Ashikur Rahman sheikh

The character of a country can be best understood by its culinary essence. India’s vast scape of kitchens and gastro-heritage makes this an especially great country for foodies to visit. Even though it is impossible to sample food from all states, one can include some of the top restaurants of major cities to give a peek inside the exciting cuisines. They resonate the diversity of India’s many states, languages, cultures and recipes. Here’s our pick of the best dishes and where you can get them.

• Tamarind Crab, beans foogath and coconut curry – Looking for a contemporary twist to your Indian cuisine? Look no further than Indian Accent in New Delhi. The award-winning restaurant of the Lodhi Hotel promises to take you on a unique culinary journey. The crab curry with beans foogath and coconut curry is an ode to classic Indian style crab. The use of coconut takes your palate to South India, or the adjoining Sri Lanka where the ingredient is an abiding part of food.
• Butter Pepper Garlic Crab – Head to Trishna in Mumbai to rub shoulders with ardent sea food lovers – locals, celebrities from the film industry, Bollywood, and everyone who can’t resist a good bite of coastal cuisine. The eye on the flavours makes up for the lack of attention to the décor and interiors. The butter pepper garlic crab clubbed with naan is an essential to try on the menu.
• Mutton Nihari– Wedged between the slim by lanes of the Old Delhi area, Karim’s is an institution in its self. More than a 100 years old, it is packed to the rafters every day and more so during Ramadan and Islamic festivals. The mutton nihari is a rich broth made of wheat flour, ground meat and spices. It is a breakfast dish designed to keep you going for the full day. Tasting Nizam’s mutton nihari is divine.
• Indian Thaali – The classic Indian thaali offers the chance to sample many vegetables, curries, daal and condiments along with different breads in one big meal. Usually eaten at lunch, this is a large, diverse meal that is sure to satisfy the palate. Suvarna Mahal, the in-house restaurant of Taj Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, offers a extensive thaali, bound to take you on a Rajasthani gastro journey – all in a meal’s time. Both the meal and the ambience are exclusive and in-depth slants to your visit, giving a peek into the royal history the kitchens of Rajasthan.
• Chilean sea bass and parsnip – Continental cuisine is not elusive to the Indian palate – especially not when it’s prepared by one of the leading kitchens of the country at Olive Bar and Kitchen in Delhi. Located in the shadow of the ancient minaret, Qutub Minar. Try the Chilean sea bass and parsnip for a blend of fresh and delicate flavours for a light meal. Both nutritious and delicious, the combination is a favourite of regulars.
• Sichuan food – The bold flavours that originate in China align to the Indian taste, making it one of the most loved cuisines. The best place to try this is at the Golden Dragon, the in-house restaurant at the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai. Dominated by hot, sweet and spicy flavours, which are complemented by non-spicy dishes to placate the palate. A typical Sichuan meal will give you a 360-degree orientation to sour, pungent, hot, sweet, bitter, aromatic and salty flavours.
• Sikandari Raan and Family Naan – The northwest frontier cuisine borrows from the rich and aromatic flavours of North India, Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan. But you needn’t travel the distance to get a bite of the best flavours of the region. All you need to do is go to Agra. Peshawari is one of the oldest restaurants of the city and offers the most sumptuous cuisine. The Sikandari Rann is a spiced leg of lamb, best eaten with a soft naan (bread).
• Southeast Asian cuisine – the colonial remnants live strong in the Imperial Hotel in Janpath Road, Delhi. For the foodies, the highlight lies in visiting Spice Route, a famous pit stop for those who are partial to South East Asian cuisine. The classic pineapple salad should be followed by other well-whetted dishes like Pia Nerng, a steamed fillet of Sole fish with Khing ginger and Shitake mushrooms and Ped Makham. The roasted duck served with sweet tamarind sauce is excellent.
• Kerala Special Fish Tikka – Nothing pays homage to history better than food. Kerala, the slim coastal slice of South India was a flourishing trading port that shares a history with Morocco and Italy amongst many other countries. An ode to the past lives in the form of Villa Maya, a restaurant well known for fish tikka and Kerala cuisine. Located in Trivandrum, the restaurant offers the perfect ambience in its 18th century restored Dutch manor to go with the fine tuned flavours.
• Stuffed Squid – India’s long coastline ensures a steady supply of a variety of delicious seafood options. Stuffed squid at Bomras not to be missed, a high-end Burmese cuisine restaurant on a hidden terrace, shaded by trees. Exceptionally tasty squid along with Tea Salad make the restaurant a top pick in Goa.
  Each city has a stellar list of restaurants with glowing reviews from locals and other travellers. Try and visit a place that offers a new taste. Hopefully, you will be taking many gastronomic accents of India home, even if you don’t visit all the destinations.