Your Privacy is Important to us

We encourage you to review our Terms of Service, and Privacy Policy.

By continuing, you agree to the Terms listed here. In case you want to opt out, please click "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link in the footer of this page.

Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information

We won't sell or share your personal information to inform the ads you see. You may still see interest-based ads if your information is sold or shared by other companies or was sold or shared previously.

Continue on TOI App
Open App
Login for better experience!
Login Now
Welcome! to timesofindia.com
TOI INDTOI USTOI GCC
TOI+
  • Home
  • Live
  • TOI Games
  • Top Headlines
  • India
  • City News
  • Photos
  • Business
  • Real Estate
  • Entertainment
  • Movie Reviews
  • Lifestyle
  • Podcasts
  • Elections
  • Web Series
  • Sports
  • TV
  • Food
  • Travel
  • Events
  • World
  • Music
  • Astrology
  • Videos
  • Tech
  • Auto
  • Education
  • Log Out
Follow Us On
Open App
  • ETIMES
  • CINEMA
  • VIDEOS
  • TV
  • LIFESTYLE
  • VISUAL STORIES
  • MUSIC
  • TRAVEL
  • FOOD
  • TRENDING
  • EVENTS
  • THEATRE
  • PHOTOS
  • MOVIE REVIEWS
  • MOVIE LISTINGS
  • HEALTH
  • RELATIONSHIP
  • WEB SERIES
  • BOX OFFICE

16 iconic and popular foods served on Indian Railways

etimes.in | Last updated on - Jan 2, 2026, 12:00 IST
Comments
Share
1/17

Foods served by Indian Railways

When it comes to train journeys in India, it is not just about the destination, but it is also about the set of experiences it brings along. From lush green lands, noise and chaos at stations, endless skylines, and the earthy flavours served in the trains. While one can always shop for food from local vendors at the station and in the train, the Indian Railway pantry via Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation also offers a set menu on all routes. Here we have listed the 16 iconic and popular dishes that are served by Indian railways.

2/17

Aloo paratha


It is one of the most popular breakfast options and is made with mashed and spices potatoes stuffed in wheat flour dough and cooked with oil on tawa. It is served with pickles and curd.

3/17

Omelette


It is mostly made with 1 or 2 beaten eggs and uses onion, salt and pepper for seasoning. It is served with bread slices and ketchup for breakfast.

4/17

Tomato Soup


It is served during evening hours before dinner and is made with tomato puree seasoned with a lot of pepper and salt and topped with butter. It is served with extra salt and pepper and soup sticks or croutons.

5/17

Veg Cutlet


It is a cylindrical delight served for breakfast and is made with steamed and mashed veggies like potato, capsicum, carrot, and peas and is coated with breadcrumbs. It is served with 2 bread slices and some steamed carrots and peas.

6/17

Dal Tadka


This is served for both lunch and dinner and is made with either chana or tor dal and is tempered with oil, cumin seeds, onion and tomato along with hing for that perfect kick of flavours and taste.

7/17

Soan Papdi



This is served as dessert in the meal platter or even with an evening snack tray and is made with gram flour, refined flour, sugar, ghee, and cardamom, and nuts.

8/17

Caramel Popcorn


This is a packed food which is served as a part of evening snack and consists of salted popcorns coated with dark caramel sauce.

9/17

Matar Paneer Curry


This curry is served for both lunch and dinner and is made with frozen peas, paneer and are cooked in a tangy onion-tomato gravy that also uses cream and spices for seasoning.

10/17

Panjiri Laddoo



It is also served as dessert in meals or as a part of evening snack and is made with wheat flour, ghee, nuts, cardamom, and even crushed seeds and sometimes it has gond too.

11/17

Kachori



It is mostly served as a part of evening snack and refers to deep-fried delight made with refined flour, oil, salt and has a mildly-spiced stuffing made with moong or urad dal. It is served with tomato ketchup.

12/17

Samosa


It is one of the most famous evening snacks served in trains and is made with refined flour dough, stuffed with spiced potatoes and deep fried with perfection. It is served with tomato ketchup.

13/17

Gulab Jamun



This Indian sweet is often served as a dessert post meal in small bowls and is made with mawa, milk powder, and maida, which are deep fried and then dunked in thick sugar syrup.

14/17

Egg Curry


It is also a part of non-veg thali, where hard-boiled eggs are pan-fried and then dunked in onion-tomato gravy, seasoned with garam masala and sabzi masala.

15/17

Chai/Coffee


Both the popular beverages are mostly served in the dip or ready-to-stir form along with milk powder, sugar, and hot water. They are often paired with packaged biscuits.

16/17

Cold Sandwich


This is a no-cook sandwich, where the sides of white bread is trimmed and is layered with cream and grated cucumber and seasoned with salt and pepper.

17/17

Chicken Curry

This one comes for lunch or dinner as a part of non-veg thali, where tender chicken pieces are simmered in onion-tomato gravy along with chicken masala powder.


Images Courtesy: istock

Start a Conversation

Post comment
Featured In lifestyle
  • Cambodia becomes 9th country to accept UPI payments: What Indian travellers need to know
  • Bihar's 220-km Riverfront Expressway plan may open next real estate hotspots in the state; what investors should know
  • How CERN made Nataraja, a symbol of cosmic energy, connecting Lord Shiva's dance to quantum physics
  • Personality test: The tree you choose reveals your hidden inner trauma
  • I went to Jagannath Temple in Puri and what I found was not god or spirituality but.......
  • ‘I’m tired of seeing slums on my feed’: Chandigarh’s planning, greenery and order challenge a British architect’s perception of India
  • Chinese proverb of the day: “A woman desirous of being seen by men is…”
  • Bumblebees can roll balls, and reach the sugary treats: Study suggests buzzy friends can solve problems and remember hidden goals!
  • Quote of the day for kids by Simone Biles: "Always work hard and have fun in what you do because I think that's when you're..."
Photostories
  • From a throne-like toilet seat and a Jaipur-sourced vintage door to a tree bark in the living room: A look inside Choreographer Terence Lewis' Mumbai home
  • Are you sleeping or suffocating? Doctor shares the early signs of sleep apnea you should never ignore
  • Handwashing can cut infections by 50%, but most people still don’t do it properly
  • From Aamir Khan to Shoaib Malik: 8 famous celebrities who got married three times
  • From Chaach to Papaya: UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's daily diet at the age of 54
  • Psychology says emotionally exhausted people don't always cry — they start saying "it's fine"
  • Six Signs That Guardian Angels Guide You
  • Inspiring Japanese proverb of the day: "If you do not enter the tiger's cave, you will not..."
  • Which lucky charm should you place on your office desk; based on your date of birth?
Explore more Stories
  • 9
    From Chaach to Papaya: UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's daily diet at the age of 54
  • 10
    8 everyday habits that build strong problem-solving skills in kids
  • 10
    8 parenting habits that help kids become independent thinkers
  • 10
    9 iconic snakes of India's Western and Eastern Ghats
  • 7
    Pediatrician shares 6 common household items that make many children land up at emergencies
Up Next
  • ETimes
  • /
  • Life & Style
  • /
  • Food News
  • /
  • 16 iconic and popular foods served on Indian Railways
About UsTerms Of UsePrivacy PolicyCookie Policy

Copyright © Jun 6, 2026, 04.24AM IST Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service