Best Indian Dishes to Try At Least Once in a Lifetime

India is known as the Land of Spices with more than 40 types of seasonings and flavorings. Its spices and dishes vary from state to state and from village to village. Being such a large country, India is not only diverse in culture but also in food. When it comes to Indian cuisine, it has so many varieties that you will never get bored of it. However, it’s not possible to try every popular Indian dish at once. Therefore, here’s a curated list of the best Indian dishes that you must try on your trip to India. 

List of 5 Popular Indian Dishes That You Can Not Skip Eating

Biryani

Biryani is indeed a love for Indians and is one of the most delicious Indian dishes. It is a classic recipe brought from Persia to India.

Biryani is made with meat or vegetables so that non-vegetarians and vegetarians both can enjoy this finger-licking dish. 

Flavored rice cooked slowly with goat/ lamb/ chicken meat, vegetable, lemon, yogurt, onions, and saffron made you fall in love with it. Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom enhance its delicate flavor and make it heavenly good.

Best Places to Eat Biryani

• Idris Ki Biryani, Lucknow
• Wahid’s Biryani, Lucknow
• Oudh 1590, Kolkata
• Sukkubhai Biriyani, Chennai
• Al-Jawahar, Delhi
• The Spicy Venue, Hyderabad
• Paradise, Hyderabad 

Also Read: Traditional Indian Dishes

Butter Chicken

Butter chicken is one of the best Indian dishes for beginners, famous worldwide. It’s a mouth-watering curry made with marinated chicken, spiced tomato puree, and milk cream. This curry gets its bright red color by cooking tomatoes, garlic, onion, chilies, and other flavors in slow flame. The juicy chicken goes well with rice and chapati (Indian bread). 

If you are tasting an Indian dish for the first time, butter chicken is your go-to curry. It is lightly spiced and easy on heat which makes it a perfect blend of Indian spices and herbs and a must-try Indian dish. 

Best Places to Eat Butter Chicken

• The Moti Mahal Restaurant, New Delhi
• Aslam Chicken, Delhi
• Sakhi’s Watz Kukin, Amritsar
• Hakeem’s Restaurant, Bhopal
• Prem’s, Pune
• Baba Chicken, Ludhiana
• Anarkali Butter Chicken, Hyderabad

Pani Puri/ Gol Gappe/ Puchka 

If you would ask any Indian what he/she would like to eat before dying, they would say Gol Gappe. It is one of the most delicious Indian dishes, basically the king of Indian street food. 

It’s named differently in different states of India like Pani Puri in Maharashtra, Gol Gappa in Delhi & Punjab, Puchka in Kolkata, and Pani Ke Batashe in Madhya Pradesh. Every part of the country offers its own version of this famous street food. 

In the North, these small crisp fried round bread has potato fillings with mint, tamarind, and spices flavored with chilled water. However, in the south, these fried bread are served with mashed boiling hot peas and spicy flavored water.

Although the name and flavor may vary in the different regions of India, the feel and soul of this food are always the same. 

Best Places to Eat Pani Puri/ Gol Gappa

• Elco Market, Mumbai
• Sindhi Pani Puri House, Mumbai
• Padam Chaat Corner, Old Delhi
• Chote Lal Chaat Bhandar, Delhi
• Dilip Da’s Phuchkas, Kolkata
• Pani Puri Stalls, Marina Beach, Chennai
• King of Chaat, Lucknow
• Gokul Chaat, Hyderabad 

Dosa

Dosas are the soul of south India. Also known as Indian crepe, Dosa is one of the best Indian dishes to try if you like light and tasty meals. It is a thin pancake made with soaked-rice batter, filled with mashed potato, and served with sambar and coconut chutney. This dish is a daily breakfast for most south Indian people. Although it is available in every part of the country, the authentic taste is available in the southern states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka & Tamil Nadu.

Different Types of Dosas:

• Plain Dosa
• Masala Dosa
• Rava Dosa
• Pav Bhaji Dosa
• Schezwan Dosa
• Cheese Dosa
• Chocolate Dosa

And more!

Best Places to Eat Dosa

• Anna Ka Dosa, Delhi
• Lakshmi Coffee House, Noida
• Sankalp Reddy Restaurant, Bangalore
• House of Dosas, Hyderabad
• Udipi, Hyderabad
• Café Madras, Mumbai 

Also Read: Dhabas in India

Jalebi

After all the savory dishes, it’s necessary to add at least one sweet dish for all the sweet-tooth people.

If you want to fill your heart and soul with a desi mithai (an Indian sweet dish), Jalebi is all you need. Deep fried wheat flour batter soaked in sugar syrup makes you feel ‘ummmm’ while serving hot with curd or rabri (condensed milk). This Indian sweet dish is not eaten as dessert but also as breakfast in some parts of the country.

Best Places to Eat Jalebi

• The Ram Bhandar, Varanasi
• Kali Charan Gupta Jalebi Wale, Delhi
• Old Famous Jalebi Wala, Delhi
• Tewari Confectioners, Kolkata
• Gurdas Ram Jalebi Wale, Amritsar

After eating the famous street food of India, delicious Indian curries, and last but not least popular Indian sweets, it’s recommended to refresh your mouth with Pan.

Pan, a mouth freshener made with betel leaf, nuts, and some sweetener is a must-try.

If you want to taste the best Indian dishes and don’t want to miss out on this heavenly experience, book your ticket to India now! For cheap international flight tickets, visit Indian Eagle and get exclusive offers on flight bookings.