Indian Recipes & Food Ideas

Fluffy fragrant rice, richly spiced vegetables, and a scattering of raisins, cashews, and herbs make up this colorful and warming biryani. Whether you eat it as a one-dish meal or as part of an Indian feast, it’s well worth the effort to prepare. Biryani – of which there are dozens of variations in India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East – is comprised of layers of rice and vegetables or meat.

Grab that blender!

Spicy, crispy, and packed with flavor, Chicken 65 is considered an Indo-Chinese recipe; a cuisine that is hugely popular in both India and Pakistan.

Vikram Vij and his wife, Meeru Dhalwala, own maybe the most splendid Indian restaurant I’ve ever eaten at: Vij’s, in Vancouver, BC. It has many unique facets: A women-only kitchen, run by Meeru; a warm, welcoming environment dim and flickering with candles, presided over by Vikram; an incredibly fragrant, fresh interpretation of Indian dishes that each take your breath away.

When you’re craving Indian food, it can be tempting to rely on your neighborhood Indian restaurant. But you shouldn’t be intimidated by Indian recipes – it’s very possible to replicate your favorite dishes at home! Here are 20 Indian recipes we love, from a simple Dal Palak to Spiced Lamb Meatballs.

Carrot halwa, also known as gajar ka halwa, is an unusual Indian dessert. It’s made with grated carrots, whole milk, dried fruit, and nuts, and it has a delicious light fudgy texture. Traditionally served at Indian festivals and in temples, this classic dessert is a favorite in Indian households during Diwali, the festival of lights, which is this week! Diwali — the festival of lights — is one of the best-known Indian festivals.

And that's a good thing.

I love how easy it is to find naan bread nowadays, from the fresh ones at Whole Foods to the frozen garlic naan at Trader Joe’s. Lately this soft Indian flatbread has been my go-to base for sandwiches and, to my pleasant surprise, pizzas. Here’s a tasty pizza inspired by one of my favorite Indian dishes, saag paneer. Saag paneer is a spiced, creamy spinach stew finished with soft pieces of mild paneer cheese.

I adore Indian food, and while my tastes range wide in that nation’s incredibly diverse cuisine, I have to admit that the rich, Westernized chicken tikka masala was my gateway love and still a guilty pleasure. But what does it look like when you flip the bowl and leave the curry until last? Can chicken curry be a lighter, fresher meal?

There’s no need to order chicken tikka masala takeout when you can make it lightning-fast in the pressure cooker. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs bring lots of flavor and tenderness to this recipe. Before cutting the thighs into pieces, remove any excess fat. You want the chicken pieces to be bite-sized, so aim for a cut about 1 1/2 inches. Traditional chicken tikka masala recipes start with marinating the chicken in a yogurt sauce.

The pressure cooker makes long-cooked dishes like curries possible on a weeknight. If you also want to keep the slicing and dicing to a minimum, partner with your freezer so chicken curry can be on your table in just about 30 minutes whenever that craving hits. This recipe essentially starts with making your own meal kit and freezing it.

Salt and pepper became an iconic duo for many reasons, but the one we’re interested in when it comes to these cashews is the flavor. The pepper in this recipe (both cayenne and black pepper) you already know well, but we’re not using just any salt here — Asha Gomez’s recipe calls for kala namak, or Himalayan black salt, which, in actuality, turns out to be pink. This salt has rich umami flavor and a sulfurous undertone.

I am sitting here, cooking this recipe for fragrant chicken curry scented with an intoxicating mixture of toasted fennel and coriander seeds and a warming combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. The temperature outside is –34°C. Sometimes I jokingly wonder why I live in a place where the air hurts my face. Then I grit my teeth and dream about tropical beaches and the warm swaying coconut palms of my childhood, and hope that summer gets here as fast as it can.

Of all the many frozen meals at Trader Joe’s, their Chicken Tikka Masala is definitely a fan favorite. Devotees feel pretty strongly that it’s the next best thing to the version served at their local Indian restaurant. This slow cooker version is equally as lazy, and we’d argue it’s even more tasty. If chicken tikka masala is your go-to Indian restaurant order but you’ve never tried making it at home, here’s your invitation.

