Eating habits[edit]

Paan is often eaten after dinner.

Indians consider a healthy breakfast important. They generally prefer to drink tea or coffee with
breakfast, though food preferences vary regionally. North Indian people prefer roti, parathas,
and a vegetable dish, accompanied by achar (pickles) and some curd.[131] People of western India
prefer dhokla and milk and South Indians prefer idlis and dosas, generally accompanied by
various chutneys.[132]
Lunch in India usually consists of a main dish of rice in the south and east, or whole wheat rotis
in the north and west. It typically includes two or three kinds of vegetables, and sometimes items
such as kulcha, naan, or parathas. Along with dessert, paan (betel leaves), which aid digestion,
are often eaten after lunch in parts of India.[19]
Indian families often gather for "evening breakfast," similar to tea time to talk, drink tea and eat
snacks. Dinner is considered as the main meal of the day.[133]

Desserts[edit]
Main article: List of Indian sweets and desserts
Many Indian sweets, or mithai, are fried foods made with sugar, milk or condensed milk.
Ingredients vary by region. In the eastern part of India, for example, most sweets are based on
milk products. See sections or articles on specific regional cuisines for their preferred types of
sweets.
Some common Indian sweets and desserts include:

Barfi: A sweet made of dried milk with ground cashews or pistachios, often served with a
thin layer of edible silver foil as decoration.[112]
Chikki: A sweet made out of peanuts and molasses.[113]
Gulab jamun: A dessert consisting of fried milk balls soaked in sweet syrup, such as rose
syrup or honey.[48]
Jalebi: Dough fried in a coil shape dipped in sugar syrup, often taken with milk, tea,
yogurt, or lassi.[114]
Mysore pak: A sweet dish of Karnataka, made of generous amounts of ghee (clarified
butter), sugar and gram flour.
Jauzi Halwa: Once upon a time, this was the Nizam of Hyderabad's favourite sweet.
Made from germinated wheat milk and khoya, this sweet is elegantly flavoured with
nutmeg and saffron.[115]
Kulfi: An Indian ice cream in a variety of flavours such as mango, saffron, or
cardamom.[116]
Kheer: A sweet rice pudding, usually made with rice and milk[19]
Malpoa: A type of pancake, made of wheat or rice flour, deep fried and dipped in sugar
syrup.[117]
Rasgulla: A popular sweetmeat, produced by boiling small balls of casein in sugar syrup.
Sandesh: A sweet made from cheese, kneaded with fine ground sugar and molasses.[48]
Shrikhand: A creamy dessert made out of strained yogurt, often served with dried fruits
such as mangoes.[118]
Kaju Katli: Similar to barfi, mainly comprises cashew powder along with ghee,
cardamom powder and sugar.[119]
Rabri: Rabri is a sweet, condensed milk based dish made by boiling the milk on low heat
for a long time until it becomes dense and changes its color to pinkish. Sugar, spices and
nuts are added for flavour. It is chilled and served as dessert.[120]

Aasam
Pitha[edit]

Pitha (rice cake) is a special class of rice preparation generally made only on special occasions
like Bihu in Assam. Made usually with soaked and ground rice, they could be fried in oil, roasted
over a slow fire or baked and rolled over a hot plate. Some pithas are Til Pitha, Ghila Pitha,
Xutuli Pitha, Sunga Pitha, Bhapotdiya Pitha, Lakhimi Pitha, Tora Pitha, Tekeli Pitha, Deksi
Pitha, Muthiya Pitha, Kholasapori Pitha, etc. It is even made in other areas such as West
Bengal,Maharashtra,Orissa(Odhisa), etc.
Laru[edit]

Larus are sweet balls that are associated with traditional Assamese food: Laskara, narikolor laru,
tilor laru are often seen in Assamese cuisine.