r/IndianFood

Some foods just hit differently when they're homemade.

Which one is it for you?

I normally eat with only my hands whenever I eat curries , but I was in an Indian restaurant yesterday and I was the only person eating with my hands. And I’ve realised, every-time I’ve gone to a restaurant that serves Indian curries I’ve only ever eaten with my hands.

I am not south asian but wondering if this is okay with the staff? I don’t want to be rude

We Indians love aalu. In many different styles. With parathas, roti, thepla or poodi and not to forget dosa.

So, a few days ago I went through a thread about different styles of making kadhi, and I contributed to it by suggesting a Gujarati kadi recipe.

I wonder, how different regions prepare and enjoy their aalu sabji?

There's a restaurant in my city which serves typical rajasthani unlimited thali with kadhi aalu and unlimited rotis(tawa roti whole wheat no maida).The size is like 75 percent of rotis we make at home. I ate 22 of them last week

A well cooked roti hot and made of wheat is just so so tasty nothing comes close. Infact if it's a missi roti I can even it with pudina chatni and call it a day.

22 degree temperature December winter North West India and hot rotis nothing beats it

Please suggest HEALTHY quick recipes or something which can be bought as snacks/munchies for the late-night World Cup matches.

My background is South Indian. My family history is not fully understood. My parents aren't very open about talking about their heritage, and when I ask, I usually just get vague answers. They both speak Hindi, but they cook amazing Indian food and I've picked up a few techniques from them over time.

I've been cooking Indian food for a few years now. I know some basics like bhuno, sweating onions properly, etc. But I want to actually improve and get better at it, not just wing it.

Main issue is I live alone and my parents live far away, so I can't really ask them for help when I'm cooking. I also don't have any Indian neighbours nearby. I don't speak Hindi either, so I rely on English subtitles for cooking videos. I usually watch Ranveer Brar.

Any tips for improving Indian cooking when you're kind of on your own with it?

Hey guys, what is it that vendors put in the food from a plastic bottle that looks like water? Is it lemon? Vinegar? I have seen it in many places where they cook some appetizers and grab 1-2 different bottles that have a tiny whole in the lid and put that water in for say macaroni etc.

My family has a coffee farm in Coorg, and we have around 200 avocado trees planted between the coffee plants. Avocados are a secondary crop for us, but demand seems to be growing every year.

Our avocados are the larger Indian variety (not Hass). Some fruits weigh up to 700–750g, the taste and texture are excellent, although a few trees produce smaller fruits. Since they're grown alongside coffee, the water requirements have worked out well for our farm.

Here's what I'm struggling with:

I'm currently selling directly to local cafés, juice shops, fruit vendors, and restaurants by cold outreach. Prices I've sold at range from ₹50–100/kg, with an average of about ₹70/kg.

But then I see supermarkets, premium fruit stores, and quick-commerce apps selling avocados for ₹150–300/kg, and sometimes even ₹150 per fruit. I know there are middlemen, logistics, and retail margins involved, but I still feel like I'm missing something.

Long term, I'd like to build a reliable supply business rather than just selling as a farmer. I want to understand the market, create consistent demand, and maybe even build a brand around our avocados.

If you were in my position:

- How would you find better buyers?

- Would you focus on D2C, B2B, branding, or something else?

- Is digital marketing actually worth it for a farm like this?

- What mistakes do you think I'm making?

I'm not looking to promote my farm here—I'm genuinely trying to understand how this market works. I'd really appreciate advice from anyone who's worked in farming, food businesses, retail, or distribution.

I'm from Bulandshahr and roti is a main thing here. In urban areas rice us cooked once or twice a week but in rural areas its hardly a part of staple diet. Also you'd almost never see only rice being cooked and not rotis.We also consume it with spoon. Curious to know about other parts of India in this regard

Since I am from Lucknow vada pav is not that famous in my city so I haven't eaten it but it's a signature dish of Mumbai ...so I want to ask that when you eat it . Doesn't it taste dry like there is bun than aloo ka pakora ..and what's so special about it that it's so famous because it's literally bun and pakora no offense just asking

I'm asking in the context of a school lunch? I'm looking to pack a few lunch boxes for children with the usual roti - sabzi, or dosa/uttappams, or idlis, etc.? I want to introduce tiny delights occasionally in their lunch boxes, and I wanted to know if your parents had anything fun and creative they would add - especially if you were a picky eater?

I love cooking up BIR food and I'm looking for a great vegetable samosa filling recipe. I've tried a couple from misty ricardo and the curry guy but they just don't seem to be like my favourite takeaway. Any recommendations?

With thanks.

