Bengali cuisine is a style of food preparation originating in Bengal, a region in the eastern South Asia which is now divided between the Indian states of Tripura and West Bengal and the independent country of Bangladesh. With an emphasis on fish and lentils served with rice as a staple diet, Bengali cuisine is known for its subtle flavours, its confectioneries and desserts, and has perhaps the only multi-course tradition from India that is analogous with the likes of French and Italian cuisine in structure.

Tamil Nadu on India's south-eastern coast is known as the land of stunning temples and sought-after saris, but it also offers some of the lightest and healthiest food in India. Madhur Jaffrey prepares a vegetable korma, a peppered chicken dish and scrambled shark.

As Madhur Jaffrey's journey through India continues she visits Goa, where Portuguese settlers originated the popular curry dish vindaloo. At the ruins of St Augustine Monastery in Old Goa she cooks a pork vindaloo, and in Panaji she cooks chicken xacuti, another traditional Goan curry.

Punjabi food is probably the most familiar to the British audience (even if our 'Indian' restaurants are run by Bangladeshis). Daal, saag, paneer, roti, tandoori chicken... After spicy Kerala, and delicate Gujarat, it's down-to-earth Punjab. We see Madhur visit the langar (communal kitchen) of the Golden Temple of Amritsar, cook river fish by the tributaries of the mighty Indus and brave the truckers and the traffic on the GT road. Best of all she cooks lamb on the Indian-Pakistani border, in an effort to show how food transcends politics and religion. It's got it all!

In the second episode, Madhur Jaffrey explores vegetarian recipes from the western state of Gujarat.

Indian cookery expert Madhur Jaffrey shows how to prepare delectable dishes from six Indian states. In the first programme, we are introduced to spices, coconut and fish dishes from Kerala.