North Indian Cuisine North Indian cuisine (Hindi: , Uttar BharatiyaVyanjan), part of Indian cuisine, is a term used to refer

to the cuisines found in Northern India which includes the Indian states: Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand (Kumaon) and West-Central Uttar Pradesh (Awadh and Braj). This is also major cuisine in the Eastern regions like Eastern Uttar Pradesh (Purvanchal), Bihar and Jharkhand as well as Central regions like Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. India has rich and varied culinary traditions, many deeply enmeshed with spiritual traditions that are thousands of years old. Other culinary styles arrived throughout India's long history with those who wandered into the land from afar and settled here and there, as well as with those who invaded its territories, subjugating native populations. Still others have been shaped by the natural forces of climate and geography. These many culinary styles can be generally divided into four regional cuisines, with north Indian flavors and style standing out distinctly from the rest. The northern part of India is said to be part of the India in which the influence of the early light-

skinned Aryan invaders can still be seen, in the cuisine, culture, and language. This is the part of the world in which Sanskrit is believed to have evolved. North Indian cuisine encompasses the culinary traditions of the various northern countries, including Punjabi, Awadh, Kashmiri, Marwari, Rajasthani, Gharwal, and Pahari. Due to climate and growing conditions, wheat plays a stronger role in northern Indian cuisine than in other areas of the country. Also Tandoori cuisine comes from the north. Spices are an essential element to Indian cuisine, and they employ some of the most aromatic and beautiful spices on earth. Historically, however, in addition to adding delectable flavors and attractive aromas, the spices were chosen for their food preservation and medicinal properties. While many spices are common throughout most Indian cuisines, the methods and ratios of usage differ in each region, with some spices being much more common in some areas and other flavors being more specific. North Indian cooks tend to use their spices in freshly ground powder form. Chili peppers are common to Indian cuisine, and in the north, the DegchiMirchi, or Kashmiri chili pepper are especially popular. Ground red chili powder is important northern Indian flavor, as is turmeric,

sweet bay or laurel leaves, cumin, black and green cardamom, coriander, cassia tree bark -- for which cinnamon is often substituted -- cloves, saffron, nutmeg, black and yellow mustard seeds, fennel, asafetida, curry leaves, fenugreek, tamarind, fresh cilantro leaves, and mint. Garam masala is a spice mixture used extensively in northern Indian cuisine. This is a blend of spices, which is loosely built upon a set of common spices, but varies widely from region to region, even from family to family. In the north, a basic garam masala would consist of raw cardamom seeds, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. Ghee, or clarified butter, is particularly important to the flavor of northern cuisine. Flat breads of various types, including chapattis, roti, puri, different types of parantha, and tandoori baked breads like nan are a part of most north Indian meals. Showing the religious influence of the Vaishnava Hindus, the northern states -- Uttar Pradesh in particular -- have created some of the finest vegetarian cuisine in the world, built upon a wide variety of pulses, or legumes and fragrant Basmati rice. North Indian flavors have become an important part of international cuisine, spreading through the world's metropolitan centers and into the food

cultures of many countries. Beloved especially for its specialized tandoori dishes and vegetarian creations, North Indian cuisine continues to expand and flourish globally. Food in Ancient India basically reflects the cultural evolution of Indian civilisation from ancient past. Food in Ancient India can be divided into various ages that include food in prehistoric India and Indus Valley civilisation, food in Vedic period, Food in Maurya period, food in Gupta period, food in post Gupta period which marked some difference with the advent of the Gujjars and Hunas. With the migration of outsiders in India changes were found within the food Habits of India. Food in Pre -Historic India Food in Ancient India mainly depended on the fruits, nuts, tubers and flesh of the animals. As India in pre historic days was largely inhabited by the Negroid race, this race mainly depended on fruits, nuts, tubers and the flesh of animals that he hunted and killed. With the Proto- Australoids people in ancient India moved a step ahead when they now produced new food items along with fruits and nuts. This brought the list of fruits and vegetables that was now being cultivated by the Indian ProtoAustraloids for their self consumption. This helped the pre historic man to move a step forward in farming and learn the science of cultivation.

Food in Vedic period Food in Ancient India developed considerably within the Indus Valley Civilisation which brought the use of wheat, barley, sesamum and brassica. Along with this man had learned to tame he buffaloes, goats and sheep which became useful for cultivation. Slowly and gradually this period marked the progress of man more towards civilized world with more scientific lifestyle.

