6 Popular Indian Recipes

Step 1: Prepare Tandoori Chicken

Remove skin from whole chicken and cut slits to the bone. Season chicken with salt. In a bowl, combine plain Greek yogurt, grated garlic, grated ginger, Dijon mustard, Kashmiri Chili, Garam masala, vegetable oil, and lemon juice. Mix well to form a marinade. Smother the chicken pieces in the mixture. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.

Step 2: Cook Tandoori Chicken

Heat a pan with vegetable oil and butter. Place the marinated chicken in the hot fat. Cover and cook on gentle heat until brown. Remove lid and flip chicken over to brown the other side. Place a metal cup in the center of the pan with chicken. Heat a piece of charcoal on the burner until red hot. Place the red hot charcoal in the metal cup in the pan. Add a little oil to the charcoal to create more smoke. Cover with a lid and leave for ten minutes to infuse smoky flavor. Remove the metal cup and charcoal. Baste the chicken with the pan juices.

Step 3: Prepare Tandoori Chicken Salad

Thinly slice cucumber, red onion, and tomato. Chop coriander. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the salad. Mix the salad well. Serve the Tandoori chicken with the salad.

Step 4: Prepare Chicken Curry Marinade

Break down a whole chicken, remove skin, and keep bones. Cut breasts into 4 pieces (total 16 pieces). In a mortar and pestle, crush hot chilies, coriander seeds, cardamom pods, cloves, turmeric, and salt into a powder. For marination, add plain yogurt to a bowl. Add the crushed spices to the yogurt and mix well. Add chicken pieces to the marinade and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 120 minutes.

Step 5: Cook Chicken Curry

Heat ghee in a pan. Add cardamom pods, cumin powder, cloves, bay leaves, and green chilies. Stir. Add chopped onion, sliced garlic, and grated fresh ginger. Sweat ingredients. Add turmeric powder, coriander seed powder, and finely chopped hot chili. Mix well. Add diced tomato and tomato paste. Add water enough to barely cover and salt. Reduce. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the marinated chicken pieces. Add water enough to barely cover. Cook for approximately 30-40 minutes, covered. Add fresh coriander (rough chop). Serve with rice.

Step 6: Prepare Butter Chicken Marinade

In a mortar and pestle, crush sliced ginger, peeled garlic, and salt into a paste. Add the paste to a mixing bowl. Add Greek yogurt, turmeric, and hot chili powder to the bowl. Mix ingredients well. Slice chicken thighs and add to the marinade. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Step 7: Cook Butter Chicken

Thread chicken onto skewers. Place skewers over a baking pan, off the bottom. Drizzle with vegetable oil. Bake in oven for 25 minutes at 430°F (≈220°C) (approximately 220°C) - 220°C (≈430°F) (approximately 430°F). Baste every 10 minutes. For the sauce, brown roughly chopped onion in vegetable oil. Add garam masala, cardamom pods, hot chili powder, cinnamon, cashew nuts, and pressed garlic. Sweat. Add chicken stock and tomato purée. Add cloves. Simmer. Add to a blender and blitz until smooth. Strain if lumpy. Return to pan. Add salt to taste. Add butter and cream. Stir until melted. Remove chicken from oven. Add chicken to the sauce. Mix well. Simmer. Garnish with cream and coriander leaves.

Step 8: Prepare Chicken Biryani Marinade

In a bowl, add plain yogurt, toasted chili powder, masala, ground coriander seeds, turmeric powder, finely grated ginger, finely grated garlic, fine salt, chopped mint, chopped coriander, and finely chopped hot chilies. Mix well. Add chicken pieces (with bones) to the marinade mixture. Mix well for even coating. Cover in cling film and refrigerate overnight.

Step 9: Cook Chicken Biryani

Thinly slice brown onions. Heat frying oil in a pan to 275°F (≈135°C) (approximately 135°C) - 135°C (≈275°F) (approximately 275°F). Fry the thinly sliced onions until golden brown. Remove and set aside. Cook rice: Add water to a pot, add salt, cardamom pods, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil. Add rinsed basmati rice to the boiling water. Cook al-dente (approx. 70% cooked). Set aside. In a large pot, add ghee. Add diced tomatoes. Fry in hot ghee. Add the marinated chicken. Add half the cooked rice. Add some fried onion. Add more chopped mint and coriander. Add the remaining rice. Add more fried onion. Add the saffron milk. Drizzle with melted ghee. Cover and cook on stove or in oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350°F (≈175°C) (approximately 175°C) - 180°C (≈355°F) (approximately 355°F). Rest for 30 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork. Serve with fried onion and coriander leaves.

Step 10: Prepare Masoor Dahl

Rinse red lentils thoroughly. Add red lentils to a pot. Add water (3.5 to 4 cups per cup of lentils) and ground turmeric spice. Do not add salt yet. Add one bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Add a little ghee to stop over boiling. Cook until lentils are soft and mash when squeezed. Meanwhile, prepare vegetables: finely chop medium peeled onion, grate fresh ginger, finely chop green chili (remove seeds for less heat). In a separate pan, add ghee. Add whole cumin seeds. Add grated ginger and finely chopped green chili. Add finely chopped onion and finely chopped garlic. Keep stirring until onion starts to slightly brown. Add fenugreek (dried). Add diced tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes break down and the flavor intensifies. Add the cooked lentils to the mixture. Mix well. Add salt to taste. Crush some of the lentils with a pestle for creaminess. Serve with rice, topped with coconut cream and coriander leaves.

Step 11: Prepare Easy Chapati (Roti Bread)

Add all purpose flour to a mixing bowl. Add salt and vegetable oil. Add water a little at a time and mix with your hands. Keep adding water until a dough forms. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Cover with cling film and rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle flour on a cutting board. Roll the dough into a log and tear off a piece. Roll and shape into a ball. Dust with flour and flatten. Use a rolling pin to roll until fairly thin. Shake away excess flour. Heat a hot dry pan. Place the dough in the pan. Cook until air pockets appear. Flip over and cook for 40 seconds. Flip back onto a naked flame until puffed (not burnt). Brush edges with butter or ghee. Can be used as pockets.

• For Tandoori Chicken, refrigerate overnight for best flavor.

• For Chicken Biryani, use good quality basmati rice and rinse it thoroughly.

• For Masoor Dahl, do not add salt until the lentils are cooked to prevent them from hardening.

• For Chapati, knead the dough for 5 minutes for a soft texture.

• Tandoori Chicken can be grilled instead of pan-fried for a more authentic smoky flavor.

• Chicken Curry can be made with different types of chilies to adjust the spice level.

• Butter Chicken can be made with chicken breast instead of thighs for a leaner option.

• Biryani can be made with other meats like lamb or goat.

• Masoor Dahl can be served with naan bread or other Indian breads.