Indian

47 Incredible Indian Recipes

Indian food is as vast and varied as the subcontinent itself; these 47 recipes are just a starting point.

By The Epicurious Editors

June 29, 2017

Image may contain Plant Dish Food Meal Lunch and Vegetable

Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
1/47
Lamb-Fry
A specialty of Kerala, this simple, spiced-up stir-fry makes for a quick, hearty dinner.
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Photo by Gentl & Hyers, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski
2/47
Coconut Chicken Curry With Turmeric and Lemongrass
This isn’t a super-saucy curry; the aromatics will brown and fry in the pan, yielding lots of yummy crisp bits. Serve with steamed rice.
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photo by Romulo Yanes
3/47
Rava Dosas With Potato Chickpea Masala
Rava dosas—savory, crisp-edged crêpes popular in South India—are typically made from semolina and rice flours. Stuff them with hearty vegetables cooked in a blend of spices, chile, garlic, and ginger.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
4/47
22-Minute Coconut Chicken Curry
This 22-minute South Indian-inspired chicken dinner is based on takeout versions served at Manhattan's Curry Row.
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Photo by Tara O'Brady
5/47
Everyday Yellow Dal
Think of dal as similar in use to gravy—in other words, not a side dish or its own course. It is eaten on rice or with flatbreads, or with dry curries, and vegetables; it is meant as part of a meal.
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Ditte Isager
6/47
Indian-Spiced Chicken With Tomato and Cream
Garlic, ginger, and a slew of spices turn this stewed chicken in a warm pot of Sunday night comfort.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Rhoda Boone
7/47
Quick Chicken Tikka Masala
Aromatic spices and tangy yogurt give great flavor to this quick riff on the Indian classic.
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Photo by Peden + Munk
8/47
Baby Back Ribs with Tamarind Glaze
A tamarind glaze gives these grilled ribs an intoxicatingly sweet, spicy, and sour flavor.
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Photo by Dennis Prescott
9/47
Butter Chicken
This recipe requires a little extra prep time and an overnight marinade, essential in developing those rich, full-bodied curry flavors that we love so much. Plan ahead, get prepped, enter a world of next-level tastiness.
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Photo by Peden + Munk
10/47
Cucumber Raita with Black Mustard and Cilantro
While this cooling yogurt sauce recipe is welcome alongside spicy foods, it is also amazing slathered on flatbreads or spooned over basmati rice.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
11/47
Shrimp Poached in Coconut Milk With Fresh Herbs (Yerra Moolee)
Here, fresh shrimp gets gently poached in herb-laced coconut milk. The spicing is subtle, so as not to obstruct the milk’s sweet flavor.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
12/47
Stir-Fried Green Beans With Coconut
This is going to be your new favorite way to serve green beans.
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Photo by Alex Lau
13/47
Curried Chicken Drumsticks
Coconut milk–braised chicken drumsticks over rice noodles is exactly what you want to eat on a chilly late-fall evening.
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Photo by Yoni Nimroad
14/47
Papadums With Whipped Dal
Chips and dip: classic, and every culture has its take. This version pairs crunchy papadums (thin and crispy lentil crackers) with a cold, creamy version of dal (stewed beans and lentils).
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
15/47
Chicken Roasted With Ginger and Cilantro
Coat chicken legs with a spicy fresh-ginger– and cilantro-perfumed yogurt, then bake for an easy Indian weeknight dinner.
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Photo by Peden + Munk
16/47
Kashmiri Hot Sauce
Use this hot sauce as a condiment or mix in additional aromatics like grated garlic and ginger to make a marinade for meat.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
17/47
Cabbage Stir-Fry With Coconut and Lemon
Sweet, spicy, and refreshing all in one, this crisp cabbage side dish is a great way to get out of a steamed-broccoli rut.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
18/47
Cumin-Scented Potatoes With Tomatoes (Ghurma Aloo)
Cumin and turmeric give this 30-minute vegetarian stew smoky, warming flavor and vibrant, soul-satisfying color.
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Lara Ferroni
19/47
Chicken Tikka Masala
If there's one dish guaranteed to be on every Indian restaurant menu, it's chicken tikka masala, which is composed of grilled chunks of chicken enveloped in a creamy spiced tomato sauce.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Katherine Sacks
20/47
Homemade Herbed Paneer Cheese
Serve this take on the traditional Indian fresh cheese with olive oil, salt, and pepper for a simple yet impressive appetizer. The tofu-like texture also works well folded into soups or curries or pan fried and tossed into salads.
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John Kernick
21/47
Seasoned Dhal (Masala Dhal)
This dhal is enriched with coconut milk, and finished with cilantro, lemon, and whole toasted seeds.
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22/47
Ginger and Curry Leaf Rasam (Adrak aur Kari-Patta Rasam)
The ingredients used in rasam vary, but it is basically a light, spicy soup. The spiciness can be adjusted to your taste.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Dawn Perry
23/47
Ginger-Coconut Chicken, Eggplant, and Tomato Skewers
Our skewer motto: marinate together, cook separately. Giving each ingredient its own stick ensures the whole meal is grilled to optimal doneness. (Read: no dry chicken because you're still waiting for the onions to soften.)
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David Japy
24/47
Tandoori Octopus
The hardest part of this recipe is getting your hands on the octopus. Give your fishmonger a few days to order it for you.
