Lesser Known Indian Dishes You Need To Try Right Now

Indian cuisine, with a history dating back thousands of years, blends ancient vegetarian traditions with diverse influences from invasions, colonialism, and globalisation. This rich tapestry of flavours and cooking techniques has made it a global culinary treasure, renowned for its regional specialties and vegetarian traditions. While India is renowned for its diversity, reflected in its rich cultural heritage, this diversity is most prominently displayed through its culinary landscape. 

Amidst the vast array of flavours and regional cuisines in India, numerous lesser-known dishes are waiting to be discovered. These culinary treasures, which are often overshadowed by their more famous counterparts, provide an enchanting journey into the unexplored aspects of Indian cuisine.

Explore the lesser known Indian dishes that you must try to further enlighten your tastebuds about the Indian flavours.

Paddu, or paniyaram, is a popular South Indian dish that is made by steaming a batter in a unique mould. The dish is known by a variety of names such as guliyappa, yeriyappa, and more. The batter used in preparing Paniyaram is made from black lentils and rice, similar to what is used for making idli and dosa. The dish can be prepared either as a savoury dish with chillies or as a sweet dish with jaggery. It is cooked in a unique pan with small indentations, giving it its distinctive shape.

Where To Find

Sri Venkateshwara Davanagere Dosa Paddu and Girmit (Bengaluru) and Karnataka Restaurant (Delhi).

Gojju Avalakki is a dish from Karnataka similar to Poha - a flattened rice dish that has been a staple in North India for centuries. Poha is enjoyed in various regional variations, such as Mumbai Poha and Indori Poha. On the other hand, Gojju Avalakki combines flattened rice with tangy tamarind gravy, jaggery, coconut, and aromatic spices. This version of the dish uses coarsely broken poha, and there are sub-regional variants like the Mangalorean and Malnad styles. Poha is well-known as a nutritious and simple food, while Gojju Avalakki is often offered as temple prasad in parts of Karnataka.

Where To Try

Mulbagal Dosa Vasavi Food Point (Bengaluru) and Agrawal Poha Centre (Delhi).

Awan Bangui is a traditional steamed rice dish of the Tiprasa people in Tripura, which dates back several decades. This ancient dish is mentioned in Tripura's folk stories, making it one of the oldest in the region. The dish is crafted using a unique, coarse rice variety called Guria (Binni chal in Bengali), which is known for its rich aroma, and it is served wrapped in special Lairu leaves on special occasions.

Where To Try

Maa Shrowwali Restaurant (Tripura) and Burma Burma Restaurant & Tea Room (Delhi).

Benami kheer is a legendary dessert from Awadhi kitchens. It is so named because the chefs would not reveal its secret ingredient, garlic. This milk-based delicacy is primarily made with vermicelli or rice grains. Over time, people have tried various combinations of fruits and vegetables with the kheer. To prepare the kheer, it is essential to master the technique of making the garlic completely odourless. This is done by blanching it in alum water and getting its slivers to resemble almond slivers.

Where To Try

The Awadh's Dastarkhwan (Lucknow) and Kheer-Roseate House (Delhi).

Gunda Nu Shaak is a dish from Gujarat made using "Gunda," a small, berry-like fruit harvested from cordia shrubs. This fruit is seasonal and only available during the summers. It is a highly liked ingredient that is made into tangy pickles and vegetables. Gunda Nu Shaak is a traditional Gujarati dish that is prepared in every household during the summers. It is a simple but delectable side dish made by mixing tasty masala with peanuts, besan papdi, raw mango, and dry spices that are stuffed and cooked with Gunda until it develops all the flavours.

Where To Try

You can try Gunda Nu Shaak at local Gujarati restaurants.

Chapda chutney, also known as red ant chutney, is a unique dish that originates from Chhattisgarh, India, and is also enjoyed in Odisha and Jharkhand. The chutney is made by crushing dried red ants and their eggs, mixing them with coriander, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, hot peppers, sugar, and salt. The ingredients are blended into a spicy paste, which is sometimes sautéed with onions in hot oil. The chutney is traditionally wrapped in sal leaves and sold in local markets. It boasts an intensely hot and spicy flavour that is not for the faint of heart. However, collecting the ants is a painful process since male ants fiercely defend the egg-laying females and bite the harvesters.

Where To Try

You can try Chapda in local restaurants in Chattisgarh.

Achappam is a popular delicacy in Kerala, India, especially during Christmas and weddings. It is a deep-fried rose cookie made with rice flour, and its name is derived from 'achu' (mould) and 'appam' (food made with flour). This exquisite snack is thought to have originated in the Netherlands and was brought to India by the Dutch. Achappam is made by shaping and imprinting the cookies using patterned irons or moulds. The irons are heated, dipped in the batter, and then submerged in hot oil to create a crispy outer layer. The batter is a mixture of wheat or rice flour, eggs, sugar, and coconut milk. Achappam can be enjoyed plain or spiced with sesame, cumin, or cardamom, adding extra flavour to this delightful treat.

Where To Try

Kerala Food Court (Kerala) and SAMBARPOT (Delhi).