A brief history of Indian-Chinese cuisine, plus 3 popular dishes taste-tested

South China Morning Post · Lisa Cam · 2026-11-06 11:15 UTC

‘Chindian’ cuisine – think Szechwan chicken and Manchurian veg balls – emerged from Chinese migrant communities in Kolkata.

In India, dishes that feature Szechwan – not Sichuan – and Manchurian sauce might suggest Chinese roots, but they tell a distinctly local story.

Known as Chindian or Indian-Chinese cuisine, this culinary style emerged from Chinese migrant communities in Kolkata, where cooks adapted their recipes to local ingredients and tastes – think soy sauce and vinegar with generous helpings of chilli, ginger and garlic.

The result was not simply a substitute for food from China but a culinary tradition in its own right. From street stalls to restaurant menus, it has become part of everyday Indian eating, with flavours that generations of diners now regard as comfort food.

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