15 lesser-known dishes from Indian cuisine that are incredibly delicious

It’s been said several times that India is a diverse country and this diversity can be seen in food as well. Several customs and traditions have given way to the variety of cuisines available in India. We all are familiar with Thukpa of East to the Dhokla of West, Chole Bhature of North to the Idli/Dosa of South; however, there are various dishes that are still not known to the world, and mind you they are incredible in taste and are heavenly. Here is a look at such 15 dishes of Indian cuisine that are lesser-known to the world. (Image courtesy: istock photos)

During the Mughal period, there was a dessert much loved by the Royal families and it was none other than the Benami Kheer. Though the name is such that you will not be able to guess the ingredient of this dish, as its core ingredient was kept a secret. For those who don’t know much about this dish, this kheer is made of garlic or lehsun.

It’s a traditional rice cake from Tripura and is made of guria rice (also known as sticky rice), cashews, raisins and ghee. This rice mixture is steamed in a special type of leave also known as Lairu. However, for convenience, many people also use banana leaves for steam cooking this dish.

This is one of the popular dishes of Himachal Pradesh and is a type of toasted stuffed bread, served usually with dal and coriander chutney. This bread is made of wheat flour and is stuffed with walnuts, peanuts, green peas and paneer.

It’s a popular breakfast dish from Karnataka and is made of powdered poha. But don’t think of it as the plain old poha, as it has sweet, spicy and tangy flavour in it and is made of jaggery, pulses and groundnuts.

Also known as Guliappa or Paniyaram, it is one of the popular breakfast options available in southern India. This dish is made of leftover dosa/idli batter with some onion, green chillies, and coriander leaves. Balls are made of batter, which is then steamed and enjoyed with coconut chutney.

Another weird yet delicious combination that many people don’t know about is Pyaz Ka Halwa. This dessert is made of grated white onions fried in ghee and then cooked in milk with some sugar and cashews. One look at this dessert and no one can ever guess its core ingredient.

A seasonal berry that grows in summers, Gunda is a popular ingredient in Gujarat and is used to make various dishes. Gunda nu Shaak is a delicious dish made with Gunda berry, red chillies, raw mangoes, gram flour, oil and spices.

For those, who love non-vegetarian food, this chutney is a delight for food lovers in Chhattisgarh. The core ingredients of this spicy chutney are red ants and their eggs, which are crushed using mortar and pestle. This paste is then combined with tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, coriander, red chillies, salt, and a bit of sugar.

Traditionally, this popular dish used to be prepared on special occasions and festivals. However, it is commonly eaten these days and is made of wheat flour, powdered sugar, grated coconut and cardamom powder. This dish resembles tacos and tastes just incredible.

Also known as Rose Cookies, this dish is a traditional snack from Tamil Nadu which is eaten on Christmas and special occasions. These cookies are made of rice flour, eggs, coconut milk, sesame seeds, sugar and salt and are fried to perfection.

A sweet delicacy from the state of Chhattisgarh, what sets it apart from other such dishes is its distinguished taste and earthiness. This dish is made by making a dough of wheat flour with rice water and then making rectangles of this dough, which are further deep-fried. These rectangle pieces are further soaked in sugar syrup.

An authentic Kashmiri delicacy, Gushtaba is the last meat dish served during Wazwan feast just before you hop on to the desserts. This dish is prepared by cooking tender mutton meatballs in a flavourful gravy made with yoghurt.

It’s a spicy mutton curry from Telangana and is traditionally enjoyed with chapati and dosa. The mutton pieces are cooked in a thick and spicy gravy for hours on low flame, which gives it a succulent taste.

A traditional Assamese dish made from fish and bamboo shoots, Khorisa Maas is best enjoyed with steamed rice. This dish is made by frying fish pieces in mustard oil and spices and then cooking them with fermented bamboo shoots.