What is the national dish of India?
India has no official national dish because its food varies so much by region. Khichdi, a rice and lentil dish, is sometimes suggested, while biryani and dal are popular everywhere.
India has 28 states and many religions, climates and languages, so its cuisine is extremely diverse. Wheat breads such as roti and naan are common in the north, while rice dominates in the south and east. Spices like cumin, turmeric, coriander and chili are used across the country, but in different combinations.
Khichdi, a simple dish of rice and lentils cooked together, is eaten in many regions and is often given to babies and people who are unwell. In 2017, a giant khichdi was cooked at a food event in New Delhi, and some media reports suggested it could be named the national dish, but this never became official.
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Biryani, a fragrant rice dish layered with meat or vegetables, has many regional styles, such as Hyderabadi and Lucknowi. Dal, a lentil stew, is eaten daily by millions of people. Dosa, a thin crispy pancake from South India, and butter chicken, created in Delhi in the mid-1900s, are also hugely popular.
Did You Know?
India is the world's largest producer of spices, and Kerala on the southwest coast has been a center of the spice trade for thousands of years.