7 Indian Foods Included In The Oxford Dictionary

By Niveditha Kalyanaraman

September 24th, 2023

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Straight from a Desi kitchen into an Oxford page, the famous dictionary unveiled on its 70th anniversary, the inclusion of a few Indian food names in its book. Here are 7 Indian food names included in the Oxford dictionary.

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Raita

A cold side dish that's the centre of attention within this dictionary's pages. It consists of yogurt or curds with herbs or spices and cut vegetables or fruits.

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Muligatawny

We'll wait for you to pronounce it. Mulligatawny is a direct borrowing from the Tamil miḷaku-taṇṇīr (which combines milaku, ‘black pepper’, and tannir, ‘water’). It refers to a spicy soup which became popular amongst the British, particularly in Chennai.

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Curry

Desi households boast about their gravies and its aroma. Now you've another reason to boast even more! The English word curry is derived from the Tamil kari, a sauce commonly eaten with rice.

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Bhelpuri

A popular street food in Mumbai, Bhelpuri is the star of Indian street foods and is a delectable combination of puffed rice, onions, potatoes, sev, papadis, spicy and sweet chutneys.

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Chutney

Look it up in the dictionary and it has been described as ‘a strong hot relish or condiment composed of ripe fruits, acids, or sour herbs, and flavoured with chillies, spices, etc.’

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Dal

Dal is a type of dried, split pulse, which is widely used in India, across South Asia, and beyond. It's a highly rich source of protein and now sits comfortably in the dictionary.

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Kedgeree

Kedgeree is a dish consisting of cooked, flaked fish, boiled rice, parsley, hard-boiled eggs, curry powder, butter or cream, and occasionally sultanas. The dish can be eaten hot or cold.

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