NORTH WEST CUISINE- Delhi, A Food Lovers Paradise:

From the North West Frontier Province comes the famed Peshawari cuisine, one of the legacies of India. This delectable cuisine can be best defined as rustic and robust.

The most popular aspect of this cuisine is tandoor cooking. The food is cooked in rustic style on slow fire for a long time especially for dishes like Haleem and Dal Makhani, which tastes best when cooked overnight on slow fire. The spices predominantly used include yellow chilli powder, garam masala which is home ground, cardamom, mace powder, royal cumin, carom.

AWADHI CUISINE- Lucknow, City of Kings and Queens:

Awadhi cuisine hails from the city of Nawabs, Lucknow. Lucknow is also the capital city of the North Indian State, Uttar Pradesh. Most of the dishes and cooking style of Lucknow is inspired by the Mughals, who had spent some time in Persia after their defeat in the Third Battle of Panipat. What the Mughals introduced was Mughlai cooking, adapted from the Persian way of cooking. Awadhi cuisine includes both vegetarian and non-vegetarian delights prepared in exotic spices and garnished with dry fruits. This cuisine was introduced by the deputies of the Mughal Emperor, namely, the Nawabs of Awadh, who were inhabitants of Persia (modern day Iran ) and were used to a particular diet which comprised of grains, fruits, dry fruits and vegetables that were available in that country, apart from meat in various forms. The Mughlai style of cooking was further refined by the Nawabs by adding exotic flavours of saffron and dry fruits.

DECCAN CUISINE- Hyderabad, The Charming City:

The cuisine emphasises the use of ingredients that are carefully chosen and cooked to the right degree and time. Utmost attention is given to picking the right kind of spices, meat, and rice. Therefore, an addition of a certain herb, spice, condiment, or a combination of these adds a distinct taste and aroma. The key flavours are of coconut, tamarind, peanuts and sesame seeds which are extensively used in many dishes. The key difference from the North Indian cuisine is the use of dry coconut and tamarind in its cuisine.

Traditional utensils made of copper, brass, and earthen pots are used for cooking. All types of cooking involve the direct use of fire. There is a saying in Hyderabad, cooking patiently is the key; slow-cooking is the hallmark of Hyderabadi cuisine.

MALABAR CUISINE- Food from the Arabian Sea Coast of India:

Malabar forming the northern Kerala is a mix of cultures. Malabar cuisine is noted for its variety of pancakes and steamed rice cakes made from pounded rice. Malabar food is generally mildly flavored and gently cooked.

The mutton is cooked tender, the rice flaky and delicately spiced with the right portions of condiments, to leave the taste lingering for long. That is the special brand of MalabariMoppilabiriyani. Biriyani - whether mutton, chicken, fish or prawn - is the USP of malabar cuisine.