Takeout curry is one of my favorite mid-week pleasures. Warmly spiced vegetables over a bed of rice, in all its creamy glory, is nothing short of soul-soothing. However, this year my family has been laser-focused on reigning in our food budget, leaving little room for impulse takeout purchases.

This version goes full steam ahead with lots of hearty vegetables, like cauliflower, thick-cut carrots, and peas.

There’s no denying that rice pudding is at the top of the list when it comes to comforting desserts. This classic Indian version, called kheer, is spiced with cardamom and flecked with golden raisins and pistachios, and is sure to become a new favorite. This recipe comes courtesy of Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi; it’s one of her favorite things to make for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.

If you don’t already have plans to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, these recipes might make you reconsider. Like so many holidays around the world, food is an important part of Diwali. Snacks and sweets are especially present, along with many of the classic Indian dishes you know and love. It’s the perfect excuse to get into the kitchen and cook! Read more: What Is Diwali?

Serving tender, aromatic lamb biryani for dinner (especially during Ramadan) just got easier, thanks to everyone’s favorite kitchen gadget: the Instant Pot. Because the popular electric pressure cooker releases steam at the end of the cook time, it mimics the traditional Indian “dum” style of cooking, in which a protein (in this case, lamb) is cooked slowly in steam.

Ghee is butter which has been clarified to remove water and milk solids, which imparts a toasty aroma and flavor in the finished butter. Even better? Turning butter into ghee makes it last even longer and makes it suitable for high-heat cooking and roasting, and it even renders it lactose-free for those avoiding it. Ghee is simply butter made even better by a long, slow cook.

Ready the rice!

Tomato rasam, also known as the “sniffle-kicking” soup, is a tomato-based soup from the south of India. There’s enough garlic in a bowl of it to kill a cold (and several vampires); the pepper, asafetida, cumin, turmeric, and tomato will help clear up any inflammation in the sinuses. Leftover soup will keep in the freezer for up to a month, so don’t hesitate to make extras for those days you feel a cold coming on.

There’s something magical about picking up some spicy Indian takeout and pouring yourself a cold glass of Riesling on a night when you really don’t feel like cooking. But if you are in the mood to spend some time in the kitchen, you can make your own version of your favorite dishes at home. This Indian butter chicken is a great place to start.

Oh, do I ever have a sauce for you today! Raita is just the sort of cooling, contrasting sauce that all of your summer grilling food needs. Warm with cumin, and studded with crisp cucumber and fresh cilantro, this yogurt sauce is welcome on everything from naan-wiches to grilled watermelon. This warm-weather-friendly sauce is one we think you should know by heart, for making all year long. Raita is mixture of yogurt, fruits or vegetables, and fresh herbs and spices used a sauce or condiment.

Hearty and vegan? Is it possible? Yes, of course! We pulled recipes from a few vegan cookbooks hitting the market this year and asked one of our food photographers and stylists, Maria Siriano, who happens to be vegan, for her thoughts on the recipes. Vegan: The Cookbook by Jean-Christian Jury is a tour de force of vegan cuisine inspired by the culinary traditions from every corner of the globe.

Swap the chicken for chickpeas in this deeply delicious vegan take on tikka masala.

Asha Gomez’s aloo tiki, also known as potato croquettes, are the low-effort, high-impact item on our South Indian New Year’s Eve menu. Chances are high they’ll be the favorite on everyone’s list. You can make the mashed potatoes ahead and even pre-shape the patties, sticking them in the oven before guests arrive in order to serve them hot (although that’s not to say they aren’t delightful at room temperature).

Our goal for ringing in the new year? Do it with a flash of color, vibrant flavor, heat, soulfulness, and, of course, sparkle. And no food said that for me this year like the creations coming out of Asha Gomez’s kitchen. Last year year, the chef and restaurateur became a cookbook author and published one of the year’s most celebrated cookbooks: My Two Souths.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been to a really great holiday party and have heard everyone tell me how wonderful the fritters are or “you have to try the croquettes,” only to find they’ve disappeared by the time I’ve made it to the table. It’s always such high hopes met with lots of longing.

