Protein-rich savoury pancakes of soaked moong dal with ginger and chilli – Delhi's breakfast cart classic.

Karnataka's power food: soft finger-millet balls swallowed with a tangy lentil-greens bassaru.

Rustic pearl-millet flatbreads from Rajasthan, eaten hot with ghee, jaggery and fiery garlic chutney.

The farmer's meal of Maharashtra: quick gram-flour pithla with rustic jowar bhakri, raw onion and green chilli thecha.

Soft, chewy sago pearls tossed with roasted peanuts, potato and cumin – Maharashtra's favourite fasting dish.

Comforting matta rice kanji with a dry green-gram stir-fry, pickle and papad – Kerala's soul food.

Tangy, spicy tamarind rice with peanuts and curry leaves – the festival and temple rice of Andhra and Telangana.

Protein-packed soya chunks in a spicy onion-tomato gravy – the student and hostel favourite all over India.

Crisp potato patties topped with spiced dried white-pea curry, chutneys, onion and sev – Mumbai's favourite chaat.

A peppery, warming soup-like rasam made with horse gram – Tamil grandmothers' remedy for cold days.

Creamy black-eyed beans in a Punjabi onion-tomato masala – simple, cheap and full of protein.

Black chickpeas in a roasted coconut gravy – Kerala's classic breakfast partner for puttu and appam.

Long green chillies stuffed with tangy tamarind masala, dipped in besan batter and fried – Andhra's rainy-day street snack.

Indore's famous street snack: grated sweetcorn cooked in milk with green chilli, mustard seeds and coconut.

A rich, mild chickpea curry in spiced yogurt from the dham feasts of Himachal Pradesh.

A light Tripuri stew of bamboo shoots, vegetables and green chilli, gently thickened with rice.

Mizoram's everyday green stew of leafy vegetables, pumpkin and beans – simple, light and healthy.

A warming Himalayan noodle soup with vegetables and chicken (or tofu) from the hills of Sikkim.

Meghalaya's Khasi one-pot rice cooked with pork (or chicken), ginger, onion and black pepper.

Manipur's beloved mash of boiled vegetables, roasted chillies and fermented fish – fiery and comforting.

A bold, tangy tamarind curry with salted dried fish – South India's karuvadu, or Goan-style with bacalhau.

Whole pomfret coated in red masala and semolina and pan-fried until crisp – the coastal favourite from Mumbai to Daman.

Assam's light, tangy fish curry soured with tomato and lemon – perfect for warm days.

Whole fried tilapia finished in a thick, spicy onion-tomato bhuna masala – everyday fish from Bangladesh.

The pride of Bengal and Bangladesh: hilsa steamed in a sharp mustard paste with green chillies and mustard oil.

A festive Bengali curry of fried rohu in a rich, slightly sweet onion, yogurt and garam masala gravy.

Kolkata's Sunday classic: goat meat slow-fried in mustard oil and onion until dark, rich and tender.

A smoky, fiery Naga-style chutney of roasted chillies, tomato and garlic – with habanero standing in for raja mircha.

Crumbled paneer cooked with onion, tomato and spices – Chandigarh's favourite quick breakfast and dinner.

A tangy Telangana curry of moringa drumsticks in tomato and roasted sesame-peanut masala.

Sweet, sour and hot ginger chutney from Andhra – the classic partner for pesarattu and idli.

Andhra's summer dal: toor dal cooked with sour green mango and finished with a garlic tempering.

A quick Karnataka stir-fry of green plantain with coconut, mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Kerala's beloved pairing: soft mashed tapioca (cassava) with a fiery red mackerel curry.

Delhi's winter street snack: roasted sweet potato tossed with chaat masala, lemon and chutney.

A crunchy, lightly cooked raw papaya and carrot salad from Gujarat – the classic partner for fafda and thepla.

A rustic mushroom curry with mustard oil, onion and garam masala, inspired by Jharkhand's monsoon rugda.

A light, homely dal from Uttar Pradesh with soft bottle gourd and nutty chana dal.

Okra pods stuffed with a tangy spice mix and pan-fried until crisp – a Rajasthani favourite.

A fiery red garlic chutney from Rajasthan – a spoonful lifts dal, bajra roti or sandwiches.

The gentle bitter-sweet vegetable medley that opens every Bengali feast – with bitter gourd, sweet potato and plantain.

A bright island curry of fish in coconut milk with lime, ginger and green chilli.