North Indian cuisine:
Bihari cuisine
Bihari cuisine (Hindi: बिहारी खाना, Urdu: بِہاری کھانا) is eaten mainly in Bihar, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago as these are they places where Bihari people are present. Bihari cuisine is predominantly vegetarian because traditional Bihar society influenced by Buddhist and Hindu values of non-violence did not eat eggs, chicken, fish and other animal products. However there is also a tradition of meat-eating and fish dishes are especially common due to the number of rivers in Bihar such as the Sone, Gandak and the Ganges. There are also numerous Bihari meat dishes with chicken and mutton being the most common.
Dairy products are consumed frequently throughout the year, with common foods including yoghurt known as dahi and also buttermilk known as mattha, ghee, lassi and butter. The cuisine of Bihar is similar to a great extent to North Indian cuisine but has an influence from other East Indian Cuisine (for example like Bengali cuisine, Mustard oil is used in cooking). It is highly seasonal, with watery foods such as watermelon and Sherbet made of pulp of the wood-apple fruit being consumed mainly in the summer months and dry foods, preparations made of sesame seeds,poppy seeds in the winter months.
Punjabi cuisine
Punjabi cuisine (Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਪਕਵਾਨ, Urdu: پنجابی پکوان punjabi pakawan) is food from the Punjab region of northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. It can be non-vegetarian or completely vegetarian. One of the main features of Punjabi cuisine is its diverse range of dishes. Home cooked and restaurant Punjabi cuisine can vary significantly, with restaurant style using large amounts of ghee, clarified butter, with liberal amounts of butter and cream with home cooking concentrating on mainly upon preparations with Whole Wheat, rice and other ingredients flavored with masala. Roh Di Kheer, is cooked using rice. Rice is cooked for a long time in sugar cane juice.Within the area itself, there are different preferences. People in the area of Amritsar prefer stuffed parathas and milk products. In fact, the area is well known for quality of its milk products. There are certain dishes which are exclusive to Punjab, such as Mah Di Dal and Saron Da Saag. The food is tailor-made for the Punjabi lifestyle in which most of the rural folk burn up a lot of calories while working in the fields. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic and ginger. Tandoori food is a Punjabi speciality especially for non-vegetarian dishes. Many of the most popular elements of Anglo-Indian cuisine - such as Tandoor, Naan, Pakoras and vegetable dishes with paneer - derive from the Punjab
Mughlai cuisine
The tastes of Mughlai cuisine vary from extremely mild to spicy, and is often associated with a distinctive aroma and the taste of ground and whole spices. A Mughlai course is an elaborate buffet of main course dishes with a variety of accompaniments.
The origins of Chicken Tikka Masala are debated, but the flavors of the dish follow in the tradition of Mughlai cuisine.
Cuisine of Kashmir
Kashmiri cuisine (Kashmiri: کشور خیون; Kashur khyon, Hindi: कश्मीरी खाना, Urdu: کشمیری کھانا Kashmiri khaana) has evolved over hundreds of years. The first major influence was the food of the Kashmiri Pandits, the Hindus of the valley. The cuisine was then influenced by the cultures which arrived with the invasion of Kashmir by the Timur from the region of modern Uzbekistan. Subsequently, Kashmir and its food has been strongly influenced by the cuisines of Central Asia, Persia, Middle East and Afghanistan.
The most notable ingredient in Kashmir cuisine is mutton, of which there are over 30 varieties. Also to be noted are Balti curries, popular in the United Kingdom for their exotic tastes, that have spread from the Baltistan region of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Awadhi cuisine
Awadhi Cuisine (Hindi: अवधी खाना, Urdu: اودھی کھانا) is from the city of Lucknow which is the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh located in Central-South Asia and Northern India, and the cooking patterns of the city are similar to those of Central Asia, the Middle East, and Northern India as well. The cuisine consists of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Awadh has been greatly influenced by Mughal cooking techniques, and the cuisine of Lucknow bears similarities to those of Kashmir, Punjab and Hyderabad; and the city is famous for its Nawabi foods.The bawarchis and rakabdars of Awadh gave birth to the dum style of cooking or the art of cooking over a slow fire, which has become synonymous with Lucknow today. Their spread would consist of elaborate dishes like kebabs, kormas, biryani, kaliya, nahari-kulchas, zarda, sheermal, roomali rotis and warqi parathas. The richness of Awadh cuisine lies not only in the variety of cuisine but also in the ingredients used like mutton, paneer, and rich spices including cardamom and saffron.
Kumauni cuisine
Kumauni cuisine is the food of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India.Kumaoni food is very simple but very nutritious completely suits the hard environment of the Himalayas.Pulses like gehet are fashioned into different preparations like ras-bhaat, chains, faanda and thatwaani all are unique preparations from the same pulse. Jholi or curry seasoned with curd. Chudkani and jola made from bhatt pulses. Cereals like mandua with rice and wheat are popular.
Meat is also prepared but the recipe is quite similar to the way it is prepared in most of North India
Rajasthani cuisine
Rajasthani cooking was influenced by both the war-like lifestyles of its inhabitants and the availability of ingredients in this arid region. Food that could last for several days and could be eaten without heating was preferred. Scarcity of water and fresh green vegetables have all had their effect on the cooking.Rajasthan is known for tough people and tough food. It is also known for its snacks like Bikaneri Bhujia, Mirchi Bada and Pyaaj Kachori.Other famous dishes include Bajre ki roti (millet bread) and Lashun ki chutney (hot garlic paste), Mawa Kachori from jodhpur, Alwar ka mawa, Malpauas from pushkar and Rassgollas from Bikaner.
Cuisine of Uttar Pradesh
Cuisine of Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: उत्तर प्रदेश का खाना, Urdu: اتر پردیش کا کھانا) is from the state of Uttar Pradesh located in Central-South Asia and Northern India), and the cooking patterns of the state are similar to those of Central Asia, the Middle East, Pakistan and the rest of Northern India. The cuisine consists of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Uttar Pradesh has been greatly influenced by Mughal cooking techniques. The Awadhi cuisine of Uttar Pradesh bears similarities to those of Kashmir and Punjab, and the state is famous for its Nawabi foods(of Lucknow and environs) and use of mutton, paneer, and rich spices including cardamom and saffron. Its most famous dishes include kebabs, Dum Biryani, and various Mutton recipes. The samosa and pakora, among the most popular snacks in all of India, are also originally from Uttar Pradesh. Awadhi is a type of West-Central Uttar Pradeshi cuisine found in the state's Awadh Region. Mughlai cuisine is also integral to Western and Central Uttar Pradesh's cuisine.