Food in Vedic Period Food in Ancient India faced remarkable changes during the Vedic Period which not only introduced new food items but also rules and etiquettes while taking the meal of the day. This also introduced division of meals during the day. The food in Vedic period is largely divided into the food of the Aryans and Dravidians which later on got divided into north and south India. Their food items as well as habits have been illustrated in the sutras and Vedas of the period which are the earliest literature of ancient India. Food in Maurya Period Food in Ancient India that was adopted during the Maurya period has been extensively discussed by Kautilya. He defines the specifications of an ideal

kitchen and a proper diet of the Raja in Maurya Empire which was largely followed as a convention by almost all the people living in Maurya Empire. While this also sets a number of special food items and food etiquettes, this at the same time describes the culture of ancient India. Food in Gupta period Food in Ancient India which was adopted by the Gupta Empire was mainly influenced by Buddhism and Jainism which made a lot of changes in the culture of ancient India. Thus the food of ancient India has been marked with lot of changes from time to time that reflect the culture of assimilation within Indian culture. This got boosted with the advent of foreigners from outside India. The advent of Gujjars and Hunas did introduce a number of food items which remained inherent in ancient Indian culture.

Geographical and cultural influence on the regions cuisine North India has extreme climates summers are hot and winters are cold. There is an abundance of fresh seasonal fruit and vegetable to be had. Its geographical position with relation to the rest of the

Sub-continent means that this region of the country has had strong Central Asian influences both in its culture and its food. Mughlai and Kashmiri styles of cooking are not just prevalent, they are also popular. Style of food North Indian curries usually have thick, moderately spicy and creamy gravies. The use of dried fruits and nuts is fairly common even in everyday foods. Dairy products like milk, cream, cottage cheese, ghee (clarified butter) and yoghurt play an important role in the cooking of both savory and sweet dishes. Thanks to the fact that such a rich variety of fruit and vegetable is available at all times of the year, the region produces a dazzling array of vegetarian dishes. Staple foods North Indians seem to prefer Indian breads over rice, if the rich variety is anything to go by. This region is home to the tandoori roti and naans (bread made in a clay tandoor oven), stuffed parathas (flaky Indian bread with different kinds of vegetarian and non-vegetarian fillings) and kulchas (bread made from fermented dough). Rice is also popular and made into elaborate biryanis and pulaos (pilafs).

Cooking oils commonly used Vegetable oils like sunflower and canola. Mustard oil is rarely used and only in some states of the region. Ghee is normally reserved for special occasion cooking. Important spices and ingredients Coriander, Cumin, Dry red chillies, turmeric, Chilli powder, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Garam Masala, Aniseed/Fennel, etc. Popular dishes Mutter Paneer (a curry made with cottage cheese and peas), Biryani, Pulaos, DaalMakhani, DahiGosht, Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Fish Amritsari, Samosas (snack with a pastry case with different kinds of fillings), Chaat (hot-sweet-sour snack made with potato, chick peas and tangy chutneys), Motichoorladdoo.... MUGHAL INFLUENCE ON NORTH INDIAN CUISINE The cuisine of India is as vast as its people. Each and every ethnic group has its own distinctive food preferences along with their different culture. India has witnessed several invasions from Arab, Central Asia, the Mughal Empire and Persia in its early days.

These invasions had a great influence on Indian cooking. The Muslims from western Asia brought the Mughlai cuisines to India in the 12th century when Mughal rulers conquered a large portion of India. During the Mughal dynasty, these dishes were prepared for the Mughal Emperors for elegant dining with dry fruits and nuts. The hospitality of sharing of food with others in Mughal courtly society helped India to absorb it as its own while making Indian cuisine to stand apart with pride. The Mughals brought their rich, aromatic food culture in India and is now an important part of the Indian culinary culture. Quite ideally therefore, apart from giving the greatest architectural monuments, the Mughals have also changed the country`s cooking by merging Middle Eastern cuisine with Indian spices and ingredients to give the most beautiful Mughlai cuisine. The Mughal influence on Indian food is immense. Mughlai cuisine is one of the most richest, popular and lavish cuisines in the country. These are pretty spicy and have unique fragrance. The cooking method includes lots of milk and cream with exotic spices, nuts and dried fruits to make it rich and spicy. Biryani, Korma, Palau and Pasendi are some of

