6 Popular Indian Recipes

Step 1: Tandoori Style Chicken - Prepare Chicken

Take a whole chicken, remove the skin. Cut slits to the bone on the chicken pieces (thighs and breasts shown). Sprinkle salt generously on all chicken pieces.

Step 2: Tandoori Style Chicken - Prepare Marinade

In a bowl, add 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt. Grate 4 cloves of garlic and 1 inch of ginger into the yogurt. Add 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder, 1 tbsp garam masala, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Squeeze fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon into the mixture. Mix all ingredients well until combined.

Step 3: Tandoori Style Chicken - Marinate Chicken

Smother the chicken pieces thoroughly in the prepared marinade. Cover the bowl with cling film. Refrigerate overnight for best results.

Step 4: Tandoori Style Chicken - Cook Chicken

The next day, remove the marinated chicken from the fridge. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 tbsp butter in a pan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and bubbling, place the marinated chicken pieces in the hot fat. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on gentle heat until the chicken is browned on one side (approx. 10-15 minutes). Remove the lid and flip the chicken pieces to brown the other side (approx. 10-15 minutes).

Step 5: Tandoori Style Chicken - Add Smoky Flavor (Charcoal Method)

Once chicken is cooked and browned, place a small metal cup in the center of the pan. Heat a piece of charcoal on a burner until it's red hot and glowing. Carefully place the hot charcoal into the metal cup in the pan. Add a few drops of oil onto the charcoal to create smoke. Immediately cover the pan with a lid and leave for 10 minutes to infuse the smoky flavor.

Step 6: Tandoori Style Chicken - Finish Chicken

After 10 minutes, remove the lid and carefully remove the metal cup with the charcoal. Baste the chicken with the pan juices.

Step 7: Tandoori Style Chicken - Prepare Salad

Thinly slice 1 cucumber, 1/2 red onion, and 1 tomato. Chop 1/4 cup fresh coriander. In a bowl, combine cucumber, red onion, tomato, and coriander. Squeeze 1 tbsp lemon juice, add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Serve the Tandoori chicken with the fresh salad.

Step 8: Indian Style Chicken Curry - Prepare Chicken

Take a whole chicken, break it down, remove the skin, and keep the bones. Cut chicken breasts into 4 pieces each. You should have about 16 pieces.

Step 9: Indian Style Chicken Curry - Prepare Spice Paste

In a mortar and pestle (or spice blender), add 5-6 hot chilies (dried), 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 3-4 cardamom pods, 3-4 cloves, 1 tsp turmeric, and 1/2 tsp salt. Crush into a fine powder.

Step 10: Indian Style Chicken Curry - Marinate Chicken

In a mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup plain yogurt. Add the prepared spice powder to the yogurt. Mix well until combined. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 120 minutes.

Step 11: Indian Style Chicken Curry - Prepare Curry Base

Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan. Add 2-3 cardamom pods, 1 tsp cumin powder, 2-3 cloves, and 2 bay leaves. Sauté for a few seconds until fragrant. Add 2 green chilies (thin long slices / julienne), 1 finely chopped onion, 4 finely sliced garlic cloves, and 1 inch grated fresh ginger. Sweat the ingredients until the onion is translucent. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp coriander seed powder, and 1 finely chopped hot chili. Mix well. Add 2 diced tomatoes and 1 tbsp tomato paste. Add water, enough to barely cover the mixture. Add salt to taste. Reduce the liquid until thickened (approx. 10 minutes).

Step 12: Indian Style Chicken Curry - Cook Chicken Curry

Add a little more ghee to the reduced curry base. Add the marinated chicken pieces to the pan. Add water, enough to barely cover the chicken. Cover the pan and cook for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Roughly chop 1/4 cup fresh coriander. Add fresh coriander to the curry and stir.

Step 13: Indian Style Chicken Curry - Serve

Serve the Indian-style chicken curry over white rice.

Step 14: Butter Chicken - Prepare Marinade Paste

Slice and chop 1 inch fresh ginger. Peel 4 garlic cloves. In a mortar and pestle, add chopped ginger, peeled garlic, and 1/2 tsp salt. Crush until it forms a paste.

Step 15: Butter Chicken - Prepare Marinade

Add the ginger-garlic paste to a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1 tsp turmeric, and 1 tsp hot chili powder. Mix all ingredients well until combined.

Step 16: Butter Chicken - Marinate Chicken

Slice 4-6 chicken thighs into strips. Add the chicken strips to the marinade. Mix well to coat all chicken pieces. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Step 17: Butter Chicken - Bake Chicken

Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers. Place the skewers over a baking pan, ensuring they are off the bottom. Drizzle with 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Bake in a preheated oven at 430°F (≈220°C) (approximately 220°C) (220°C (≈430°F) (approximately 430°F)) for 25 minutes. Baste the chicken with pan juices every 10 minutes during baking.

Step 18: Butter Chicken - Prepare Sauce Base

Roughly chop 1 brown onion. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan. Add the chopped onion, 1 tsp garam masala, 2-3 cardamom pods, 1 tsp hot chili powder, 1 cinnamon stick, 1/4 cup cashew nuts, and 2 pressed garlic cloves. Sweat the ingredients until the onion is browned. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock and 1 cup tomato purée. Add 2-3 cloves. Simmer the mixture for a few minutes.

Step 19: Butter Chicken - Blend Sauce

Transfer the sauce mixture from the pan to a blender. Blitz until smooth. Strain the sauce if it's lumpy, then return it to the pan.

Step 20: Butter Chicken - Finish Sauce

Taste the sauce for seasoning and add salt to taste if needed. Add 2 tbsp butter and 1/4 cup cream to the sauce. Heat gently, stirring until butter is melted and cream is incorporated.