Naan is an Indian yeast-leavened bread, traditionally baked in a clay oven called a tandoori. You’ve probably eaten it alongside curry at your favorite restaurant, grabbed it from the bakery, or maybe you’ve already made it at home. While we often associate naan with Indian food, it can be a staple of the everyday dinner routine, as this is one of the fastest, most versatile breads you can make at home. Like most yeast breads, naan is made of flour, yeast, water, and salt.

Unlike traditional samosas, these are made with puff pastry for a buttery, flaky crunch. The filling, however, is very much full of South Indian ingredients and flavors.

This holiday, ring in the new year with something a little different than your standard glass of Champagne. This rosé cocktail perfumed with rose and thyme comes to us from cookbook author Asha Gomez. She starts with your favorite rosé and then swirls in a fragrant thyme simple syrup and a dash of rosewater for a warm and aromatic take on this year’s most beloved wine. Although rose is considered a cooling flavor, the sentiment behind it is all about warmth.

Infusing masala chai into oatmeal not only makes for a breakfast that's equally as comforting as a steaming mug, but it also gives your bowl a little kick of caffeine.

A fragrant dal for those who love lentils and spice.

Imagine a gluten-free version of a crêpe that’s as easy to make and as delicate as the French classic, but even more flavorful (on top of also being vegan and rich in protein). That is pudla. This Indian crêpe made with chickpea flour may be lesser-known, but it’s a simple, savory, and wholesome addition to your breakfast routine. Hailing from Northern Indian, pudla are thin pancakes commonly eaten for breakfast.

Fresh string beans are a summertime staple, but it’s easy to get in a rut of simply steaming and slapping them on the plate. If the best thing we can say about a forgettable side dish is that it did no harm, it’s time for an upgrade. This recipe will be your beans’ crush all summer long. You’ll make this recipe over and over, and will share it with your friends and relations because it’s just that good. Let us count the ways, and the whys.

I tend to forget that I usually have all the makings for egg salad in my refrigerator. It’s such an easy, protein-packed sandwich filling; one you can doctor up with new spices and ingredients. This version of egg salad is seasoned with warm curry spices, but instead of putting it between sandwich bread, I love serving it open-faced on Indian naan bread instead.

Do you love chicken tikka masala? If so, you’re in luck — this comforting bowl of soup plays off the flavors of the Indian restaurant favorite. Intensely spiced, with coconut cream and crushed tomatoes to round it out, this soup is sure to become a weeknight dinner staple.

Soups, veggie dishes, and one fragrant curry.

Chicken biryani is a dish for celebration. If you need to feed a crowd or host a dinner party, choose this biryani which will excite your guests with the aromas of the dish made in a slow cooker. The biryani is made with par-cooked rice and marinated chicken before they go into the slow cooker. The traditional method for cooking biryanis includes covering a large brazier with dough to trap the heat. In this recipe, the slow cooker is sealed with foil to produce a similar steamed effect.

As with any country, you can find traces of its history in its cuisine. Pork vindaloo, famed for its fiery heat, speaks directly to the Portuguese occupation of the southern Indian state of Goa. As Neela explains, “Carne de vinha d’alhos, a Portuguese dish made with pork, was the basis of the now-famous vindaloo served in Indian restaurants. Although many make it with lamb, chicken, or shrimp, I prefer the original recipe with pork, redolent of tamarind, vinegar, and black pepper.

There are endless ways to season a dal. In my family, a tadka of black pepper and burnt garlic is added at the very end of cooking to bring an astringent bite to the velvety slip of puréed lentils. In this recipe, Neela brings the lush acidity of lemon to tender pink lentils and cooks them until creamy in a slow cooker. This isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it kind of slow-cooker recipe. Cook it on high and it buys you two hours of hands-off cooking.

One of the first things I learned when I began using a slow cooker was to avoid dairy, or at the very least, wait to add it at the end of cooking since it would curdle or separate if cooked for a longer period of time. Which is why I was surprised to find a recipe in Neela Paniz’s cookbook, The Indian Slow Cooker, for yogurt soup. Not only did I find the concept of a hot yogurt soup intriguing, but I was also interested in the fact that it could be done in the slow cooker at all.