the famous Mughlai cuisine. The Mughal influence on Indian food supported the evolution of Indian food to a great extent. The Mughlai cuisine full of rich gravies, pilafs and nonvegetarian foods such as kebabs, along with the fruits like apricots, peaches, plums and melons contoured the structure of the Indian food while offering it a distinct dimension. Each of the Muslim rulers offered something or the other to make Indian food the potpourri of spice, taste, tang and flavour. When Babur invaded India he brought his stylish food habits such as grilled meats along with different varieties of fruits and nuts from Central Asia. His son Humayun continued this tradition and also introduced a new tradition of rice-based pilaus and using of fruits and nuts in the meat stews in India. Marriages of Mughal rulers to several Rajput princesses added a new dimension to the Mughal cuisines. The reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan, marked the evolvement of bountiful dishes in Indian cuisine. In the meantime, the Nizams of Hyderabad developed Biryani as their own style of cooking, which is now considered as one of the main dishes in India. Apart from the introduction of new dishes, the influence of Mughlai cuisine on Indian food also

presented the novel idea of using aromatic spices in cooking. Mughlai food is quite spicy. The spices used in this preparation are easily accessible. These dishes are specially preferred in Delhi, Lucknow in the North and Hyderabad in the South. These have the strong influence of Muslim cooking style along with their Muslim names. The saga of Mughlai dish is still continuing. It still remains as one of the most important part in Indian culinary style. Although, Mughlai cuisines are available in all parts of the country, but Delhi is the best place for this royal cuisine. In this present scenario, the Mughlai influence on Indian food reflects the local cooking styles in it. The cuisines available in Delhi and Lucknow are the combination of Indo-Persian style by the addition of typical North Indian spices like cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric and ground chilies; whereas in Hyderabad, curry leaves, hot chilies, mustard seeds, tamarind and coconut milk are added to these cuisines to give them a local flavour. Due to the flavored sauces and butter based curries in the Mughlai cuisine, they are very much popular among the food lovers. Mughlai food offers tempting and delicious variety of food such as kulfi with rose petals sprinkled on it, hot spicy soup and ginger based roasted meats.

People in India are crazy about Mughlai cuisines. Some of the popular Mughlai dishes are, AlooKaRaita, Carrot and Capsicum Raita, BadaamHalwa, Chicken Korma, Chaamp Masala or Lamb Chops Curry, Chole or Chane, KesarChawal, Chicken Tikka, JhingaMalai Curry or Creamy Prawn Curry, Naan a type of Indian Bread, PalakGosht, PalakPaneer, Seekh Kebabs, Tandoori Chicken Legs or Grilled Chicken Drumsticks and the most favourite dish Biryani. The Mughals have left a great influence and occupies a strong place in the cuisine of India, especially in the Northern parts of the country.

Punjabi cuisine

Punjabi cuisine (Punjabi: , Urdu:

punjabipakawan) is food from the Punjab region of northwesternIndia and eastern Pakistan. It can be non-vegetarian or completely vegetarian. One of the main features of Punjabi

cuisine is its diverse range of dishes. Home cooked and restaurant Punjabi cuisine can vary significantly, with restaurant style using large amounts of ghee, clarified butter, with liberal amounts of butter and cream with home cooking concentrating on mainly upon preparations with Whole Wheat, rice and other ingredients flavored with masala. Roh Di Kheer, is cooked using rice. Rice is cooked for a long time in sugar cane juice. Within the area itself, there are different preferences. People in the area of Amritsar prefer stuffed parathas and milk products. In fact, the area is well known for quality of its milk products. There are certain dishes which are exclusive to Punjab, such as Mah Di Dal and Saron Da Saag. The food is tailor-made for the Punjabi lifestyle in which most of the rural folk burn up a lot of calories while working in the fields. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic and ginger. Tandoori food is a Punjabi speciality especially for non-vegetarian dishes. Many of the most popular elements of AngloIndian cuisine - such as Tandoor, Naan, Pakoras and vegetable dishes with paneer - derive from the Punjab. Punjabi cuisine can be non-vegetarian or completely vegetarian. One of the main features of Punjabi cuisine is its diverse range of dishes. Home cooked and restaurant Punjabi cuisine can vary significantly,

with restaurant style using large amounts of ghee, with liberal amounts of butter and cream with home cooked concentrating on mainly upon preparations with whole wheat, rice and other ingredients flavored with masalas. Within the area itself, there are different preferences. People in the area of Amritsar prefer stuffed parathas and dairy products, of which the area is well-known for. There are certain dishes which are exclusive to Punjab, such as Mah Di Dal and Saron Da Saag. The food is tailor-made for the Punjabi lifestyle in which most of the rural folk burn up a lot of calories while working in the fields. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic and ginger. Tandoori food is a Punjabi speciality especially for non-vegetarian dishes. Many of the most popular elements of Anglo-Indian cuisine such as Tandoor, Naan, Pakoras and vegetable dishes with paneer derive from the Punjab.

