Desi foods have garnered attraction around the world as several of them were listed among the top 100 best dishes in the World to try in 2024.

TasteAtlas, a culinary travel guide, has released a list of 100 Best Dishes in the World in which desi foods loved by the locals in Pakistan and India were recommended for the foodies.

Traditional butter garlic naan was named in the list as one of the best-known types of naan. The naan is made by using flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar, and yogurt or curd. Although, the website associated it with India, it is also widely popular and enjoyed by locals in Pakistan.

“The dough is shaped into a teardrop or an oval and baked traditionally in the tandoor oven. When prepared at home, it is oven-baked or fried in a tawa (a wide pan). When baked, it is brushed with a mixture of melted butter and chopped garlic, which will occasionally also include chopped cilantro,” according to TasteAtlas.

Tikka (Chicken, Murgh), another street food widely popular in Pakistan and India alike, has also been ranked in the best dishes to try.

Tikka, another dish associated with India is a popular dish available at almost all desi eateries in Pakistan.

Tikka consists of boneless meat, usually chicken, that is cut into smaller pieces and marinated in yogurt and traditional spices such as turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, chili, garlic, and ginger.

Tandoori (Chicken) also made it to the list due to its special flavour, most of which comes from the traditional combination of spices.

The dish is cooked over a blazing fire in a tandoor, a cylindrical open-top clay oven fueled by wood or charcoal.

“The tandoori technique evolved from an old Middle Eastern method of baking bread, which spread to other parts of the continent, including northwestern India, where people began experimenting with cooking meats and other foods in tandoors, adding special marinades and spice rubs, both of which are now integral parts of Indian-style tandoori cooking,” according to the culinary guide website.

The website associated Roti canai, similar to a paratha in the sub-continent, with Malaysia. The pan-fried flatbread is made with flour, water, eggs, and fat of Indian origin. The dish is also associated with surrounding countries like Indonesia, Brunei, and Thailand.

The dough for roti canai is repeatedly folded, so the final product has a layered texture, a soft interior, and a crispy outer layer. The process makes it similar to a paratha in Pakistan and India which is widely popular as essential item in the breakfast.