Probably the most popular North-Indian snack, vendors crowd the streets selling all kinds of delicious variations of chaat in this part of the country. Chaat parties also make a nice alternative to a sit-down dinner. Papdi chaat is a great introduction to this dish and a lot of fun to make. First, make the papdi (or papri) dough, and then form it into thin circles to deep-fry. Then top the wafers with potatoes and chickpeas and drizzle with a tangy, spicy, and sweet sauce.
Perhaps one of the most familiar Indian dish to the American diner, butter chicken first appeared in Delhi in the 1940s. It has a mild flavor that won't blow out your tastebuds, but you can increase the white pepper or curry powder for a more assertive taste.
The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
In Northern India, classic and easy chole chickpea curry often appears as a favorite menu item and as a result, has become a worldwide sensation. It can also serve a crowd, especially if you serve it hot along with fried Indian leavened bread like poori or bhatura. Once you have the chickpeas, onions, and tomatoes, along with garlic and ginger pastes, some common Indian spices will bring it all together.
Elaine Lemm
Although traditionally cooked in a clay oven, you can prepare the yogurt-marinated charred chicken in a regular oven (or on the grill). You do need to plan ahead, as the chicken should sit in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight to let the flavors develop. If you prefer, you can sear the marinated chicken cubes first on the stovetop to achieve that signature tandoori char.
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The Spruce / Chelsea Ross
This is a mild and sweetly-spiced recipe for chicken vindaloo curry. Contrary to current belief, curries do not have to be hot and fiery. In fact, they never started out that way in India. Creating the curry paste is the most important part of this dish, so don't skimp on the ingredients.
The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram
South Indian lemon rice makes a great weekday meal because it comes together quickly. It often appears solo or alongside raita, yogurt, chutney, or kosambari (a type of salad).
The Spruce / Cara Cormack
Naan, a puffy flatbread, goes with just about everything, including many popular dishes like tandoori chicken and all kinds of kebabs. While naan traditionally bakes in a tandoor or earthen oven, they work just as well in your own oven. The ingredient list includes yeast, flour, sugar, and water, as well as yogurt and ghee.
The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
This Bengali speciality often appears alongside jeera rice. Cook the shrimp in creamy coconut milk with whole spices for a deeply flavorful dish. Using head-on shrimp will add even more shellfish character, but you can peel and devein them first if you prefer.
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The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak
Fragrant, tender, and the perfect accompaniment to just about every main, all Indian feasts need basmati rice. Try this restaurant-style vegan recipe that results in a wonderfully spiced grain.
The Spruce / Cara Cormack
Thin and pancake-like in texture, dosas appear alongside many meals in South India. Make them from soaked and drained rice, fenugreek seeds, and urad daal, also known as black lentils. Fermenting the batter gives it a slightly tart flavor.
The Spruce / Wanda Abraham
This vegan potato and pea main from the Punjab region can be made many different ways. Some have a coconut base, others simmer potatoes and peas in tomatoes, and this recipe lends itself to variation. Using garam masala means you don't have to mix your own spices, cutting down on some of the work. Serve with white rice or naan.
The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar
Popular in Northern India, red kidney bean curry makes a great option for vegetarian diners. The kidney beans simmer in a warming masala paste that features ginger, garlic, chiles, and tomatoes. Adjust the spice level to your tastes by tweaking the type and number of chiles you use. Serve with white rice or naan.
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The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram
Punjabi baingan ka bharta hails from North India and features roughly-mashed roasted eggplant with a variety of warming spices. Onions, tomatoes, and garlic give it additional spice and texture. Scoop it up with naan or other Indian breads.
The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Get your fingers deliciously messy with this crab curry. It can get quite spicy, so if you have a lower heat tolerance, reduce the number of red chiles. Serve with white rice and lots of gravy to spoon over the top.
This masala kheema, a flavorful combination of onion, garlic, ginger, spices, and meat, works with just about any minced protein you like best. Try beef, pork, goat, chicken, turkey, or even a combination. It can also feature peas and potatoes for a different texture. Serve with flatbread or rice, or
The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Every region of India has its own way of making chicken curry, and this one from the South features tangy tamarind, aromatic spices, and coconut cream for mellowing them out. Skinless bone-in chicken gives it even more flavor, but you can use boneless as well.
