Moving to India isn’t just about adjusting to a new culture, it’s about embracing a new world of food. Indian cuisine, like the country itself, is vast with each region offering its own unique flavours, cooking styles and dishes. With the vibrant spices bringing everything together, Indian cuisine is known for having bold, aromatic profiles unlike anywhere else in the world.
From hearty dals to rice biryanis, the food landscape in India is both exciting and comforting. Whether you’re dining in a big, bustling city or a quiet village, you’ll find something to awaken your tastebuds.
Food in India: Common Dishes and Food Staples
Once you’ve organised your removals to India and you’ve decided on where to live, you can start looking forward to all of the exciting dishes, snacks and food staples the region has to offer.
Curries and Dals
At the heart of most Indian meals are dals, which are lentil stews cooked with spices, herbs and sometimes vegetables. Alongside these, curries form the base for vegetable or meat dishes. They work together to create the warm, savoury base for many of India’s everyday meals.
Flatbreads
You’ll always find flatbreads on an Indian table. Naan is beloved for its pillowy texture. Roti, a simple wholewheat bread, and paratha – which is layered and sometimes stuffed – are both in households and restaurants. They are perfect for scooping up curries and dals.
Rice
Rice plays a starring role in Indian cuisine, especially in southern states. While it may appear as plain steamed rice alongside curries, it also shines in dishes like biryani – which is a layered rice dish infused with saffron, spices and marinated meat or vegetable – and each region has its own spin.
Vegetable Dishes
You don’t need to worry about moving to India as a vegetarian. You’ll feel right at home in India, with classic dishes including aloo gobi, a spiced mix of potatoes and cauliflower and paneer-based recipes readily available. With a large portion of the population following vegetarian diets, vegetable dishes are creative and satisfying, and you’ll have a lot of choice.
Snacks and Street Food
With India’s warm and humid climate, you might find yourself preferring a small snack, rather than a big, hearty meal. Street food is a cultural institution in India and popular snacks include samosas, pakoras and chaat, giving a broad selection of tangy, spicy and crunchy snacks to choose from. A must try is pani puri, hollow crisp shells filled with spiced water and chutneys.
Sweets
Indian desserts are indulgent, diverse and hugely popular. Gulab jamun, fried milk solids soaked in syrup, is a classic treat and ras malai showcases the country’s love of dairy-based sweets. Festivals and celebrations always include an array of sweets, making dessert a key part of Indian food culture.
Beverages
To wash it all down, lassi is a favourite amongst locals. A yogurt-based drink that can be sweet, salty or flavoured with fruit like mango, you’ll often find lassi on the menu. Chai, spiced tea with milk, is another staple, often shared multiple times throughout the day.
Regional Food Variations Across India
With a country as large as India, it’ll come as no surprise that the food varies from one region to the next.
North India
North Indian cuisine heavily includes dairy, including milk, yogurt, paneer and ghee. It’s also an area that’s big into tandoor-cooked breads and meats, with dishes like butter chicken, dal makhani and chole bhature standing out. Flavours are often rich, creamy and mildly spiced.
South India
Things are slightly different in South India, which thrives on rice and lentils. Dosas, idlis and sambar dominate breakfast tables, whilst coconut, tamarind and curry leaves frequently add depth to the food, which tends to be lighter but spicier.
West India
Western states, such as Gujarat, are known for vegetarian specialties. Dhokla, a fluffy and fermented rice and chickpea flour snack, is extremely popular. Maharashtrian cuisine, on the other hand, offers dishes ranging from the spicy misal pav to coastal seafood curries.
East India
The East of India has a sweet tooth, with Bengal being especially famous for desserts like rasgulla and sandesh. Street foods such as puchka, a regional version of pani puri, are equally popular, offering tangy and spicy bursts of flavour.
India’s Key Ingredients and Flavours
Regardless of when you decide to move abroad, India will always have key ingredients and flavours waiting for you.
Spices
As you might expect, no discussion of Indian food is complete without spices. From the heat of chili peppers to the punch of cumin, spices and seasonings transform simple ingredients into unforgettable Indian dishes.
Spice Blends
While single spices shine on their own, blends take flavour to another level. The most famous is garam masala, a mix that tends to include cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and more. Every household and region has its own version, ensuring endless variety even within one name.
Starches
Carbohydrates are a big part of Indian meals, with rice and wheat leading the way. Basmati rice often accompanies curries, while atta flour forms the base for rotis, chapatis and other flatbreads.
Lentils
Lentils are another cornerstone of Indian cuisine, offering protein and variety. Whether it’s the richness of dal makhani or the spiced comfort of dal tadka, lentils are cooked in countless ways across the country, ensuring they never feel repetitive.
Dairy
Dairy plays a big part in Indian cuisine. Yogurt not only cools the palate, but also doubles as a marinade and cooking ingredient. Paneer, an Indian cheese, appears in beloved dishes like paneer butter masala, while ghee adds richness and depth to many meals.
Cooking Oils
Even the choice of oil reflects regional identity. Peanut oil is common in the northern and western states, while coconut oil dominates in southern coastal cooking. Mustard oil is a signature in eastern India.
India’s Typical Meal Structure
Regardless of where you move to in India, you’ll quickly notice that there’s a similar meal structure across the board. Indian meals are designed to be balanced, flavourful and satisfying.
You’ll almost always find a starch, either rice or flatbread, serving as the foundation of the meal. Alongside this comes a dal, which provides both protein and comfort.
To complement these, there’s usually at least one vegetable curry or dry dish, and in many households, a meat, chicken or fish curry may also be part of the spread. No meal in India feels complete without accompaniments, and there’s a lot. Pickles add a tangy, spicy kick, while chutneys bring bursts of freshness. Yogurt or raita is often served too, acting as a cooling balance against the spices.
Family-Style Eating in India
Meals are generally eaten family-style in India, with everyone sharing from the same dishes, rather than having individual portions. This communal way of dining reflects the social focus of India, where food isn’t just about nourishment, it’s about connecting with loved ones.
Preparing for Your Move to India
The variety of Indian food might feel overwhelming at first, but you’ll soon be savouring it like a local before you know it. Once you’ve unpacked and started exploring your new surroundings, food quickly becomes one of the most exciting parts of life in a new country.
To make the transition even smoother, relocate with the help of an international removals company. Having your kitchenware and favourite cooking tools shipped with you means you can start experimenting at home right away, and the United International Removals team is on hand to help. Get in touch to find out more.