Main course/ Main course recipes/List of main course recipes

The main course is the most important or substantial part of a meal, in a menu. It is preceded by the appetizers/starters and followed by the dessert.

It is accompanied by side dishes which can be salads, stir-fries, gravies, etc. Entrée, which in most parts of the world means an appetizer is a term used for the main course in the US.

This can be called the main dish in the multi-course meal and the content varies from place to place. For instance, in many parts of the world meat and fish are served as a main course. Yet, in most other places starchy foods rich in carbohydrates form the main course.

Though food in India is diversely ruled by the culture and traditions of a region one thing has always been common. Be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner the combinations always provided the necessary carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

So the main course dishes in India have always been the ones that mostly provide carbohydrates and proteins. In South India, it is mostly rice-based, whereas in the North it’s wheat-based. Lunches are always elaborate compared to breakfast and dinner.

In fact, bread which mostly serves as a main dish in India is a side dish or accompaniment in Western countries. Even here in Qatar, I was surprised to see rice and flatbreads being served as an accompaniment to meat dishes.

The focus on this page will be the main course dishes other than meat. It will include all Indian food apart from the main course recipes from around the world. Meat and fish dishes you can find under ‘Side dishes’.

Also, main course recipes related to baked goods can be found on my ‘baking recipe index‘ page.