred paneer tikka — orange-red marinated paneer cubes with blistered edges, alternating with charred peppers and onion, beside green mint chutney and lemon.

Punjab / North India · Indian

Paneer Tikka (Spiced Grilled Paneer)

India's favourite vegetarian starter: cubes of paneer and peppers marinated in spiced yogurt and charred until smoky-edged. The veg counterpart to chicken tikka, off the grill or under the broiler.

EasySnacksMake-ahead

A heaped steel plate of golden, shaggy North Indian onion pakodas with crisp lacy edges, a small bowl of green coriander-mint chutney and a glass of masala chai beside them on a dark wooden table.

North India, Punjab–Delhi belt · Indian

Pyaaz Pakoda (Crispy Onion Pakora)

The North Indian monsoon snack: slivered onions bound with just enough besan, spiked with ajwain and green chilli, fried into shaggy, shatteringly crisp fritters. No thick batter, no soggy middles — and a cup of masala chai alongside.

EasySnacksMonsoon snack

A bowl of thick, creamy red-brown rajma kidney bean curry garnished with coriander and ginger juliennes, served beside a mound of steamed white rice.

Punjab / North India · Indian

Rajma (Punjabi Red Kidney Bean Curry)

North India's ultimate comfort food: red kidney beans simmered low and slow in a deeply spiced onion-tomato gravy until creamy and rich. Served over rice as rajma-chawal, it's the Sunday lunch a whole region grew up on.

EasyMainsMake-ahead

A plate of crisp golden Punjabi samosas with a blistered flaky crust, one broken open to show the spiced potato-and-pea filling, with bowls of tamarind and green chutney.

North India / pan-Indian street food · Indian

Samosa (Punjabi Aloo Samosa)

India's most famous snack: a crisp, flaky pastry triangle stuffed with spiced potatoes and peas. Made from scratch, with the secret of a low-and-slow fry for that signature blistered crust.

IntermediateSnacks

A rustic bowl of dark green sarson ka saag topped with a melting knob of white butter and a spoon of golden onion-tomato tadka, a stack of makki di roti and sliced onion beside it in warm winter light.

Punjab / North India · Indian

Sarson ka Saag (Punjabi Mustard Greens)

The Punjabi winter classic: mustard greens slow-cooked with spinach and bathua, thickened with cornmeal and finished with a ghee-and-garlic tadka. Earthy, mellow and made for makki di roti.

IntermediateMainsWinter

A bowl of creamy sheer khurma with fine golden vermicelli, sliced dates, and slivered almonds and pistachios on top, dusted with saffron.

Hyderabad / North India (pan-Muslim South Asia) · Indian

Sheer Khurma (Eid Vermicelli and Date Pudding)

The dessert that defines Eid morning: fine vermicelli toasted in ghee and simmered in milk with dates, nuts, and cardamom into a fragrant, festive pudding. Rich, celebratory, and shared with every visitor.

EasySweetsBeginner-friendly

Charred scarlet-edged tandoori chicken legs on a platter with charred onion, lemon wedges and a bowl of green mint chutney, smoke rising.

Punjab / Delhi / North India · Indian

Tandoori Chicken

The smoky, scarlet-edged chicken that launched a thousand restaurant menus: yogurt-and-spice marinated, charred hard, and finished with butter and lemon. A home oven or grill stands in for the tandoor.

IntermediateMainsMake-ahead