Cuisines

Indian Cuisine

Citation Formats

General Reference

Food and Drink Atlas. "Indian Cuisine." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://food.interactiveatlas.org/cuisines/indian-cuisine.

APA Style

Food and Drink Atlas. (n.d.). Indian Cuisine. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://food.interactiveatlas.org/cuisines/indian-cuisine

BibTeX

@misc{foodanddrinkatlas-indian-cuisine,
  author = {Food and Drink Atlas},
  title = {Indian Cuisine},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://food.interactiveatlas.org/cuisines/indian-cuisine},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

The cooking traditions of the Indian subcontinent, unified by the layered use of spices toasted and ground into masalas but sharply regional in ingredients and technique. North Indian cooking, shaped by Mughal-era court kitchens, favors wheat breads, dairy and slow-cooked meats; South Indian cooking, centered on Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, favors rice, lentils, coconut and souring agents like tamarind. Religious dietary practice, most extensively vegetarian in the south, belongs to Divinity's own coverage; this atlas holds the foodways.

Facts

Signature Technique

Tempering whole spices in hot oil or ghee (tadka), slow simmering of gravies, and clay tandoor roasting are hallmark techniques. 1

Origin Region

The Indian subcontinent, with distinct northern and southern regional traditions. 2

Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

South African Cuisine

Durban holds one of the largest Indian communities outside India, the product of indentured laborers brought by British colonizers from 1860 to work sugar plantations, whose descendants built a distinct South African Indian curry tradition including bunny chow.

Source Where to Eat Bunny Chow in Durban, the City's Beloved Curry in a Loaf Dish (National Geographic)Erica Platter