Step 21: Butter Chicken - Combine Chicken and Sauce

Remove the baked chicken from the oven. Add the baked chicken pieces to the sauce. Mix well to coat the chicken. Simmer for a few minutes to allow flavors to meld. Garnish with cream and chopped coriander leaves.

Step 22: Chicken Biryani - Prepare Toasted Spices

In a dry pan, add 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp masala, 1 tsp ground coriander seeds, and 1 tsp turmeric powder. Toast over low heat for a few minutes until fragrant. Leave to cool.

Step 23: Chicken Biryani - Prepare Fried Onions

Thinly slice 2 brown onions. Heat frying oil in a pan to 275°F (≈135°C) (approximately 135°C) (135°C (≈275°F) (approximately 275°F)). Add the thinly sliced onions to the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Step 24: Chicken Biryani - Prepare Marinade

In a bowl, add 1/2 cup plain yogurt, the toasted spices, 1 tsp fine salt, 1 inch finely grated ginger, 4 cloves finely grated garlic, 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander, and 2 finely chopped hot chilies. Add 1/4 cup crushed fried onion. Mix all ingredients well until combined.

Step 25: Chicken Biryani - Marinate Chicken

Take a whole chicken, break it down into pieces (with bones). Place the chicken pieces in the marinade mixture. Mix well for even coating. Cover in cling film and refrigerate overnight.

Step 26: Chicken Biryani - Cook Rice

The next day, add water to a pot for cooking rice. Add 1 tbsp salt, 3-4 cardamom pods, 1 bay leaf, and 1 cinnamon stick to the water. Bring to a boil. Rinse 2 cups basmati rice. Place the rinsed rice in the boiling water. Cook until al-dente (approx. 70% cooked). Set aside the partially cooked rice.

Step 27: Chicken Biryani - Prepare Saffron Milk

Add a splash of milk to a bowl. Add a pinch of saffron threads to the warm milk.

Step 28: Chicken Biryani - Assemble Biryani

In a large pot (Dutch oven recommended), add 2 tbsp ghee. Fry 2 diced tomatoes in the hot ghee until they break down. Add the marinated chicken pieces to the pot. Add all the remaining marinade mixture from the bowl. Add half of the partially cooked rice over the chicken. Sprinkle some fried onion. Add chopped mint and coriander. Add the remaining rice. Sprinkle more fried onion. Add more chopped mint and coriander. Pour the saffron milk over the rice. Drizzle with melted ghee.

Step 29: Chicken Biryani - Cook Biryani

Cover the pot tightly with a lid. Cook on the stove over very low heat or bake in the oven at 350°F (≈175°C) (approximately 175°C) (180°C (≈355°F) (approximately 355°F)) for 30-40 minutes. (Oven is preferred for even cooking). Let it rest for 30 minutes after cooking.

Step 30: Chicken Biryani - Serve

Fluff the rice with a fork. Rice should be fluffy. Serve the chicken biryani on a plate. Garnish with fried onion and coriander leaves.

Step 31: Masoor Dahl - Prepare Lentils

Rinse 1 cup red lentils thoroughly. In a pot, add 1 cup of rinsed lentils and 3.5-4 cups of water. Add 1 tsp ground turmeric spice. Add one bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are soft and mashable (approx. 20-25 minutes). Add a little ghee to prevent over-boiling. Do not add salt yet.

Step 32: Masoor Dahl - Prepare Tempering (Tadka)

Finely chop 1 onion, grate 1 inch fresh ginger, finely chop 1 green chili (remove seeds for less heat), and finely chop 4 garlic cloves. In a separate pan, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee. Add 1 tsp whole cumin seeds to the hot fat. Add grated ginger and finely chopped green chili. Add finely chopped onion and finely chopped garlic. Keep stirring until the onion starts to slightly brown. Add 1 tsp dried fenugreek. Add 2 diced tomatoes. The tomatoes will break down. Add salt to taste.

Step 33: Masoor Dahl - Combine and Finish Dahl

Add the cooked lentils to the tempering mixture in the pan. Mix them well. Continue to simmer for a little longer until the lentils are creamy and mashable when squeezed. Crush some of the lentils with a pestle or the back of a spoon for creaminess.

Step 34: Masoor Dahl - Serve

Heat some coconut cream. Serve the Masoor Dahl with rice. Drizzle with heated coconut cream. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Step 35: Easy Chapati (Roti Bread) - Prepare Dough

In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 tsp salt. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Add approximately 1/2 cup water a little at a time, mixing with your hands until a dough forms. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover the dough with cling film and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Step 36: Easy Chapati (Roti Bread) - Roll Chapatis

Sprinkle flour on a clean surface. Roll the dough into a log shape. Tear off a small piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Dust the ball with flour and flatten it. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough until it's fairly thin and round. Shake away any excess flour.

Step 37: Easy Chapati (Roti Bread) - Cook Chapatis

Heat a hot dry pan over medium-high heat. Place the rolled dough onto the hot pan. Cook until air pockets appear (approx. 30 seconds). Flip over and cook for another 40 seconds. Flip the chapati back onto a naked flame (directly on the burner). Cook until puffed (not burnt). Brush the edges with butter or ghee (optional). The chapati can be used as pockets for filling.

• For Tandoori Chicken, marinate overnight for best flavor.

• For Tandoori Chicken, use a charcoal piece and a few drops of oil to infuse smoky flavor.

• For Chicken Biryani, use good quality basmati rice and cook it al-dente (70% cooked) before layering.

• For Masoor Dahl, rinse lentils thoroughly before cooking.

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

• For Masoor Dahl, add a little ghee to the lentils while cooking to prevent over-boiling.

• For Easy Chapati, knead the dough for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.

• For Easy Chapati, let the dough rest for 10 minutes after kneading.