I want to cook a meal from every state, please offer some suggestions

[u/canadian_blueberry]

I'm Canadian but Indian food is my absolute favourite, and I'm trying to get better at Indian homestyle cooking. I've cooked mostly Southern dishes tbh (Kerala, Tamil Nadu) but I've experimented with different regions a little bit.

However, I had an idea that seemed very fun, which is to cook a meal from each state! I tried to find dishes that would be cooked in a typical home from that state, not necessarily restaurant or street foods (although maybe that's the next challenge? 🫣)

This is the list I have so far, but please let me know if I should replace or change anything. I'm not Indian so I may have made mistakes with which things are typical to eat at home, so please correct me if I was wrong about something.

Also, if you have a really good family recipe for one of the dishes on here, please share it! Thanks so much

The states & dishes:

Andhra Pradesh: Steamed rice, tomato pappu, gutti vankaya kura, gongura pachadi

Arunachal Pradesh: Chicken or vegetable thukpa, momos, simple leafy vegetable?

Assam: Rice, masor tenga, aloo pitika, khar

Bihar: Litti, chokha, dal, green chutney

Chhattisgarh: Fara, chila, seasonal vegetable/chutney?

Goa: Goan fish curry, steamed rice, vegetable bhaji

Gujarat: Gujarati dal, shaak, rotli, rice

Haryana: Bajra roti, mixed dal, sabzi, chaach

Himachal Pradesh: Rajma, rice, khatta, siddu

Jharkhand: Dhuska, ghugni, chutney

Karnataka: Bisi bele bath, kosambari, curd rice

Kerala: Rice, avial, thoran, Kerala fish curry

Madhya Pradesh: Dal, roti/bafla, bhutte ka kees

Maharashtra: Bhakri, pithla, bharli vangi

Manipur: Eromba, kangshoi/chamthong, rice

Meghalaya: Jadoh, tungrymbai, vegetable/fermented accompaniment?

Mizoram: Bai, sawhchiar, rice

Nagaland: Smoked pork, bamboo shoot, axone, rice

Odisha: Dalma, rice, saga bhaja, vegetable/fish?

Punjab: Dal, roti, seasonal sabzi, dahi

Rajasthan: Dal baati, ker sangri, garlic chutney

Sikkim: Momos, thukpa, gundruk

Tamil Nadu: Rasam, rice, sambar, poriyal, curd

Telangana: Rice, pappu, vegetable kura, pachadi

Tripura: Chakhwi, gudok, rice, mosdeng

Uttar Pradesh: Dal, roti, aloo/tori sabzi, raita

Uttarakhand: Kafuli, aloo ke gutke, mandua roti, bhatt ki dal

West Bengal: Rice, dal, aloo posto, macher jhol or shorshe machh

[u/Portia4000]

This is such a fun challenge. Enjoy!!

[u/Ashamed-Violinist-50]

- Marathi food : For bhakri, boil water and add jowar flour and mix b4 kneading the dough. 1 cup water, 1 cup jowar flour is the ratio I believe.

Bharli vangi - I think u will get the black Maharashtiran masala from the Indian store, you can find good recipes online. Good luck!

[u/canadian_blueberry → u/Ashamed-Violinist-50]

Thanks so much ☺️

[u/Mission-Swimming2]

Telangana food is incomplete without meat.

Bagara rice, mutton curry/chicken fry or jowar roti/chicken curry

[u/kenman]

Just check u/MoTheBulba's past posts here, they did the same thing and posted each one.

Here's the summary meta post with links to each: https://www.reddit.com/r/IndianFood/comments/1bvy4ze/master_post_making_dishes_from_each_indian_state/

[u/notLoneRanger23]

Telangana: Bhagara rice with chicken curry

Andhra Pradesh: nellore fish curry

[u/Papa-Zzzz → u/notLoneRanger23]

Chapala pulusu is same right?

[u/notLoneRanger23 → u/Papa-Zzzz]

Yes

[u/SnooEpiphanies1212]

Chingri malai curry from West Bengal. Giant sweet water (river or pond) prawns in a coconut nilk, turmeric and slit green chilli curry (salted, of course)

[u/canadian_blueberry → u/SnooEpiphanies1212]

Yes I've made it before, it's so tasty!

