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North India offers many breathtaking places to visit and lets you taste some of the finest cuisines. As a major part of North India was ruled by Mughals in the past, the influence of Mughlai recipes can be observed in the North Indian dishes. However, in the hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand, you will relish different local delicacies. The local dishes are savoury and give deep insights into the culture and lifestyle of the people. Today, we will see the top 10 North Indian vegetarian dishes you must taste during your trip to the Northern states!
Mughal cuisines have always been protein-rich and tempting. Shahi Paneer is a wonderful example of how delicious paneer can taste when cooked in tomato sauce and rich paste made from almonds. Paneer, i.e. cottage cheese, is the heart of this recipe and is flavoured with onion and spices. It tastes great with puri, roti, naan and other forms of Indian bread.
Garnished with coriander leaves, Shahi Paneer is easily available in restaurants in South India. However, the real taste of Shahi Paneer can only be experienced in a typical North Indian hotel in Agra or Delhi.
North India is famous for its sweet, spicy, tangy, and lip-smacking chats. Aloo Chaat is made from fried potatoes and chutneys. Dahi Papdi Chaat is made with fried papdi, dahi, sprouts, boiled potatoes, tangy Panipuri, Sev Poori etc. These savoury Chaats can fulfil your hunger pangs once you start feeling weak after shopping for hours. Also, the spicy chutneys served by local Chaat vendors are hard to find, even in a 5-star restaurant.
Chaats were originally made in Uttar Pradesh, but due to their immense popularity, you will find Chaat vendors in almost all the parts of India. However, the real taste can only be experienced in the place of origin. Therefore, you should try it in Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Meerut, or any city or town in Uttar Pradesh.
Bhatura is a bigger version of puri and is usually made with a dough of mixed cereals. It is served with spicy chickpeas preparation that contains a combination of raw spices that make your taste buds dance in ecstasy.
Chote Bhature is another popular local street food found in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and most other North Indian states. It is also served in restaurants and local sweet marts. It is an ideal snack for curbing your evening hunger, or you can have it at any time of the day if you are craving a light yet delicious meal.
Aloo Paratha is a typical dish made for breakfast. It is typically made in most households in Punjab and Haryana. It is nothing but a regular roti stuffed with potatoes and mildly flavoured with spices. Nothing can beat the combination of a hot Aloo Paratha and a dollop of cheese on it. You will find it in most North Indian restaurants.
Also, if you search for the best North Indian food near me during your North India trip, you will find it topping many recommendation lists. It is the best snack to satiate your hunger while giving a real treat to your taste buds. Aloo Parathas with lassi or cold chass would be the perfect meal on a hot summer day!
Motichoor Ladoos is a sweet preparation made in most North Indian households during Diwali, Navratri, and Holi festivals. You may find it in sweet marts all over India, but the perfect ones are still being made in Delhi and other places in North India. Mouthwatering Motichoor Ladoos are made with gram flour and sugar. Fried in desi pure ghee and is also lightly spiced with cardamom and elaichi. You may also find crunchy nuts and seeds in them. Overall, they are perfect for satiating your craving for sweets!
A perfect Motichoor Ladoo will be so soft that it can crumble to pieces even if you apply light pressure with your fingers or palm. You should not get confused with Boondi Ladoos and Motichoor Ladoos. Boondi Ladoos have slightly bigger flour balls as compared to Motichoor Ladoos.
Biryani is another dish adopted straight from the Mughal kitchens. Though the original Biryani was made from chicken or meat, many vegetarian versions of Biryani are also available. Many would argue that a vegetable biryani should be called Pulao, but when made with paneer, you have to call it a biryani!
Paneer Biryani is rice flavoured with spices and dum, i.e. cooked with steam. Biryani goes perfectly with raita, and you can have it for an afternoon or late-night meals. The paneer chunks are usually fried with turmeric, chilli powder, and other pure ghee spices to give them the perfect mouthwatering flavour. However, they can also be marinated with curd and spices before frying. Due to its amazing flavour, you must try Paneer Biryani during your North India tour.
If you enjoy your North India trip and wonder what to eat next, you should go for Rabdi! Rabdi is a sweet dish made by cooking milk on a low flame for a long time until it starts to thicken. It is flavoured with nuts, cardamom, elaichi, and other dried fruits.
To give it a perfect colour and flavour, saffron strands are added. You must try the cool version of Rabdi as it will quench the thirst of your taste buds while giving a delightful experience to your sweet tooth!
Malpua is nothing but pancakes that are dipped in a sugary syrup. Made with milk solids called Khoya, all-purpose flour, spices, and curd, Malpua is garnished with toasted nuts! It is a popular street food in North India. It has a crusty layer on the outside but is tender and succulent from the inside. Overall, it is a great treat for your hunger pangs and blends perfectly with dishes like Rabdi.
Different varieties of Jalebi are made all over India, but the ones made in North India, especially Uttar Pradesh, have an unbeatable flavour. They are fried in pure desi ghee until the spiral Jalebi, made from all-purpose flour, water, gram flour, etc., turns golden yellow.
Lemon juice or curd can also be added to give a tangy flavour to it. If you want to try the sweeter version of Jalebi, you can try the Imarti. The batter is even fermented to give it a rich and deep flavour. You should try Jalebi in Mathura, Varanasi, and other traditional cities of North India that are famous for their sweets.
Bharwa Bhindi is another popular North Indian dish that you must have while exploring North India tourist places. Bharwa Bhindi means the bindi or lady’s finger stuffed with spices. It is a typical Punjabi dish that goes perfectly with naan, roti, paratha, or any Indian bread.
In some places, it is made without using garlic and onion. Therefore, it has become a perfect dish for vegans. However, it would help if you had ground spices to give this wonderful North Indian dish an authentic flavour.
These are the top 10 North Indian cuisines that you must try while exploring the best tourist places in North India. If you have any issues while booking air tickets, hotel rooms, etc., you can visit Cleartrip. It offers great deals and discounts on flight tickets, railway tickets, and hotel bookings. By saving more money through Cleartrip, you can spend more money while savouring the North Indian cuisines!
North Indian dishes are creamy and moderately spicy. They are usually made with milk, curd, and cottage cheese, which are high in proteins. Ghee is also one of the main components of most North Indian dishes.
Though it is hard to mention one common food, the Chaats, Rajma Chawal, Chole Bhature, and Dal Makhani are some of the most common vegetarian dishes of North India.
Awadhi cuisine, Mughal Cuisine, Bhojpuri Cuisine, and Himachali Cuisine are some of the most popular cuisines of North India.
Persians, Afghans, and Mughals have greatly influenced the North Indian cuisines.
South Indian cuisines mostly consist of vegetables, whereas North Indian cuisines are mostly made with meat and spices and also some delicious vegetarian paneer dishes. However, South Indian cuisines can be spicier than North Indian dishes.
