Discover the delicious flavors of Indian cuisine with these easy recipes to make at home! From crispy vegetable samosas and creamy chicken tikka masala to hearty chickpea curry, aromatic lamb vindaloo, sweet mango chutney, and traditional Indian rice pudding, these dishes offer a wonderful introduction to authentic Indian cooking. Find inspiration for flavorful meals, tasty snacks, and satisfying desserts.

Vegetable Samosa (Aloo Samosa)

Serves 4–6 | Prep. time 15–20 minutes | Cooking time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons water
• ½ cup green peas, uncooked
• 4 large potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• Salt to taste
• ½ teaspoon amchoor
• ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon jeera (cumin) powder
• Vegetable oil to deep fry

Directions

1. Add the flour, salt, water, oil and red chili powder to a mixing bowl.
2. Combine the mixture to make a flaky dough. Set aside to settle for 20–30 minutes.
3. In a kadhai, skillet or saucepan of medium size, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat.
4. Add the peas and potatoes, cover and cook for 4–5 minutes.
5. Mix in the spices, including the garam masala; stir and cook for 6–8 minutes until the vegetables are cooked well.
6. Set aside to cool down.
7. Prepare small balls from the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll them over a lightly floured surface to make thin round sheets. Cut each one into two semicircular sheets.
8. Wet your fingers with some cooking oil and fold the two ends of one sheet to make a cone.
9. Stuff it with the potato mixture and seal the edges by crimping. Repeat to make the other samosas.
10. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan.
11. Add the prepared samosas one by one and fry until evenly brown.
12. Serve hot with ketchup or tamarind/green chutney.

 

 

Chickpea in Curried Sauce (Chole Masala)

Serves 4 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 35–40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 (15-ounce) can cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 green chili pepper, chopped
• 4–5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1-inch ginger root, chopped
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 2–3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Coriander leaves

Directions

1. Add the tomato, onion, garlic, ginger and green chili to a blender. Blend until you get a smooth mixture.
2. In a kadhai, skillet or saucepan of medium size, heat the oil over medium heat.
3. Add the bay leaves; stir-cook for 20–30 seconds.
4. Add the tomato mixture and combine well; cook for 2–3 minutes.
5. Mix in the turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder and salt; stir-cook for 2–3 minutes.
6. Add the water and boil the mixture. Add more water if the mixture is too thick.
7. Add the chickpeas and cook for 5–7 minutes.
8. Top with the coriander leaves.
9. Serve with a bowl of steamed rice or naan bread or roti.

 

 

Chicken Tikka Masala

Serves 3-4 | Prep. time 25 minutes | Cooking time 45-50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch cubes

For marinade

• 2 ½ tablespoons yogurt
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or red chili powder, or according to taste
• ¼ teaspoon garam masala, or according to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For sauce

• 1 tablespoon mustard or vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1-inch stick of cinnamon
• 1 large onion, chopped
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• ½ tablespoon ground coriander
• ½ tablespoon fenugreek leaves
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or according to taste
• ¾ cup tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• ¾ teaspoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ cup water, or as needed
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream

For garnish

• Cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions

1. Combine the marinade ingredients, and stir the chicken in. Cover and leave to marinate for about 20 minutes while you prepare other ingredients.
2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
3. Add the cinnamon, onion, and salt. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the onions are slightly caramelized.
4. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
5. Add the cumin, coriander, fenugreek, cayenne, tomatoes and tomato paste.
6. Cook, with occasional stirring. The mixture will thicken and the oil will separate from the spices. You will see the oil floating on the surface.
7. At this point, add the chicken to the same pot and cook for about 10 minutes.
8. Add the garam masala, brown sugar, and enough water to cover the chicken.
9. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. The chicken should be tender and the sauce should have thickened. The ideal consistency of the sauce should be like that of pasta sauce. Turn up the heat to thicken or add water to thin it.
10. Reduce the heat to low and add cream. Stir.
11. You may adjust the taste with seasonings, sugar, garam masala, and cayenne powder according to your taste.
12. Remove the cinnamon stick.
13. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro. Best with basmati rice or naan.

 

 

Lamb Vindaloo

Serves 8 | Prep. time 15 minutes | Cooking time 1 hour 40–50 minutes

Ingredients

Paste

• 4 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 6 tablespoons grainy mustard
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Lamb

• ¼ cup mustard or vegetable oil (divided)
• 4 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1½-inch cubes
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 12 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• Fresh cilantro, chopped to garnish

Directions

1. Combine the paste ingredients and set aside.
2. Coat the lamb chunks with 2 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a kadhai, skillet or saucepan of medium size, add the lamb cubes and heat over medium heat.
4. Stir-cook until evenly browned. Remove from pot and set aside.
5. Add the remaining oil to the skillet; sauté the onion until softened and fragrant.
6. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.
7. Add the spice paste and sauté for 1 minute.
8. Pour in the coconut milk and water and add the lamb to the skillet.
9. Turn heat to low and simmer the mixture for 60–90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
10. Top with the cilantro. Serve with a bowl of steamed rice or naan bread or roti.

 

 

Mango Chutney

Serves 5 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 red chili, sliced
• 2 teaspoons whole nigella seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4-5 (about 2 pounds) ripe mangoes, peeled and diced
• 2 cups white granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white vinegar

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add ginger, garlic and red chili. Sauté for 1 minute.
3. Add all the other spices and sauté for another minute.
4. Next, add the mangoes, sugar, salt and vinegar. Stir, and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour.
6. Mash with a potato masher to break the mango into smaller pieces. Allow the mixture to cool before storing.
7. Place in jars.
8. Will keep for 2 months, in sealed jars, in the refrigerator.
9. May be consumed immediately, but it’s best to keep it for 2 days before eating to get the best flavor.

 

 

Indian Rice Pudding (Kheer)

Serves 4 | Prep. time 15 minutes | Cooking time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice
• 2 cups whole milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ghee
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• Pinch of salt
• Your choice of garnishes: chopped pistachios, slivered almonds, raisins, nutmeg

Preparation

1. Heat the milk over medium-high heat until it boils, and add the rice, sugar, cardamom, and turmeric. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the rice is soft and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir often to prevent sticking.
2. When the liquid is almost all absorbed, add the ghee, heavy cream, and salt. Let it cool slightly to set.
3. Serve warm or cold, garnished to your liking.

 

 

 

***These recipes and more can be found in Sarah Spencer’s A Taste of India: Indian Cooking Made Easy with Authentic Indian Food Recipes. To get a copy of this book, click on the cover or here.

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