6 Regional Foods From Across India That Bring Local Traditions To The Plate

India's monsoon season brings forth a rich array of regional foods that showcase local traditions and ingredients. Six chefs share their insights into the staple dishes that define each region during the rainy months.

In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Gongura Pachadi is a must-have comfort food. This fiery chutney, made from sour gongura leaves, adds a sharp, tangy flavor to hot rice and ghee. Chef N Gopi explains that gongura is traditionally consumed during monsoons for its sharpness, balancing the tartness of the leaves with roasted chili peppers and spices.

Himachal Pradesh's Lingri and Lingura Pickle is a prized delicacy that appears only during the monsoon season. Tender fiddlehead ferns, known as lingri, are gathered and preserved as pickles using mustard seed, fenugreek, mustard oil, and red chili. Chef Karan Mehta from Le Meridien, New Delhi, describes the pickle as balanced and aromatic, with an earthy character and mild spiciness.

Assam's Khar and Bamboo Shoot Pickle highlight the region's unique culinary techniques. Khar, made from ashes of sun-dried banana peels, is an alkaline ingredient used to stimulate digestion during the monsoon. Young bamboo shoots are fermented into a tangy, crunchy pickle that lasts through the wet months. Chef Mukesh Dhoundiyal of TAT, Mumbai, praises the distinctive flavors created through alkaline cooking and fermentation.

Kerala's Nendran Banana Chips and Pathiri are two beloved monsoon treats. Golden chips fried in coconut oil are a staple on the Onam Sadya leaf, while Pathiri, a silky pancake of roasted rice flour, complements spiced gravies. Chef Helly Raichura of Enter Via Laundry, Melbourne, admires the starchy, flavorful Nendran bananas that are ideal for making chips, as they are not found elsewhere.

Coastal and Malnad Karnataka celebrate monsoon through leaf-wrapped steamed delicacies. Savory Pathrode, made from colocasia leaves and a spiced batter, is a popular choice, while Patholi, a rice and coconut-jaggery filling steamed inside fresh turmeric leaves, is a sweet treat. Chef Avishek Das of Hilton Bangalore Embassy GolfLinks notes that monsoon cooking in Karnataka relies on hyper-seasonal greens, allowing the leaves to bring an earthy perfume to the dishes.

Maharashtra's monsoon is characterized by two humble yet satisfying classics. Kanda Bhajji, thin onions folded in spiced gram flour, is a rainy-day ritual often paired with cutting chai. Pithla Bhakri, a rural dish made with soft gram flour, mustard, cumin, garlic, and turmeric, is paired with hand-patted jowar bhakri and fiery thecha. Chef Bhushan of Sheraton Grand Pune Bund Garden Hotel praises these dishes for their warmth, simplicity, and nourishing qualities during the wet season.