Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
LessMore
Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology
Quick answers
What is Indian cuisine?
Indian cuisines are plural: Dravidian rice-and-tamarind, Indo-Gangetic breads, Mughal rice-and-meat, and Portuguese chili on the west coast. "Curry" is a British-Portuguese flattening of tadka, masala and gravy.
Is it always spicy?
Indian cuisine sits at spice 95 in this atlas. Biryani and Masala dosa show the range better than a single heat number.
What should a first meal include?
Biryani plus one regional plate — not only the export icon.
What is Tadka?
Spices bloomed in hot fat and poured over a dish.
How do people eat at home?
Chili is late (16th century) and now structural in many kitchens. Heat here outruns Thailand only because black pepper, mustard seed and chili stack; many dishes stay fragrant rather than red.
What travels poorly?
The home pantry around Tadka and the labour behind Masala dosa rarely fit a takeaway box.
Indian cuisine changes by valley, coast and capital. Chandni Chowk, Delhi is one node, not the whole map.
The meters treat heat, ferment, street density and sharing as the axes that actually organise meals.
Systems
Punjab / north
Tandoor, bread, dairy and the export restaurant template.
Tamil / south
Rice, tamarind, fermented batters, coconut and curry leaf.
Bengal
Mustard, fish and a sweet-savoury literary table.
Hyderabad / Deccan
Biryani, haleem and a Muslim-Deccan court.
Gujarat
Vegetarian thalis, sweet-savoury snacks and a diaspora grocery engine.
Kerala / Goa
Syrian-Christian, Malabar Muslim and Portuguese-chili coasts.
Flavour meters
Cities & regions
Chandni Chowk, Delhi
Chaat, paratha and old-city gravies.
George Town, Chennai
Filter coffee and dosa halls.
Hyderabad old city
Biryani arguments as civic identity.
Amritsar
Langar and tandoor breads.
Brick Lane / Southall
The UK dialect of the cuisine.
Materials
Whole spices
Cumin, coriander, mustard, chili, turmeric — bloomed, not just dusted.
Pulses
Dal as daily protein.
Rice and wheat
The split starch that predicts the plate.
Yogurt and pickle
Cool and preserve.
Regional pride in this cuisine is argued through Biryani and Masala dosa more than through a single official recipe.
Keep exploring
More in South & Southeast Asia
Indonesian cuisine
Islands of sambal and coconut: rendang, nasi goreng and a spice-trade pantry across 17,000 islands.
Overall 68 🍗Filipino cuisine
Vinegar, garlic and a fiesta table: adobo, sinigang and the Chinese-Spanish-American pantry of the islands.
Overall 62 🍜Malaysian cuisine
Malay, Chinese and Indian tables under one roof: nasi lemak, laksa and the mamak shop.
Overall 70