The name Punjab means "land of five rivers", and literally translates from Persian into the words Panj, related to Sanskrit Paca, meaning "five", and b ,related to Sanskrit p, meaning "water" respectively. The rivers are the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas. The five rivers, now divided

between India and Pakistan, merge to form the Panjnad, which joins the Indus.Agriculture is the largest industry in Punjab.Bhangra is one of the many Punjabi musical art forms.Punjabi is an IndoAryan language spoken by the Punjabi people.Punjabi cuisine can be non-vegetarian or completely vegetarian.The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic and ginger and usually mildly spiced. Tandoori food is a Punjabi specialty especially for non-veg dishes. The cuisine of Punjab has an enormous variety of mouth-watering vegetarian as well as non vegetarian dishes. The spice content ranges from minimal to pleasant to high. Punjabi food is usually relished by people of all communities. In Punjab, home cooking differs from the restaurant cooking style. At the restaurants, the chefs make a liberal use of desi ghee, butter and cream to make the food lip smacking and finger licking. On the other hand, at home, people prefer using sunflower oil or some other refined oil for cooking, with the basic idea of making the food low in fat content. Wheat is the staple food of Punjabis; however, they do enjoy eating rice on festivities and other special

occasions. When it comes to food, each region in Punjab has an entirely different preference like people in Amritsar are particularly fond of stuffed paranthas and milk products. The philosophy of life for most of the Punjabis is to eat, drink and make merry. They are real lively people who are extremely fond of eating good food. In the preparation of Punjabi food, onion, ginger and garlic are used extensively to enhance the taste of the food. Traditional Punjabi thali consists of varied kinds of breads; some are baked in the tandoor such as tandoori roti, lachhaparatha, naan and kulcha, while others are dry baked on tava like chapatti and jowarki roti. There is another fabulous variety of roti called rumali roti, which is larger in size as compared to the normal one and is also easily absorbable. Also, there are breads that are shallow fried such as parantha and deep fried such as puri and bhatoora. Vegetarian Pulse, bean and / or lentil preparations:

Sarson Da Saag (a dish prepared from green mustard leaves and stem with Makki Roti (bread made by corn flour) Mushroom&BeanSabzi Dal makhani (Pulses with butter) Rajma (Red kidney bean) and Rice Dal Amritsari Rongi (Black eyed bean) Choley (eaten with Naan or Kulcha)

Other vegetarian dishes KadhiPakora (Traditional curry with Pakoras) and rice (Kadhi is a type of curry made by cooking gramflour with curd or buttermilk. Fried lumps (Pakoras) of gramflour with salt and chillies are also added. It is eaten with rice.) Paneer Phirni Jalebi Malpua Sheer korma Pakoras Samosas

Non-Vegetarian

Chicken - Tandoori Chicken, Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka, etc. Lamb - Rogan Josh, BhunaGhosht, Kadhai Ghost, RaanGosht, Dal Gosht, SaagGosht, NihariGosht, RaraGosht, Paye da Shorba, etc. Beef - Nihari Beef, Beef Pasanda, Kadhai Beef, etc. Fish - These are all freshwater fish dishes like Amritsari Fish, Tandoori Fish, Fish Tikka, Fish Pakora, etc. Kebabs - Various lamb, chicken and beef kebabs. Biryanis - Chicken Biryani and Lamb Biryani. KeemaNaan - Chicken mince and lamb mince stuffed Naan. Pickles - Lamb Pickle and vegetablePickle. Bread preparations

The Punjabi breads are both flat breads as well as raised breads. The breads may be made of different types of flour and can be made in various ways: 1. Baked in the tandoor like Naan, Tandoori roti, Kulcha, or LachhaParatha 2. Dry baked on the Tava (Indian griddle) like Phulka or Chapati, jowarki roti, baajreki roti and the very famous Makkiki roti (these are also smeared with white Butter) 3. Shallow fried like Paratha, KeemaParatha, Potato or Radish Paratha

4. Deep fried like Puri and Bhatoora (a fermented dough) Naan is also very popular. It is served with most of the dishes made at an Indian restaurant.