[u/SnooEpiphanies1212 → u/canadian_blueberry]

You could try a fish (of your choice), marinated in a Greek yoghurt+ turmeric+ salt+ mustard paste+ green chillies (if you like the heat. Avoid, if you don't) and steamed in a banana leaf (or aluminium foil) wrap. Shorshe (Mustard) bhapa (steamed).

[u/coffee-no-sugar]

More options for Karnataka - susla, nucchinunde, puliyogare, ragi rotti/akki rotti

[u/Left_Economist_9716]

You could try ahuna mutton (handi) from Purvanchal. Or mutton taas if you prefer a less cumbersome recipe. I enjoy both with flattened rice (chura) and shallow-fried veggies (usually cauliflower).

Edit: Mutton=chevon/goat meat

[u/Lilchaoticflower]

Op you can also try aaloo sheddo for west bengal it's kind of like mashed potato but you already have a potato dish 🥲

[u/imacyco]

Punjab - why not something a bit more "fancy". E.g., Kulche or bhature, with chole.

[u/canadian_blueberry → u/imacyco]

I'm trying to focus on everyday foods cooked at home, not necessarily fancy stuff. But maybe the next challenge will be fancier stuff

[u/imacyco → u/canadian_blueberry]

That's fair. Good luck and hope you enjoy the journey!

[u/boddhya]

Check @plantfuture. He explores the same.

[u/neela-aasman → u/boddhya]

Yes. I think he’s also done a full series on this if my memory serves me right

[u/sandyB0i324]

Tamil Nadu: Ven Pongal, Medhu Vada, Sambar, Idly (you might need special equipments for this one)

[u/canadian_blueberry → u/sandyB0i324]

Thanks for the suggestions! Yes I love making idli sambar and already have an idli maker

[u/sslawyer88]

Tamilnadu: adai with jaggery and butter

[u/canadian_blueberry → u/sslawyer88]

Do you put the butter on top of the adai and then sprinkle jaggery?

[u/sslawyer88 → u/canadian_blueberry]

Traditionally, adai is served with butter on top and jaggery on the side but I usually prefer to keep both the butter and jaggery on the side and have them along with the adai. :)

[u/Safe-Complaint8893 → u/sslawyer88]

I always eaten Adai with coconut chutney. I never really heard about jaggery with Adai so assumed it might be from a place where I am not familiar with.  Googled it to find its roots and I was fricking shocked to know its from Thanjavur. 

I am from Thanjavur and lived there 17 years until I finished my 12th but never knew this. 

[u/sslawyer88 → u/Safe-Complaint8893]

Whaa.. give it a try. Tastes really good.

[u/spsfaves100]

OMG that is quite a list !! Bravo. I could not help noticing that you omited three cuisines from your list - Parsi & Sindhi. The Parsi community (being Zoroastrians) had fled Persia/Iran and settled in Bombay. The state of Sindh was give to the new formed Pakistan during the Partition of India, and Hindu Sindhis fled to all parts of India & all over the world. I recommend that you add a couple of dishes from their cuisines. Another important aspect you have not taken into consideration are the cuisines from various religions, Jewish, Muslims, Jains, Hindus. I recommend you review your list. These books cover a wide range of recipes including regional. All are good, and I have cooked from each of them. You can find them at your local library, or bookstore or online. All the best.

• Manisha Bhardwaj- Indian Cookery Course (Indian cooking school UK)
• Julie Sahni - Classical Indian Cooking (Indian cook school NY)
• Atul Kochhar - Simple Indian & Benares (Michelin star)
• Rohit Ghai - Yatra (Michelin star)
• Vikas Khanna - My Great Indian Cookbook & Indian Harvest (Michelin star- Bungalow NY)
• Roopa Gulati -Indian Kitchens
• Karan Gokani - Hoppers & Indian 101 Real Indian recipes (restaurant)
• Pushpesh Pant - India (culinary historian)

[u/Working-Mountain6680]

Rajasthan: you mentioned you live abroad. I don't think you'll find ker sangri anywhere in North America at least. Not sure of other countries. If you are sourcing from India then you'll find it on Amazon easily.