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The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn
With lots of tender layers, lachcha paratha comes out delightfully crispy with only a few ingredients. Its light texture makes it the perfect accompaniment to heavier mains. Try it with tikka masala or your favorite curry.
The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi
Many people in India follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, making the cuisine perfect for those with dietary restrictions. This lentil dahl has some kick, if you like food that bites back, Serve with rice, naan, or other bread to sop up the gravy.
The Spruce / Julia Estrada
Karela, or bitter melon, often shows up in Asian cuisin. In India, you'll often find this sweet and sour preparation that uses cumin, chilies, ginger, coriander, and turmeric, as well as tamarind and jaggery, an unrefined sugar. Try it with naan, paratha, or other flatbread.
The Spruce / Cara Cormack
Traditionally made with chicken, tikka masala has an enticing aroma and spicy, slightly charred flavor. Make it vegan by preparing tofu in the same style. While it calls for quite a few spices, don't sweat it if you don't have one or two. It will still taste delicious. White or basmati rice complements it perfectly.
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The Spruce/Diana Chistruga
Cucumber, tomato, and onion salads appear in cuisines all around the world. This kachumber has a light and easy lemon, salt, and pepper dressing that doesn't use any oil. We recommend using English cucumbers because they don't have any seeds, but Persian cucumbers will also works. The salad makes a great side for spicy curries and mains.
The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Sometimes spelled dhal or dahl, yellow split pea dal starts with simply simmered split peas and then adds a tadka, a tempered mix of onion, cumin, and clove with other spice that gives it a wonderfully fragrant flavor. It does have some kick, so reduce or eliminate the cayenne if you prefer a milder dish.
The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn
Malai kofta (vegetable "meatballs" in a thick sauce) is the vegetarian answer to meatballs. The koftas use a mix of potatoes, carrots, beans, peas, and sweet corn, which get cooked and mashed before mixing with spices and paneer, that essential blocked "cheese" that is similar to tofu in texture and a great addition to any vegetarian meal. Malai kofta goes very well with naan or jeera rice.
Popular in South India, this meen kulambu (fish curry) brings a tangy tamarind-marinated fish in a signature curry that just begs for white rice, dosas, or other flatbread to soak it all up. Any firm whitefish will work, including cod, halibut, and tilapia.
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The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
This Punjabi dish often appears with naan and a dollop of butter atop wilted greens and spices like garlic, ginger, and green chiles. Use spinach, mustard greens, or your favorite hearty greens. A little Bengali gram flour thickens the mixture, but chickpea flour or corn flour will also do the trick.
The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Not all curries have a stew-like consistency. Chicken sukka from western India combines elements and ingredients that find their basis in both the Malabari and Goan styles of cooking. Onion, ginger, and garlic lend a fragrant spice, while coconut cream gives it a thick texture.
The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii
Simple, hearty, and richly flavored, this lamb curry simmers into a homey meal. It does take some time, but most of that doesn't require hands-on work. Boneless lamb shoulder or chopped stew meat works best in this preparation.
The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
If you love murgh makhani but don't have a lot of time, try Instant Pot butter chicken. It has all the delicious flavors of butter, cream, tomatoes, garlic, and spices like garam masala, cumin, ginger, and coriander, but with less cooking time.
For a special dinner that will fill your home with a tantalizing aroma, try masala raan or a roast leg of lamb. It slowly cooks in a fragrant blend of spices for three hours until it gets fall-off-the-bone tender. Marinate it first for 24 hours to give those flavors time to really intensify.
The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii
For a fun vegetarian grilled main, make skewered tikka kebabs with marinated paneer, bell peppers, and red onion. It makes a flavorful, slightly smoky, spicy entree that will satisfy even the carnivores in your group. Squeeze a little fresh lemon over before serving.
The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii
Originating in the South Indian region of Kerala, both ginger and garlic paste give this beef fry an easily-adjusted spice level. Make your own paste in a food processor or find them in the Indian section of your local grocery store. Serve it with dosas, naan, idlis, or any Indian bread.
The Spruce / Karen Hibbard
Having a basic chicken curry recipe in your back pocket means you can customize it to your tastes or mood, adjusting the spice levels or even swapping out the protein. You can use any part of the chicken, but make sure you remove the skin first.
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Rogan Josh, the name of this dish from Kashmir, translates roughly to "red lamb." The color comes from Kashmiri dry red chilies. While the name may sound fiery, the heat of the dish is toned down by the cream that is added at the end.