Quick disclosure: I run Vedaarth Farms, a small batch cold-pressed oil producer in Pune. We make cold-pressed mustard oil from Rajasthan sourced seed. This isn't a "refined oil is bad" post it's an explainer on what refining actually changes, because most people are choosing between the two with no real information.

The question I keep getting

Can I actually cook with cold-pressed mustard oil, or is it just for salads?

People use extra virgin olive oil to cook without a second thought, but assume cold-pressed mustard oil can't handle heat. That assumption comes from one repeated message**: higher smoke point = better cooking oil.** True, but incomplete.

Smoke point isn't the whole story

Smoke point matters, but it's one variable among several fatty acid composition, oxidative stability, flavor, and what you're actually cooking. Judging an oil only on smoke point is like buying a car for its top speed and ignoring everything else.

And here's the part people miss: most home cooking sauteing, tempering, stir frying, shallow frying happens in the 120–190°C range. Most edible oils, refined or not, handle that range fine.

What "cold-pressed" actually means

It's a description of the extraction process, not the crop. Oil is mechanically pressed at low temperature (we keep ours under ~40°C) instead of chemically refined for maximum yield. The tradeoff: less oil recovered, slower production, higher cost, stronger natural flavor.

Refining degumming, neutralizing, bleaching, deodorizing produces a more neutral, consistent, shelf stable oil. That's a real advantage for restaurants and manufacturers who need batch-to-batch consistency. It also strips out some of the aroma compounds and minor natural constituents (certain tocopherols, phytosterols, pigments) that give cold-pressed oil its character.

Neither process is "better." They're optimized for different jobs.

Is one healthier?

Honestly the evidence doesn't support blanket claims either way. Health outcomes depend on overall diet, quantity, and individual factors, not which single oil is in your kadhai. The real case for cold-pressed mustard oil is flavor and minimal processing, not miracle claims. Anyone selling you "cold-pressed cures X" is selling, not informing.

When refined actually wins

Commercial deep frying, delicate baking, anything where you want the oil to disappear into the background refined is the right tool.

When cold-pressed earns its place

Tempering (tadka), fish curries, sabzis, pickles, anything where the oil's flavor is part of the dish this is where mustard oil has been used for generations in Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and Rajasthan for a reason.

Bottom line

Pick based on what you're cooking and what you value not on which side has louder marketing.

FAQ

Can I use cold-pressed mustard oil every day?

Yes this is how it's traditionally been used across large parts of India. Normal precautions apply: don't overheat any oil repeatedly, use it fresh.

Is refined mustard oil unhealthy?

No it's a legitimate, regulated product. The difference is processing and flavor retention, not "good vs bad."

Why does cold-pressed smell stronger?

Because the natural aroma compounds survive extraction instead of being deodorized out.

Why does it cost more?

Smaller batches, slower extraction, lower yield, more attention to raw material. You're paying for process, not a different crop.

Does it have a lower smoke point?

Often, yes but for most home cooking, that matters less than people assume.

Happy to answer questions on extraction, mustard varieties, storage, or sourcing. If I don't know something, I'll say so.

I know India is a diverse country, and every state has its own version of kadhi. As a chronic kadhi chawal lover, I would really like to know your version of favorite kadhi. Or maybe you could share your favorite recipe.

I have travelled to over 30 countries and have had the most amazing native dishes there. Be it Italian, French, Mexican, Japanese, Thai, Mediterranean, and each of them had their own beauty.

But given a chance to chose one dish, I would still chose daal chawal for life. I don't really have a reason for it. Absolutely nothing feels as fulfilling as a good portion of it. It truly makes you complete.

Just felt like sharing :)

I'm probably the biggest red sauce pasta fan. I can eat it any day, but here's the thing I absolutely hate white sauce pasta Idk the reason.

I've tried the usual creamy, maida + milk versions, and they just don't work for me that make's me hate fs. 😅

So I'm looking for a white sauce pasta recipe that could actually convert a red sauce lover. Not the basic bechamel recipe I want something with a twist. Maybe roasted garlic, cheese combinations, herbs, mushrooms, caramelized onions, or anything that makes it genuinely addictive.

If you hated white sauce before but found that one recipe that changed your mind, please share it. I really want to give it one last chance!

Hi, my girlfriend is from Hyderabad (we live in Australia) and misses the street food. Puri Puri Pani Puri and Samosas are some of her favourites. I am looking for recipes that I can make for her.

I don't mind something difficult and there is an Indian grocer nearby so I'm pretty sure I should be able to obtain necessary ingredients unless they're really obscure and make any recipe unless it requires specialized equipment.