Search locations or food
OR
Sign up

What to eat in Northern India? Top 14 Northern Indian Meat Dishes

Last update: Thu Feb 13 2025
Top 14 Northern Indian Meat Dishes
VIEW MORE
01
Murgh makhani
Murgh makhani infographic
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Probably the best known of all Indian dishes, murgh makhani, internationally referred to as butter chicken, is a staple dish at most Indian restaurants. The dish originated in Delhi during the 1950s, when a man named Kundan Lal Gujral opened his restaurant called Moti Mahal.


The restaurant's cooks combined leftover marinade juices with tomatoes and butter, and then stewed the tandoor-cooked chicken in it, without even knowing that they have accidentally stumbled upon one of the most loved dishes ever and a future international delicacy. 

MOST ICONIC Murgh makhani

View more
1
2
3
4
5
02
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Tandoori chicken or tandoori murgh is one of the most popular dishes in Indian cuisine, its name derived from the Persian word tannur, meaning fire. The dish consists of chicken meat that is marinated in yogurt, seasoned with tandoori masala, nutmeg, and cumin, then placed on skewers.


It is a unique dish because of the way it is prepared - traditionally, it is cooked at high temperatures in cylindrical clay ovens called tandoor, resulting in succulent meat with a smokey flavor. One popular theory suggests that it was invented by a man named Kundan Lal Gujral in his restaurant Moti Mahal (Palace of Pearls). 

MOST ICONIC Tandoori murgh

1
2
3
4
03

Stew

JAMMU AND KASHMIR, India
4.3
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Rogan josh is an aromatic lamb curry that is believed to be of Persian origin, although today it is more closely associated with the Kashmir region of India. The stew is characterized by tender meat and a thick, fiery red sauce coming from deseeded Kashmiri chillies.


Lamb pieces are typically stewed in a gravy made with browned onions, garlic, yogurt, ginger, and aromatic herbs and spices. The name of the dish is derived from two words: rogan, meaning clarified butter or oil, and josh, referring to passion or heat

MOST ICONIC Rogan josh

1
2
04

Stew

DELHI, India and  one more country
4.3
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Nihari is a popular meat-based dish originating from Old Delhi. When Pakistan gained independence in 1947, numerous immigrants from Delhi settled in Karachi, where they established their own restaurants, so nihar is also associated with Pakistani cuisine.


The dish consists of slowly cooked meat such as beef shanks, mutton, or chicken. The meat is cooked together with stock and numerous spices such as cumin, cloves, garam masala, and cardamom in big vessels which are sealed with dough. It takes anywhere from six to eight hours for nihari to be cooked properly, and it is traditionally consumed for breakfast, since the name of the dish is derived from the Arabic word nahar, meaning morning

MOST ICONIC Nihari

View more
1
2
3
4
5
05

Stew

RAJASTHAN, India
3.9
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Laal maas is a traditional curry variety originating from Rajasthan. This curry is prepared with mutton (often marinated in kachari cucumbers), yogurt, and Mathania red chili peppers. Other common ingredients include onions, garlic, coriander seeds, ghee, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon.


Once prepared, laal maas can be thick or more on the liquid side. It's traditionally accompanied by wheat flour chapatis and steamed rice. In the past, the curry was prepared with wild game meat, hence the abundance of chili peppers in the dish that are used to mask the gamy aromas, but nowadays it's prepared with mutton, especially during festive occasions and festivals.

MOST ICONIC Laal maas

1
06

Lamb Dish

JAMMU AND KASHMIR, India
n/a
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Tabak maaz is a traditional dish originating from Kashmir. It's usually made with a combination of lamb ribs, garlic, ginger, cloves, cardamom, turmeric, oil or ghee, and salt. The ribs are boiled with garlic, separated into pieces, and the reserved cooking water is brought to a boil in a pot.


The ribs are placed in the pot with ginger, cloves, cardamom, salt, and turmeric. The bones are removed and the ribs are arranged in a frying pan over ghee or oil. They're fried until browned so that the flavors are sealed in. Once drained from the oil, tabak maaz is ready to be served. 
07

Stew

HIMACHAL PRADESH, India
n/a
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Mutton rara is a traditional Himachali stew originating from the northern parts of India, where it’s prepared during special occasions. The dish is made with a combination of marinated mutton chunks, onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, lemon juice, chili peppers, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, oil, bay leaves, ghee, and salt.


The meat is marinated in a mixture of dahi, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, and turmeric. The stew is cooked until the mutton becomes tender, and lemon juice is added near the end of cooking. Once done, mutton rara is usually garnished with coriander leaves, and the dish is then served hot with Indian flatbreads such as naan, roti, or laccha paratha on the side.

08

Stew

JAMMU AND KASHMIR, India
n/a
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Goshtaba is a traditional curry originating from the Kashmir region. The curry consists of mutton meatballs simmered in a spicy dahi gravy. It's made with a combination of minced mutton, mustard oil, fennel powder, cumin powder, fenugreek powder, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, black cardamom, cumin seeds, ghee, dahi, and saffron.


Once prepared, the stew is garnished with saffron threads and coriander leaves before it's served piping hot. It's recommended to serve goshtaba with rice or butter garlic naan on the side. The dish is usually prepared for important ceremonies, and it's often dubbed The Dish of Kings
09

Chicken Dish

NORTHERN INDIA, India
n/a
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Tangdi or tangri kabab is a traditional chicken dish originating from North India. The dish is made with chicken drumsticks that are grilled in a tandoor or over charcoal. Although there are many variations, with different recipes from one restaurant to another, the marinade is usually prepared with a combination of lemon juice and dahi, pepper, cream, corn flour, ginger-garlic paste, cardamom, and garam masala.


Once prepared, tangdi kabab is served hot with green chutney on the side.

10
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Kalmi kebab is a traditional dish influenced by Mughlai cuisine, and it’s especially popular in Punjab. The dish is made with chicken drumsticks that are marinated and shallow-fried on high heat in a pan until deep golden in color. The meat can also be prepared in a tandoor oven.


The marinade is usually made with a combination of dahi, cream, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, turmeric powder, cashews, jeera powder, garam masala, red chili powder, and black pepper. Once done, kalmi kebab is often served as an appetizer with pickled onions, rice, or chutneys on the side.

11
Stew
JAMMU AND KASHMIR, India
n/a
12
Stew
JAMMU AND KASHMIR, India
n/a
13
Lamb Dish
JAMMU AND KASHMIR, India
n/a
14

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 14 Northern Indian Meat Dishes” list until February 13, 2025, 1,252 ratings were recorded, of which 996 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

Show Map
Northern Indian Meat Dishes