44 Indian recipes. Page 1 of 2. Compare ingredients and cooking times. Aloo Gobi (Indian Cauliflower Potato Curry).
Cumin, turmeric, and chili cling to the potatoes and cauliflower as a dry coating instead of a sauce. A lid traps steam to cook the centers, then it comes off and the pan dries out, leaving the cauliflower edges lightly charred and the potatoes whole and fluffy. It is an everyday North Indian side, cooked everywhere from roadside dhabas in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh to home kitchens.
Cut into the finished pot and the rice is white except where the saffron water landed, leaving scattered patches of gold. The yogurt and garam masala chicken sits at the bottom, so dig the spoon all the way down to serve rice and chicken together.
In North Indian homes this potato dish shows up next to dal and rice on an ordinary weeknight, with methi (fenugreek leaves) bringing a bitter edge. Fresh methi is strongly bitter with an earthy smell that softens once it hits the hot pan, and it goes in only after the potatoes have cooked under a lid with cumin, turmeric and chili. When fresh leaves are hard to find, dried kasuri methi is rubbed between the palms and added at the end.
Grated bottle gourd is sautéed in ghee, simmered down in milk, and finished with sugar and cardamom until it is thick as jam and holds the trail of a spatula. Only the firm white flesh goes in, with the soft seedy core scooped out, and the gourd is cooked until its water is driven off before any milk is added.
Chill everything first. Mango pieces kept in the fridge, cold yogurt, and cold milk give a thick, cold lassi with only a little ice, so the drink doesn't get watered down. Pour the yogurt and milk in before the fruit so the liquid covers the blade and everything blends evenly. Taste the mango before adding honey, since a very sweet one needs less, and keep the quarter teaspoon of cardamom: it is what separates a lassi from a mango smoothie. It's ready when no bits remain and it lightly coats a spoon; thin it with a splash of milk if needed and pour into chilled glasses right away.
Charring whole eggplant over an open flame until the skin turns completely black is what puts the smoke into this Punjabi mash. The flesh is mashed only roughly with a fork, so small pieces stay visible instead of becoming a smooth puree. Watery bharta usually comes from tomato that was not cooked down; the onion and tomato base should already be a dense paste before the eggplant is added.
Warm, earthy cumin and the salty tang of chaat masala sit on top of lime juice, giving plain cucumber and tomato an unmistakably Indian taste. Scooping out some of the seedy centers keeps the vegetables from weeping into the dressing. Finely diced red onion soaked in cold water for 3 minutes loses its sharp bite, and it is drained in a sieve rather than squeezed. Cilantro is chopped together with its tender stems, which carry more aroma than the leaves alone. Left for about 15 minutes before serving, the vegetables trade flavors and the bowl tastes more of a piece.
The mashed potato is sealed inside whole wheat dough and rolled out with it, so the filling ends up as a thin layer running through the whole bread. It is seasoned with garam masala, chili and chopped cilantro, and a good one leaves the pan with golden spots and a few puffed patches.
In this Indian breakfast dish the flattened rice never boils. A quick rinse in cold water and a short rest soften it enough to press between two fingers, and a brief toss in oil scented with mustard seed and turmeric warms it through. Roasted peanuts go into the yellow flakes, and a squeeze of lemon follows once the heat is off.
Chili paneer comes out of Indo-Chinese cooking, the fusion style that grew from Hakka Chinese communities settled in Kolkata. Paneer, a fresh Indian cheese that holds its shape instead of melting, is dusted lightly with cornstarch and pan-fried until crisp outside and soft within. Soy sauce, chili sauce, and a little vinegar coat the cubes for only about 30 seconds, leaving them dry rather than sauced.
In masala chai the spices go into the pot before the tea does. Crushed ginger, cinnamon and cardamom simmer in water until fragrant, then the black tea and milk follow, and everything is strained before pouring. Boil the leaves longer and the tea gets stronger, but also more astringent.
Paneer marinated in yogurt with turmeric and garam masala goes onto skewers with bell pepper and onion and over high heat, just until the edges char. A fresh Indian cheese, it holds its shape on the grill instead of melting. In India it is served as an appetizer with mint chutney.
Coarsely grated bottle gourd (lauki) gets only a brief boil before it meets the yogurt and stays soft with a little bite instead of turning to mush. It sits beside spicy curries and flatbreads to cool the palate.
Mashed potato and green peas, seasoned with garam masala, cumin, and chili powder, go inside a stiff dough that has oil rubbed into the flour. A half-round of dough is rolled into a cone, filled, and pressed shut into the triangle that makes a samosa recognizable. They are fried golden and served warm with mint chutney or tamarind sauce.
Rajma means kidney beans and chawal means rice, and that is the whole idea: a thick tomato and bean curry ladled generously over rice and eaten together. Onions cooked slowly until their edges brown give the sauce its body without any cream.
Scored chicken legs are rubbed with yogurt, cumin, coriander, paprika and lemon juice, then left in the fridge for at least four hours, overnight if possible. The dish traditionally comes out of a tandoor, a cylindrical clay oven; a home oven heated thoroughly to 230°C still raises dark charred patches over the red coating. Naan and sliced onion often come alongside.
Hot, pan-fried potato patties sit under cold yogurt, tamarind chutney, mint chutney, and finely chopped red onion in this Indian street snack. The pleasure is the clash of temperatures and textures, and it fades quickly: the cold toppings start softening the crust as soon as they land, which is why assembly happens right before eating.
Chicken thighs marinated in ginger-garlic paste and garam masala are seared in butter until a brown crust forms, then finished in a long-reduced tomato sauce with butter and cream. Also called murgh makhani, it leans mild and rich rather than hot: reducing the tomato puree takes off its sharp acidity, and cream softens the spices.
This naan rises on yogurt, baking powder and baking soda, so there is no yeast and no proving time before it goes in the pan. You do not need an oven: a heavy skillet, properly hot, still blisters the top and leaves brown spots underneath.
No cream goes into this sauce; its sweetness and body come from onions cooked for 15 to 20 minutes until deep brown. A staple of Punjabi home cooking, it is scooped up with roti on an ordinary weeknight, and paired with fried bhatura it becomes chole bhature.
Buhari Hotel in Chennai is usually credited with introducing this South Indian fried chicken in 1965. Stories about the name point to a 65th menu item, among other theories, and none is settled. Thigh pieces marinated in yogurt, chili, garlic, and ginger get a sticky coat of egg and cornstarch and are fried twice, which gives a firm, deep-golden outside and a juicy inside. It spread across India as a bar snack with beer. Many restaurants finish it with fried curry leaves, but this version skips that step.
Soaked cashews, ground smooth and stirred over low heat with yogurt and cream, make a thick sauce with little chili heat. The brown color comes from onions fried for a long time and then blended in.
Chicken breast marinated in yogurt, curry powder, garlic and ginger gets seared over high heat until charred in spots, then simmered in a tomato and cream sauce. Usually described as an Indian-British fusion dish, it takes its depth from the charred chicken and from onions browned slowly in butter before the tomato goes in. Basmati rice or naan comes alongside, and tearing naan to wipe up the sauce is part of the meal.
Bhature balloon up the moment they hit the oil. In Punjab and Delhi, people tear them apart to scoop up chole, a thick chickpea curry, and that is breakfast. Dough for bhature is usually left until it ferments a little; here yogurt and baking powder go in and it rests for just 20 minutes.