What’s on your plate? Or What is India eating today? No celebration is complete without food, and most of the time food itself becomes a celebration. Before you sit and ponder on what to have for dinner/lunch this weekend, here is an eclectic collection of meals from all over India celebrating the very fact that food does, in fact, bring all of us together – and at the same time, highlights the uniqueness of each culture.
Let us start with the 8 states of North East India: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura – and then continue exploring some handpicked states from all 4 corners of India. Let us start!
TRIPURA: Rice meal with pigeon pea salad mixed with roasted green chili and fermented fish, boiled mustard leaves, chicken with pumpkin curry, boiled eggs, and papad. [Contributed by Hrishikesh Tripura, 22, Agartala Tripura, Student of Human Physiology]
Tripuri Meal | Contributed by Hrishikesh Tripura
NAGALAND: Rice meal with Pork and bamboo shoot, mixed boiled vegetables, mashed potato & dried fish curry/stew and fresh leafy & [Contributed by Kristi Kikon, Homemaker and Food blogger]
Typical Naga Meal | Contributed by Kristi Kikon
MEGHALAYA: Galda Gisi Do’o Pura – A chicken dish made with dried and powdered roselle leaves thickened with pounded rice (often had with rice) [Contributed by Nambie Marak from Rangsa village, West Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya]
Garo (tribe in Meghalaya) Chicken dish Galda Gisi Do’o Pura | Contributed by Nambie Marak
MEGHALAYA: Nakam Bitchi – Dried fish with loads of green chilies. Side dish/chutney common in a Garo meal [Contributed by Nambie Marak from Rangsa village, West Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya]
Garo (a tribe in Meghalaya) Nakam Bitchi – Dry Fish chutney stew | Contributed by Nambie Marak
MANIPUR: A Manipuri rice meal will commonly have (from Left, clockwise): Eromba chutney, Arhar dal/ Pigeon peas, Stir-fried romano beans, and potatoes, papad. [Contributed by Zoe, sous chef at a Japanese restaurant in Warsaw]
Manipuri meal items Contributed by Zoe
BODO ASSAM: Oma Jwng Mwitha (Pork with roselle leaves), an ethnic dish of Bodo tribes from Assam.[Contributed by Pari & Anjan, Guwahati Assam]
Oma Jwng Mwitha (Pork with roselle leaves), an ethnic dish of Bodo tribes from Assam.[Contributed by Pari & Anjan, Guwahati Assam]
ASSAM: A bowl of poita bhat with chopped onions, drops of mustard oil, green chilies and (from the bottom, clockwise) Fried black grams, stir-fried fiddlehead grams, mashed fire-grilled climbing perch fish or Kawoi Maas mashed, Roasted jackfruit seeds mashed with “khorisa ” or fermented bamboo shoot.[Contributed by Dr. Geeta Outta, Guwahati Assam]
Assamese meal thali contributed by Dr. Geeta Dutta
MIZORAM: A common meal consists of rice with (top L, clockwise) mixed vegetable stew, smoked pork flavored with roselle leaves, Chutney (Petai/yongchak, wild mushrooms and pigeon peas with fermented pork lard), One fried item (here it’s a mix of climbing wattle and black cardamom with chilies), boiled vegetables (glory bower, mezenga leaves and climbing wattle), One raw spice (here it’s fried dry birdseye chili). [Contributed by Zothanpuii, Social Investigator in Cancer Registry Dept, Aizawl]
Common Mizo meal items contributed by Zothanpuii
ARUNACHAL PRADESH: A popular local meal consists of Ogyie (saag and broken rice), erek adin with bamboo shoot (pork), bayam (mashed eggplant with onions). [Contributed by Marie Riba, criminal lawyer, Arunachal]
Arunachali meal contributed by Marie Riba
SIKKIM: Meals generally consist of rice, seaweed, local mushroom dish, churpi jhol (stew) and homemade lemon pickle [Contributed by Sonam Nangpa, Govt servant, Sikkim]
Sikimise meal contributed by Sonam Nangpa, Sikkim
WEST BENGAL: Gondhoraj Moti Pulao, Til & badam bata diye Chingri makha (sesame and cashew prawns in semi-dry gravy), cardamom curry pata chicken [Contributed by Arijit Dey, Fashion Designer, Kolkatta]
Mom’s special pulao with chicken | Bengali meal contributed by Arijit Dey
TAMIL NADU: (from bottom, clockwise) Medu Vadai, valakai podimas, Pudalangai poriyal( snake gourd stir fry), vendakai fry( Okra Fry), Buttermilk with onion, coriander ginger, Murungakai sambar(Drumstick sambar), Milagu Rasam(Pepper Rasam),semiya paal payasam(vermicelli kheer), appalam( papad), White Rice, Maavadu ( Mango pickle) [Contributed by Pavithra Dharmaraj, preschool teacher, Tamil Nadu]
A Tamil thali contributed by Pavithra Dharmaraj
GUJARAT: (Anti-clockwise from top) – Amrakand, Rasawala bateta nu shaak, fangevalu mag, Methi Kadhi, Bhaat, Chaas, Limbu, Achar, Patra, Sing Chutney, Bhoondi Laddoo, Puri, sing chutney [Contributed by Purvi Dave, Engineer & Food blogger]
Gujarati Thali contributed by Purvi Dave
PUNJAB: A Punjabi meal spread consisting of samosa, chole, paratha, raita, paneer masala, jeera rice and sweets.[Contributed by Purvi Dave, Engineer & Food blogger]
Punjabi meal spread contributed by Purvi Dave
ODISHA: Rice, daal, banana flower fry, badii, potato spinegourd fry [Contributed by Pragnya Priyadarshini]
Odisha meal contributed by Pragnya Priyadarshini
KERALA: Rice with fish Fry, Cabbage Thoran, Cheera Thoran, Chammanthi, Dried Bitter Gourd fry, Carrot Thoran, Olan, Angamali Mango Curry. [Contributed by Chinkie Joe, business consultant]
A Kerala meal contributed by Chinkie Joe
- These Hilarious Folks from North East India are Bringing Comedy to Social Media - November 12, 2020
- Learn How to Bake Garlic Cheese Star Bread from Our Taiwanese Friend Tzu-Han Hsu - October 18, 2020
- Diddicoy’s Forest Home in Manali : A Home for Everyone who Loves Apples, Dogs, Sunshine, Seasonal Snow and an Unforgettable Vacation - October 9, 2020