Mughlai cuisine is rich, creamy, deliciously spiced and liberally sprinkled with nuts and saffron. In the south, curries are mainly vegetable and inclined to be more hot. Coconut is a major ingredient of South Indian cooking. One regional distinction is that whereas in the south rice is the staple food, in the north this is supplemented and sometimes substituted by a wide range of flat breads, such as Pooris, Chappatis and Nan . Sweets are principally milk based puddings, pastries and pancakes.
Western confectionery is available in major centres.
It is common to finish the meal by chewing Pan as a digestive. Pan is a betel leaf in which are wrapped spices such as aniseed and cardamon. Besides the main dishes, there are also countless irresistible snacks available on every street corner, such as samosa , fritters , dosa and vada . For the more conservative visitor, western cooking can always be found. Indeed, the best styles of cooking from throughout the world can be experienced in the major centres in India.