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.
North Indian cooking features the use of the "tawa" (griddle) for
baking flat breads like roti and paratha, and "tandoor"(a large and
cylindrical coal-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 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
dishes include buknu, gujiya, chaat, daal ki kachauri, mirchi bada,
jalebi, imarti, several types of pickles (or achar), murabba,
sharbat, pana and aam papad. Popular sweets include mithai,
such as gulab jamun, peda, khurchan, petha, rewdi, gajak, milk
cake, balushahi, bal mithai, singori, kulfi, falooda, khaja, ras
malai, gulqand, and several varieties of laddu, barfi and halwa.
Some common North Indian foods such as the various kebabs
and most of the meat dishes originated with Muslims’ advent into
the country. Pakistan was part of North India prior to the partition
of India. As a result, Pakistani cuisine is very similar to northern
Indian cuisine.

