Indian cuisine in introducing certain foods to this country. For instance, potato, a staple of the diet in some regions of India, was brought to India by the Portuguese, who also introduced chillies and breadfruit. Indian cuisine has shaped the history of international relations; the spice trade between India and Europe was the primary catalyst for Europe's Age of Discovery. Spices were bought from India and traded around Europe and Asia. Indian cuisine has influenced other cuisines across the world, especially those from Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, the British Isles, Fiji, and the Caribbean. Indian cuisine
Indian cuisine to the region, including tea. India was later invaded by tribes from Central Asian cultures, which led to the emergence of Mughlai cuisine, a mix of Indian and Central Asian cuisine. Hallmarks include seasonings such as saffron. Staple foods of Indian cuisine include pearl millet ("bājra"), rice, whole-wheat flour ("aṭṭa"), and a variety of lentils, such as "masoor" (most often red lentils), "tuer" (pigeon peas), "urad" (black gram), and "moong" (mung beans). Lentils may be used whole, dehusked—for example, "dhuli moong" or "dhuli urad"—or split. Split lentils, or "dal", are used extensively. Some pulses, such as "channa" or "cholae" (chickpeas),