Food from Punjab, needs no introduction. Have a bite of Makki di Roti with SarsonkaSaag and down it with the famous Punjabi Lassi and one will get the taste of food in this land. Food in Punjab and Haryana is cooked with love. It is rich in butter and ghee and contains lot of spices.

For the Punjabis, the Rotis and Lassi give them the vigor and energy they are noted for. The sarsonkasaag and the makke di roti is a good combination. The Punjabis also place a lot of stress on the ginger, garlic, onion and tomato combinations. Most of the vegetarian and nonvegetarian dishes are famous for their distinctive tastes. Though rice is sparingly used throughout northern India, Wheat is their staple food. They take wheat in the form of rotis and chappathis. They come in a wide range, which includes parathas, puris, naans, kulchas, rotis and chapathis, and stuffed parathas.

Punjabi people are robust people with robust appetites and their food is like the Punjabis themselves, simple, sizeable and hearty with no unnecessary frills or exotic accompaniments. The Punjabi tandoori cooking is celebrated as one of the most popular cuisines throughout the world. Huge earthen ovens are half buried in the ground and heated with a coal fire lit below it. Marinated meat, chicken, fish, paneer, rotis and naans of many types are cooked in this novel oven and the results are absolutely scrumptious! Punjab has imbibed some aspects of its cuisine from external influences. Connoisseurs of the cuisine say that the gravy component of Punjabi cuisine came from the Mughals. The most popular example is the murgmakhani. It served the state well to combine this influence in its cooking since it had a lot of pure ghee and butter. Murgmakhani also provided a balance to tandoori chicken, which was dry because it was charcoal cooked. Nans and parathas, rotis made of maize flour are typical Punjabi breads. Of course, over the years the roti has been modified to add more variety, so there is the rumali roti, the naan and the lacchaparathas, all cooked in the tandoor. Winter, in Punjab, brings in the season of the famous

makkikiroti(maize flour bread) and sarsonkasaag(mustard leaf gravy). No meal is complete without a serving of lassi( sweet or salted drink made with curd) or fresh curd and white butter which is consumed in large quantities. The other popular dishes, which belong exclusively to Punjab, are ma ki dal, rajma (kidney beans) and stuffed parathas.
In a vastly diverse country like India, every region has something typical to offer whether it is in clothes or in food or in its music, dance and art. Punjab, the land of milk and honey, boasts of a robust climate where the agricultural revolution has reaped rich dividends. The land of plenty has a cuisine, which caters to the characteristic needs of the people. Punjabi cuisine is not subtle in its flavor. There are no intricate marinades or exotic sauces but it has full-bodied masalas (spices) cooked with liberal amount of desi ghee (clarified butter) always served with a liberal helping of butter or cream. Milk and its products are an essential part of every daycookery, curd and buttermilk are also an essential concomitant with every Punjabi meal. A predominantly wheat eating people, the Punjabis cook rice only on special occasions. Its never eaten plain or steamed, for steamed rice implies that

somebody is sick. Rice is eaten always with a Bagar (flavoring) of cumin or fried onions with Rajma or Kadhi, Rajma with rice or rice with Kadhi is eaten or holidays or on festive days. In winter rice is cooked with Gur or with peas called matarwalechawal or as a delicacy called Rao Ki Kheer which is rice cooked on very slow fire for hours together with sugar cane juice. In Punjab itself, there are differences in flavors and style. For example, people around Amritsar prefer well-fried stuffed paraunthas and milk sweets. The people of Doaba region eat more of them; in the Malwa region Bajra (ground maize) khitchadi (kedgeree) is a delicacy. There are a course certain dishes, which are part and parcel of Punjab, and their very mention conjures up the rich flavor of the state. Mahki Dal, SarsonKaSaag and Makkee Ki Roti, meat curry like Roghan Josh and stuffed paraunthas can be found in no other state except Punjab. The food is suitable for these who burn up a lot of calories while working in the fields and tilling their small acres. For the urban folk, however, eating even one dish is enough because life in the cities is so sedentary. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic, ginger and a lot of tomatoes fried in pure ghee. Passion of Punjab on a Platter

