Indian food has travelled far beyond the country’s borders, but the reverse is also true. Over centuries, trade, migration and colonial encounters brought ingredients, techniques and recipes from different parts of the world into Indian kitchens. Many of these dishes were adapted so thoroughly to local tastes that they now feel completely Indian. That is why it can come as a surprise to learn that some foods regularly found on Indian restaurant menus, street corners and dinner tables have origins elsewhere. Their Indian versions may be distinctly local, but their stories begin outside the country.