Perhaps you have noticed our name. India4U stands for Indian cuisine, and yet we keep mentioning Pakistani dishes as well. Are they the same thing? Not quite. The two cuisines are closely related, like two branches of the same tree, and still each has its own character. Once you know the difference, you order with more confidence, and you might discover a dish you would otherwise have overlooked.
In this article we take you on a little journey across the Indian subcontinent. We show you what both cuisines share, where they go their own way, and how you can spot all of this directly on our menu here in Bern.
Shared roots: one history, two countries
For centuries, India and Pakistan were part of the same region. It was only in 1947 that one shared subcontinent became two states. Cuisine, however, cares little about borders. It follows rivers, trade routes and families. That is why you find so many familiar dishes on both sides of the border: fragrant basmati rice, naan baked in the tandoor, creamy curries and the fine spice blends known as masala.
A large part of this shared heritage comes from the Mughal era. From the 16th century onwards, the Mughals brought influences from Persia and Central Asia and refined the court kitchen into what is known today as Mughlai. Dishes such as biryani, korma and the tandoori specialities belong to this heritage. They are neither purely Indian nor purely Pakistani. They are the shared heart of both cuisines.
You can see just how much this kitchen speaks a common language at the tandoor, the clay oven in which food is baked and grilled at very high heat. Out of it come the airy naan as well as the juicy tandoori chicken and the skewers. Biryani, too, an elaborately layered rice dish with meat or vegetables, is cooked with pride on both sides of the border. Only the spicing and the side dishes differ from region to region and from family to family.
This same heart beats at India4U. When you order a chicken tikka from the tandoor, a lamb korma or a biryani, you are tasting a piece of this shared history.
The difference often lies in the detail: spices and preparation
Anyone who tries Indian and Pakistani dishes side by side quickly notices that the difference is rarely loud. It lies in the nuances. Both cuisines work with a similar core of spices: cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, garlic, cardamom and chilli. What gives each its character is how these spices are combined and used.
Pakistani cuisine is often seasoned a little more generously and warmly, with a noticeable influence from Persia and Afghanistan. The aromas are bold and rounded, and the meat is allowed to take centre stage. Indian cuisine, in turn, is as varied as the country itself. Sometimes a creamy, mild sauce is at the heart of a dish, sometimes a fiery heat, sometimes the freshness of yoghurt, mint and lemon.
The preparation tells the same story of these subtleties. A korma is braised slowly and patiently until the sauce is velvety. A tandoori dish, on the other hand, lives from the short, hot cooking in the oven and from the marinade of yoghurt and spices. It is this interplay of patience and heat that makes both cuisines so rich.
Where Pakistani cuisine goes its own way
Like Indian cuisine, Pakistani cooking has inherited a great deal from the Mughal era. On top of that, however, it carries stronger influences from Persia, Afghanistan and Central Asia. You can taste it. The aromas are often a little bolder, the spices differently composed, and meat plays a larger role.
The most important point for many of our guests: Pakistani cuisine is shaped by Muslim tradition. That means it is oriented towards Halal, pork never comes to the table, and beef, lamb and chicken hold a firm place. Where a more Hindu-influenced Indian region tends to avoid beef, in Pakistani cuisine beef is a completely natural ingredient.
This is not a rigid rule, but a tendency. There are millions of people in India who eat meat, and plenty of vegetarian side dishes in Pakistan. But as a common thread it holds true: menus with a Pakistani influence tend to be a little more meat-focused and place great value on everything being Halal.
Where Indian cuisine shows its own character
India is vast, and so is its cuisine. It is less a single kitchen than a whole family of regional ones. In the north, where many of the classics we know best come from, the curries tend to be milder, creamier and richer, often with cream, nuts or yoghurt. Further south, the dishes are frequently spicier, lighter and more strongly shaped by coconut, curry leaves and rice.
What connects many of these regions is a very rich vegetarian tradition. A large part of it has religious roots. In Hinduism, the faith of the majority in India, a vegetarian diet plays an important role, and beef is considered taboo in many places. Over the centuries, this has produced a vegetarian cuisine that is anything but monotonous: dishes with lentils, with chickpeas, with spinach and fresh paneer, with an abundance of vegetables and spices.
This variety is the reason why Indian restaurants are often a paradise for vegetarians. When you order a palak paneer, a dal or a vegetarian thali with us, you are eating from exactly this tradition, and you taste that meat-free here never means dull.
On our menu you see both worlds side by side
The wonderful thing about an Indian-Pakistani restaurant is that you do not have to choose. On our menu here in Bern, both worlds sit peacefully next to each other, and often you will not even notice where one ends and the other begins.
You find the shared Mughlai heritage in our tandoori specialities, in the chicken tikka, in the korma dishes and in our biryani specialities. The Pakistani-influenced, meat-focused side shows in our beef specialities and in the lamb dishes, for example, as well as in the lamb seekh kebab from the tandoor, all prepared Halal. And we live the rich Indian vegetarian side in dishes like palak paneer, in our dal variations and in the large selection of vegetarian main courses.
A little tip if you would like to try both worlds in one evening: start with a shared platter of starters, then choose a meat dish from the Mughlai or Pakistani corner and set a vegetarian curry from the Indian tradition beside it. Add a fresh naan and perhaps a cooling lassi, and you have the whole subcontinent on your table.
Why we deliberately bring the two together
For us, the mix is no accident but a choice. The people who cook at India4U carry both traditions within them, and we see no reason to decide for just one. On the contrary, it is precisely the interplay that makes the food exciting: the depth of the Mughlai dishes, the strength of the meat-focused Pakistani classics, and the lightness and variety of Indian vegetarian cooking.
For you as a guest, that means above all one thing: more choice and more variety at one table. A family can sit together with us, and everyone finds something that fits just right, whether someone loves the creamy, mild curry, whether someone is looking for the bold, meat-focused kitchen, or whether someone would like to eat purely vegetarian. That is exactly why we are here in the heart of Bern, close to the train station, in a place where people from many cultures come together. This variety on the plate is not a compromise for us, but the best of two wonderful traditions.
One point is especially close to our hearts: with us, everything is Halal. For many guests this is a reason to ask in the first place, and we are glad every time we can answer with a clear yes. If you would like to know more about what Halal actually means in Switzerland, you will soon find a dedicated article from us. For today it is enough to say: you can order at India4U with a clear conscience, no matter which of the two cuisines you choose.
Three questions our guests often ask
Is Pakistani food automatically spicier than Indian? No. Spiciness is not a question of the country, but of the region, the dish and the cook. Both cuisines have mild and fiery dishes. If you prefer it gentle, just tell us and we will happily adjust the heat to your taste.
Can I eat well in both cuisines as a vegetarian? Yes. The Indian tradition is especially known for it, but the Pakistani-influenced kitchen also has fine dishes with lentils, vegetables and paneer. With us you will find a large vegetarian selection, from creamy to spicy.
Is everything really Halal at your place? Yes. Our entire offering is oriented towards Halal, and pork does not come to our table. Feel free to ask, we answer openly and at any time.
In short
Indian and Pakistani cuisine share a common heritage, above all the Mughlai tradition with its curries, tandoori dishes and biryanis. Pakistani cuisine adds Persian and Afghan influences, tends to be a little more meat-focused and is consistently Halal. Indian cuisine shines with its enormous regional variety and a particularly rich vegetarian tradition. At India4U in Bern you do not have to choose, because both worlds come together on one plate.
Of course, this difference tastes best not on a screen, but at the table. Take a look at our menu, pick a dish from each world, and reserve your table. We look forward to showing you both traditions.