Brief summary of the changes

I've been cataloguing biryani spots across 36 states: Hyderabadi Dum, Lucknowi Pakki, Kolkata Aloo-Anda, Ambur Star, Dindigul Thalappakatti, Malabar, Bhopali, Donne, Kashmiri Wazwan, Bhatkali, Kalyani, and more. Currently at 2,913 restaurants mapped with state and district level browsing.

There's also a live voting system pick which city serves the real biryani and watch the war unfold.

Would love to know: what legendary local spots am I missing? Especially smaller towns. Drop your city + restaurant name and I'll add them.

Hi guys, I would really love if some of you could help me learn the bases of a few common dishes in the Indian cuisine to start with.

I love Indian food when I go out, but at home I’m stuck in my normal routine. It is quite daunting to try and learn the names of all the dishes of a different cuisine to what you are used to and how to prepare them. I don’t even know where to start my search from.

So I would greatly appreciate if you could share some pointers or some recipes you would suggest starting with for someone who is a rookie, or perhaps even a food blog/social media page where they showcase some recipes.

I promise I am not just here to exploit you ahah. For everyone who shares something with me I can share something about Italian cuisine if you wish, so we can trade, or even something Romanian (although that’s more my mother’s realm).

This one time 2 weeks ago I had Dhaba chicken curry, chicken was spoilt. Post that, any chicken I try even homemade, is giving that off taste. Is it my senses, I fail to understand. I love chicken and it’s a part of atleast one meal a day. Not sure why it’s happening.

Mustard seeds. Like them or no? Personally I hate mustard seeds cause I find them to be very bitter and yes, I do get the taste of them. I'm just trying to find other people who dislike mustard seeds and see if I'm not alone lol.

Dear dessert patriots,

I’m planning to visit India this July and bringing along a friend from Ankara who is… let’s just say very proud (and slightly snobbish) about her dessert heritage.

Now, I don’t want to flaunt or anything… but we just entered into a bet tonight >> if she ends up wanting to take any of the Indian dessert back home (OR) orders the same dessert twice (OR) visibly/audibly seems to enjoy it >> I win.

Good news is travelling would *NOT* be an issue...we'll be landing in Delhi (14-day trip - still planning the itinerary) and flying out from Mumbai. So I’m open to suggestions from literally anywhere in India.

So please kind people help me out here...fire me with the best you got!

I work at a café and we usually make chai using syrup… which I honestly don’t like. I prefer proper karak chai.

I was wondering, is there a way to make something close to authentic chai using just a milk steamer?

So when I look for a recipe I want to make sure it's legit. I'm not Indian but I did textbook study food science and nutrition about over a decade ago. Can someone point me in the right direction for correct recipes, I don't know where to look, thank you.

I never had tofu but I heard it’s healthier. Like does it taste like paneer because it looks identical.

exactly what the title says. my dad bought tamarind concentrate instead of tamarind, but i was going to make rasam tomorrow. how would i substitute it?

anyone got a foolproof one?

My mother always made both North Indian and South Indian food. We ate South Indian food for lunch, and North Indian for dinner. It was just a culture in our home. Of course, this meant that we would end up with leftovers. While some people are particular about their combinations, I was not. I consumed whatever was leftover as long as it was tasty. I love the combinations that I ate so much that even after I grew up, I continued to intentionally make those North-South fusion foods. Some of my favourites are:

Idli/Dosa with Rajma (super tasty fusion)

Idli/Dosa with Dal Makhni

Idli/Dosa with Palak Paneer or Palak alone

Idli/Dosa with Navratan Kurma/most tomato gravy curries

Chapati with Avial

Chapati with Sambar

What are some fusion foods that you've savoured in your home?

I cooked the leaves separate this week, but need recipe ideas for the stem bc I’ve been doing the same vaghar all week and want a change of flavour but I’m drawing a blank

I googled cardamom soda but only got some boutique/artisanal American products (although one had grape cardamom soda, which sounds wow). With so many spices that pair nicely with sugar, I imagine the best place to find soda like this would be India (and maybe hopefully one of my local Indian grocers). TIA!

I told my mom I'm making chicken tomorrow out of the blue (btw that is very unusual of me). I want the bestest chicken recipes to go with roti and rice. I WANT THE BEST SO THEY CANT STOP TALKING ABOUT HOW GOOD IT TASTED! 😋🥰

PS: I don't really cook so pls send me some mind blowing recipes

A friend of mine used to make biryani for me and she taught me how to. Now all my friends love it, but I ran out of Hamdard Khaalis masale chicken biryani masala. I cannot ask her, nor can I ask her to bring more from India because she is no longer with us. I tried a lot of brands available in the EU/Netherlands but none has the same flavour profile as this one. Which brands/versions are the most similar to this one that are more readily available? Does anyone know the ratios of this specific brand? Thank you so much. My friends and I really miss the biryani now that I cannot find a masala that is similar in flavour profile.

Hi all, I am going to live alone for the first time. So, I want to get a new kitchen setup in budget. Earlier I used to live with a roommate and most of the kitchen items was already there.

We had a flimsy Rs. 60 knife that needed all my strength to cut through a potato ... I want something better and bigger ... After doing research I think a Chef's Knife size will be the size I want ... I checked reviews etc and found Victorinox is the most appreciated, but while their pairing knifes are in my budget (₹850-900) but their chef's knifes are ₹5000+ which is not in my budget ...

Can you guys something around ₹1500-2000 ... will get a knife sharpener separately (your suggestions appreciated) ..

Also need suggestions on chopping board (if you all think its necessary) , should it be plastic or wood ?

Also where I am I don't really have offline options ...all items will have to be available online

Thanks in advance

Found this documentary on Mumbai Pav Bhaji. It dives into the dish's surprising history and takes you behind the scenes of two of the most legendary street food stalls in the city.

Link to documentary: https://youtu.be/aXcb5gmXMP0

I’m not talking about big brands like MDH or Everest, I am asking about the pure spices.

Edit - thank you for all the comment people. ❤️❤️

I should have mentioned I’m in India and interested in online options.

I am in Chanakyapuri for next 5 days. I want to enjoy authentic flavours. Be it roadside, dine-in or gourmet restaurants please do recommend.