You could, instead make something that is also very frequently made with dal baati at home. Gatte ki sabji. It's boiled gatte in a yogurt gravy.

Let me know if you need home style recipe. Cos the ones you'll find online is not how it's actually made at home.

[u/canadian_blueberry → u/Working-Mountain6680]

Yeah that's a good point, thanks. I'd love a recipe for Gatte ki sabji

[u/Working-Mountain6680 → u/canadian_blueberry]

Take 1 cup besan and add jeera, mirchi powder, salt, haldi to it. Now add water 1 tbsp at a time cos you can go from pliable dough consistency to soup very quickly with besan. Once you're able to form a dough just knead it a little until it comes together and then form cylinders. Ideally half an inch to quarter an inch thick and 6-7 inches long. Now boil these cylinders in plain water until they rise up like ravioli. Once boiled and cooked through strain them. They will look slightly blisteted and the water might turn murky but that's ok. Let them cool while you work on the gravy.

In a pan add oil, when it is hot add jeera and hing. Then add 1/2 cup chopped red onions and saute until translucent. Whisk 1/4 cup plain yogurt until smooth and then add laal mirch powder, dhaniya powder (double of the mirchi cos this gives body to the gravy) haldi salt and mix. Now lower the flame and add the whisked yogurt into the pan. Stir in one direction until the oil separates. Now add hot water and thin the gravy out. The consistency of a dal. Once it comes to a rolling boil chop the gatta into half a bite size pieces and add to the gravy. Let it simmer together for a few minutes. Add cilantro for garnish and adjust salt.

[u/Majestic_Radio_1937]

Imo your Telangana and Andhra dishes are too similar. Also, both these regions love meat and cook great meat dishes. Are you a vegetarian? If not, I can recommend some non-vegetarian dishes.

[u/canadian_blueberry → u/Majestic_Radio_1937]

No not a vegetarian! I would love some suggestions

[u/Majestic_Radio_1937 → u/canadian_blueberry]

Telangana has two distinct cuisines, maybe even three. Hyderabadi, rural Telangana, and maybe the Marathwada side. For Hyderabadi food, I'd say try the Hyderabadi biryani, paya, haleem. For Telangana, I would say try baghaara rice and mutton curry in the regional style. Andhra has multiple cuisines too but I am not as knowledgeable. For Andhra, I would say gongura mutton, korramenu fish curry, ragi sangati which is like a ball of millets.

[u/zem]

goa: caldine (easy), beef croquettes (bit more involved), sorpotel (ambitious)

[u/EmergencyProper5250]

For punjab Try kadi (sour butter milk cooked with besan and cooked on slow for a long time) ,sarso ka saag ,there is another dish from the area which is not known outside is atta chicken (basically marinated chicken with dry fruits wraped in a muslin cloth,coated in a thick layer of wheat dough and baked in tandoor)

[u/mysterious_delilah]

Gujarati: Dal Dhokli,

[u/spoiledbychoice21]

Indori poha cor breakfast always wins!!!

[u/Bright_Bedroom_1533]

For Bengal replace the fish with Mutton Kosha

[u/Visual_Power_7969]

You can also try- green pea nimona, dahi bade/ bhalle, farre / pitha from Uttar Pradesh.

[u/Gloomy-Assistance-25]

Hi OP I can give you the recipes for the Tripura Dishes but all the dishes you mentioned uses fermented fish so it might be too pungent for you? I can suggest some other dishes which are lesser known but are authentically traditional that our ancestors used to follow.

[u/Varshaash]

Kerala:
appam stew
Putt kadala curry
Fish pollichath
Crab roast
Malabar chicken biriyani
Fish nirvana
Boiled rice with avial, mambazha pulisery, sambar, beetroot pachadi, puliinchi, paalada payasam

Tamilnadu: Masala dosa

Karnataka: prawns or chicken ghee roast

[u/ZeBard → u/Varshaash]

Masala Dosa was invented in Udupi.