From Sannata Raita to Chana Dal Fare: 10 desi dishes that need a comeback in modern kitchens

India is a land of rich and diverse flavors, with every state boasting its own culinary delights. While crowd-pleasers like biryani, samosa chaat, and chole bhature get plenty of attention, many traditional desi dishes have quietly faded from everyday kitchens. While they may take time and effort to prepare, they promise to offer satisfaction and nostalgia. Take a look at some forgotten desi delights that truly deserve a comeback in modern homes.

This raita dish is native to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and is loaded with antioxidants and several essential nutrients. It is made with yoghurt, cumin, rock salt, cumin, hing, green chillies. Some versions of this side dish also use cucumbers, pomegranates and local vegetables which are known to have cooling properties. (Image: istock)

These are steamed dumplings and are made with rice flour or wheat flour and are stuffed with soaked and coarsely blended chana dal seasoned with spices, ginger, garlic, and green chillies. It is made in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Chattisgarh too.

This dish is native to Andhra Pradesh and refers to vegetables cooked in a spicy pepper-based coconut gravy. The main ingredients used in this dish are black pepper (miriyam),which gives the dish its signature heat and depth. It also uses coconut, lentils, and seasonal veggies like drumsticks, raw banana, and ash gourd. (Image: Instagram/therakeshraghunathan)

It is a rich and rustic Punjabi rice pudding, where the broken rice is slow-cooked in sugarcane juice until it thickens and offers a natural caramel-coloured tone. It is often topped with roasted nuts and cardamom powder. (Image: istock)

This rice dessert is native to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where rice is cooked in jaggery and water and is often topped with roasted peanuts and grated ginger, which offers it the perfect kick. It is made on festivals like Chhath Puja, Naag Panchami, and even during wedding celebrations.

It’s a traditional rice cake from Tripura and is made of guria rice (also known as sticky rice), cashews, raisins and ghee. This rice mixture is steamed in a special type of leaf also known as Lairu. (Image: Instagram/daily_cuisines)

It is a Karnataka-style poha (flattened rice) dish made with tamarind-based masala, spices, and a touch of sweetness. It’s a popular breakfast or light evening snack that also uses tamarind pulp, jaggery, mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies, and ground spices. (Image: Instagram/cookandclickbydeepa)

It is a Gujarati dry curry made with gunda (glue berry or bird lime fruit), oil, and spices like mustard seeds, turmeric, red chili powder, hing, and jaggery. In some regions people also add mango pieces in it. It is best paired with roti or bajra no rotlo. (Image: Instagram/pinch_of_yum_)

Also known as Rose Cookies, this dish is a traditional snack from Tamil Nadu which is eaten on Christmas and special occasions. These cookies are made of rice flour, eggs, coconut milk, sesame seeds, sugar and salt and are fried to perfection. (Image: istock)

It is a traditional Assamese non-vegetarian dish made with fish (Maas) and fermented bamboo shoot (Khorisa).This dish is made by frying fish pieces in mustard oil and spices and then cooking them with fermented bamboo shoots. (Image: Instagram/shot_and_framed)