Everyday Indian food is characterized by the utilization of various herbs and spices and consists of dishes which are, more often than not, vegetarian. The meal is typically served with either rice or Indian bread and finished off with a traditional savoury sweet dessert. Pickled chutney and salads are just part and parcel of an archetypal Indian meal and a single vegetable can be cooked in a variety of ways. As a result, this fare reflects the motley demographic of the ethnically assorted Indian subcontinent.

North Indian cuisine is famed for its relatively copious usage of dairy products in its cooking and its staple food is a variety of lentils, vegetables and assorted bread. On the other hand South Indian cuisine – which places a greater emphasis on rice as the staple grain – obtains its distinctly piquant flavour by the employment of tamarind, lentils and vegetables as well as the liberal use of coconut milk and curry leaves in its food.

In a nutshell Indian cuisine varies dramatically from the north to the south as each region is famous for its own form of fodder and each comes with an individually rich history.