SarsonKaSaagMakke Di Roti Punjab is the right place to be if you want to know what culinery delights are. A typical Indian Punjabi meal comprises of Sarsonkasaag and makke di roti with a lot of other mouth watering dishes. However sarsonkasaag is a world famous delicacy that activates one's taste buds and leaves you asking for more. Sarsonkasaag is a luscious green gravy, made out of mustard seeds. Cooked with masalas and enhanced with oil seasoning, this dish is relished countrywide. Sarsonkasaag is often accompanied by Indian breadMakkiki roti (corn bread). They both compliment and eachother and the roti is presented with a dash of ghee, that makes it a total delight to relish!

is a cylindrical clay oven used in cooking and baking. The tandoor is used for cooking in Azerbaijan, India, Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, the Balkans, the Middle East, Central Asia as well as Burma and Bangladesh. The heat for a tandoor was traditionally generated by a charcoal fire or wood fire, burning within the tandoor itself, thus exposing the food to livefire, radiant heat cooking, and hotair, convection cooking, and smoking by the fat and

food juices that drip on to the charcoal. Temperatures in a tandoor can approach 480 C (900 F), and it is common for tandoor ovens to remain lit for long periods to maintain the high cooking temperature. The tandoor design is something of a transitional form between a makeshift earth oven and the horizontalplan masonry oven. The tandoor is used for cooking certain types of Iranian, Afghan, Pakistani and Indian foods such as tandoori chicken, chicken tikka and bread varieties like tandoori roti and naan. The word tandoori is the adjective meaning "pertaining to the tandoor" and is used to describe a dish cooked in a tandoor. The tandoor was popularised during Muslim reign in South Asia. It is thought to have travelled to Central Asia and the Middle East along with the Romapeople, who originated amongst the Thar Desert tribes. In India, the tandoor is also known by the name of bhatti. The Bhatti tribe of the Thar Desert of northwestern India and eastern Pakistan developed the Bhatti in their desert abode, and thus it gained the name. The tandoor is currently a very important fixture in many Pakistani/Indian restaurants around the world. Some modern day tandoors use electricity or gas instead of charcoal.

Many Indian restaurants around the globe till late 90"s are influenced by North Indian Cuisine. Indian restaurant cuisine has been influenced by Indian chefs who have migrated from North of India Specially Punjabi style restaurants. They created a fusion of the two great cuisines-the local and the Home bought Indian Cuisine by adopting cream sauces in their Indian recipes. North Indian cuisine is distinguished by the proportionally high use of dairy products; milk, paneer, ghee (clarified butter), and yoghurt (yogurt, yoghourt) are all common ingredients. Gravies are typically dairy-based. Other common ingredients include chilies, saffron, and nuts. The Mughal influence has resulted in meat-eating habits among many North Indians. Also, a variety of flours are used to make different types of breads like chapathis. rotis, phulkas, puris and naan. North Indian cooking features the use of the "tawa" (griddle) for baking flat breads like roti and paratha, and "tandoor" (a large and cylindrical charcoal-fired oven) for baking breads such as naan, and kulcha; main courses like tandoori chicken also cook in the tandoor. Other breads like puri and bhatoora, which are deep fried in oil, are also common. Goat and

lamb meats are favored ingredients of many northern Indian recipes. The samosa is a popular North Indian snack, and now commonly found in other parts of India, Central Asia, North America, Britain and the Middle East. A common variety is filled with boiled, fried, or mashed potato. Other fillings include minced meat, cheese (paneer), mushroom (khumbi), and chick pea. The staple food of most of North India is a variety of lentils, vegetables, and roti (wheat based bread). The varieties used and the method of preparation can vary from place to place. Popular snacks, sidedishes and drinks include mirchibada, buknu, bhujiya, chaat, kachori, imarti, several types of pickles (known as achar), murabba, sharbat, aampanna and aampapad. Popular sweets are known as mithai (means sweetmeat in Hindi), such as gulabjamun, jalebi, peda, petha, rewadi, gajak, balmithai, singori, kulfi, falooda, khaja, rasmalai, gulkand, and several varieties of laddu, barfi and halwa. Some common North Indian Recipes such as the various kebabs and most of the meat dishes

originated with Muslims" incursions into the country. Considering their shared historic and cultural heritage, Pakistani cuisine and North Indian cuisine are very similar source