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Photo by Martin Poole
25/47
Tadka Dhal
Perhaps the most famous lentil dish to come out of India. Make it as written once, then play around with it and make it your own.
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Photo by Romulo Yanes
26/47
Fragrant Indian Brittle
This delicious Indian-influenced candy takes cashews, pistachios, and almonds and envelops them in a spiced, honey-sweetened shell.
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27/47
Tandoori (Indian Barbecued) Chicken
Tandoors—the super-hot clay ovens found throughout India—are perfect for giving chicken a crispy, smoky edge. But since you probably don't own a tandoor, here's a recipe that uses a conventional oven.
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Marcus Nilsson
28/47
Indian-Spiced Pickled Vegetables
We typically think of pickling as involving mainly vinegar or, as is the case with kimchi, a fermenting process. In India, however, oil is the secret ingredient, employed to carry the flavor of spices. Here, mustard seeds and ground turmeric bring brightness to the mix.
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Photo by Martin Poole
29/47
Paneer and Broccoli Masala
Frying the paneer in a little oil before stirring it through the masala not only makes the cheese crispy but adds a ton of flavor.
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Photo by Peden + Munk
30/47
Chickpea Sundal
Serve this light snack warm, room temp, or cold; just make sure you give it a generous dose of acid and salt.
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Photo and Styling by Joseph De Leo
31/47
Garam Masala
Sure, you can buy pre-made garam masala. But it's so much better if you make it yourself.
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Photo by Alex Lau
32/47
Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup with Spiced Coconut
Top this Madras curry–perfumed soup with earthy-sweet spiced coconut chips for a warming vegetarian dinner.
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33/47
Spiced Milk Tea (Masala Chai)
There's nothing quite as comforting as India's famous spiced black tea with sugar and milk—especially when you make it yourself.
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Christina Holmes
34/47
Chicken Tikka Masala
The yogurt helps tenderize the chicken; the garlic, ginger, and spices in the marinade infuse it with lots of flavor.
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Gail Albert Halaban
35/47
Easy Chicken Masala
Position racks in the top third and the bottom third of the oven so that the chicken and the carrots can roast together.
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Photo by Peden + Munk
36/47
Spice-Marinated and Grilled Lamb Chops
You don’t need a roaring-hot grill for this lamb chops recipe. Grilling them over moderate heat will allow some of the fat to soften and render.
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Photo by Martin Poole
37/47
Tiger Shrimp With Lime, Ginger, and Mustard Seeds
The shrimp are sweet, but don't be fooled—this dish has plenty of fire.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
38/47
Spiced Coconut Chicken and Rice
This chicken-and-rice dish, made in the Instant Pot, is inspired by mulligatawny soup, with fragrant spices, creamy coconut milk, bright ginger, and fresh lime juice.
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Photo by Noel Barnhurst
39/47
Pork or Lamb Vindaloo
The essential ingredients for this Portuguese-inspired Indian dish are wine, vinegar, and garlic. Additions of mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric, and chiles make it specifically colonial Goan.
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Photo by Lisa Hubbard
40/47
Traditional Indian Raita
Can't take the heat? Then eat some raita. In India, the condiment is used to cool the palate.
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Lisa Hubbard
41/47
Ground Coriander and Cilantro Flatbreads
Make a simple herb oil to brush over the flatbreads as soon as they come out of the skillet. Just mix 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, and 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander. Or serve with raita .
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Photo by Christopher Hirsheimer
42/47
Salmon in a Bengali Mustard Sauce
Halibut can be swapped in for the salmon in this recipe. And the mustard sauce? It's fiery—but you can leave some of the mustard powder out to tone it down.
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Photo by Christopher Hirsheimer
43/47
Creamy Wild Salmon With Kale
If you've never tried slamon with coconut milk before, get ready—the milk only makes the fish that much more rich and delicious.
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Photo by Susie Cushner
44/47
Butternut Squash and Green Beans in a Coconut-Milk Curry
This is a South Indian–inspired sweet, mild curry. Serve it with steamed white rice and a tangy fruit chutney like cranberry or mango for a perfect rainy day meal. The recipe calls for a rather small quantity of butternut squash, so you may want to reserve the rest for another recipe.
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Austin Bush
45/47
Curry-and-Coconut-Milk-Grilled Pork Skewers
The little bits of fatback add an extra layer of deliciousness.
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Photo by Noel Barnhurst
46/47
Royal Chicken Cooked in Yogurt
An elegant dish that may be served to the family or at a grand party. Rice is the ideal accompaniment.
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Tom Eckerle
47/47
Grilled Curried Mangoes with Ginger Ice Milk
Curry powder is a natural with mangoes, since they are both important foods in India. Grilling the mangoes softens them slightly and intensifies their sweetness. The curry powder helps to bring out their heady perfume. This is the perfect dessert for those times when you already have the outdoor grill fired up for cooking your main course.
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