Rava Kesari is a quick South Indian sweet made by cooking roasted semolina in sugar syrup until glossy and fragrant with cardamom and saffron. Ready in under 30 minutes, it's a popular festive treat and a common temple prasadam across South India.
Rava Kesari at a Glance CuisineSouth Indian CountryIndia MealDessert CourseDessert / Festival Sweet Food TypeVegetarian DifficultyEasy Preparation5 minutes Cooking20 minutes Total timeAbout 25 minutes Servings4 Suggested serving1/2 cup Rava Kesari Ingredients 1 cup rava (semolina); 1 cup sugar; 2.5 cups water; 1/4 cup ghee; a few saffron strands or a pinch of orange food colour (optional); 1/2 tsp cardamom powder; 2 tbsp cashews and raisins. How to Make Rava Kesari Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan; fry cashews and raisins until golden, then set aside. In the same pan, add rava and roast on low-medium heat, stirring continuously, until lightly golden and aromatic. In a separate pot, bring water to a boil with saffron or fo…Dalma
Dalma is Odisha's everyday comfort dish — toor dal slow-cooked with a mix of vegetables like raw banana and pumpkin, finished with a fragrant panch phoron tempering. Simple, wholesome and vegetable-forward, it's a lentil dish unlike any other regional dal.
Dalma at a Glance CuisineOdia CountryIndia MealLunch CourseMain Food TypeVegan DifficultyEasy Preparation15 minutes Cooking30 minutes Total timeAbout 45 minutes Servings4 Suggested serving1.5 cups Dalma Ingredients 1 cup toor dal; 2 cups mixed vegetables (raw banana, pumpkin, eggplant, carrot); 1/4 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp cumin seeds; a pinch of hing; 1-2 dried red chillies; 1 tsp panch phoron; a small piece of ginger, grated; salt to taste; 2 tbsp ghee or oil; coriander leaves to garnish. How to Make Dalma Pressure-cook toor dal with turmeric, mixed vegetables and salt until both the dal and vegetables are fully soft, about 15-18 minutes. Lightly mash the mixture with a ladle, keeping some texture from t…Masor Tenga
Masor Tenga is a light, tangy Assamese fish curry, soured with tomato, green mango or elephant apple rather than heavy spices. This refreshingly simple curry reflects the Northeast's preference for lighter, less oil-heavy cooking styles.
Masor Tenga at a Glance CuisineAssamese CountryIndia MealLunch CourseMain / Curry Food TypeNon-Vegetarian DifficultyEasy Preparation15 minutes Cooking20 minutes Total timeAbout 35 minutes Servings4 Suggested serving2 fish pieces with gravy Masor Tenga Ingredients 500g fish (rohu or similar), cut into pieces; 1/4 tsp turmeric (for marinating fish); 2 tomatoes, chopped; 1 small green mango or a handful of dried elephant apple, for sourness; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 2 green chillies, slit; a few fenugreek seeds; salt to taste; mustard oil; coriander leaves to garnish. How to Make Masor Tenga Marinate the fish pieces with turmeric and salt; let sit for 10 minutes. Heat mustard oil in a pan until it just begins to smoke, then lightly…Kashmiri Dum Aloo
Papdi Chaat
Papdi Chaat is a popular North Indian street snack made by topping crisp flat wafers with chickpeas, potato, curd and tangy chutneys. Layered with textures and flavours, it's a favourite party appetizer and evening treat.
Papdi Chaat at a Glance CuisineNorth Indian CountryIndia MealSnack CourseSnack / Street Food Food TypeVegetarian DifficultyEasy Preparation20 minutes Cooking0 minutes Total timeAbout 20 minutes Servings4 Suggested serving1 plate Papdi Chaat Ingredients 20-24 papdi (flat crisp wafers); 1 cup boiled chickpeas; 1 boiled potato, chopped; 1/2 cup curd, whisked; 3 tbsp tamarind chutney; 2 tbsp green mint-coriander chutney; 1/2 tsp chaat masala; 1/4 tsp red chilli powder; 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder; 1/4 cup sev; 2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped; salt to taste. How to Make Papdi Chaat Arrange the papdi on a serving plate. Top with boiled chickpeas and chopped potato. Drizzle whisked curd generously over the top. Add tamarind chutney and green chu…Chana Madra
Chana Madra is a mellow, curd-based chickpea curry from Himachal Pradesh, gently spiced with whole spices rather than heavy chilli. A staple of the traditional Himachali feast called dham, it showcases the region's distinctive, comforting cooking style.
Chana Madra at a Glance CuisineHimachali CountryIndia MealLunch CourseMain / Curry Food TypeVegetarian DifficultyMedium Preparation15 minutes Cooking30 minutes Total timeAbout 8.5 hours Servings4 Suggested serving1 cup Chana Madra Ingredients 1.5 cups chickpeas, soaked overnight; 2 cups curd, whisked smooth; 2 tbsp ghee; 1 bay leaf; 2-3 cloves; 1 small cinnamon stick; 1/2 tsp turmeric; 1/2 tsp red chilli powder; 1/2 tsp garam masala; a pinch of hing; salt to taste; a handful of raisins (optional). How to Make Chana Madra Pressure-cook the soaked chickpeas with salt and enough water until fully soft. Heat ghee in a pan; add bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon, let them sizzle briefly. Add hing and turmeric; stir qui…Thattai
Thattai is a crisp, savoury Tamil Nadu rice cracker made from rice flour, roasted chana dal and peanuts, deep-fried into thin, flat discs. A festival staple, especially for Krishna Jayanthi and Diwali, it also keeps well for weeks as an everyday snack.
Thattai at a Glance CuisineSouth Indian CountryIndia MealSnack CourseSnack / Festival Snack Food TypeVegan DifficultyMedium Preparation20 minutes Cooking25 minutes Total timeAbout 45 minutes Servings6 Suggested serving4-5 pieces Thattai Ingredients 2 cups rice flour; 1/4 cup roasted chana dal; 2 tbsp peanuts, roughly crushed; 1 tsp white sesame seeds; 1/4 tsp hing; 1/2 tsp red chilli powder; 2 tbsp butter or oil; salt to taste; water as needed; oil for deep frying. How to Make Thattai Mix rice flour with roasted chana dal, crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, hing, red chilli powder, butter and salt. Add water gradually and knead into a smooth, firm dough. Take small portions of dough and flatten between your palms or on…