Indian cuisine: 5 recipes to get started

Impossible to mention Indian gastronomy without talking about spices. Chili pepper, cardamom, cumin, ginger, turmeric, or saffron: so many dishes full of flavors and colors. There are also spice blends very well known in India such as tandoori, madras curry, garam massala. Please note, curry designates both a mixture of spices but also the name given to a traditional Indian dish. There are no standardized recipes for making curry powder. Most curries have a classic base: turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, pepper. If you want a spicier curry, add paprika or chili pepper. For dessert, Indian cuisine didn’t do things by halves. You’ll love gulab jamun, adorable little dumplings cooked in oil, flavored with cardamom.

With ghee…

Ghee is none other than Indian butter widely used in Indian dishes. It is a lactose-free clarified butter that allows you to cook at high temperatures without burning. It is ideal for preparing sauces, browning spices… It has a very pleasant nutty taste. You can find it in organic grocery stores or make it at home.

We make parathas

To use ghee, we suggest you make parathas. It is one of the most popular breads in Indian cuisines. It can be filled with vegetables, simply enjoyed with chutney or served as an accompaniment to dishes with sauces. To make it for 6 people, you will need very few ingredients: 300 g of wheat flour, 3 teaspoons of olive oil, 20 g of ghee (in organic grocery stores), 1 teaspoon of salt. Start by mixing flour and olive oil. Wet the dough little by little with salted water. Work the dough for 10 minutes until it is soft and not sticky. Cover the salad bowl with a damp cloth and leave to rest for around 1 hour. Form 6 balls of dough after dipping your fingers in a little oil to help shape them. Spread a ball using melted butter into a pancake 20 cm in diameter and cook it in a pancake pan (dry, without fat) and place the first pancake there. Serve hot.

With chickpea flour…

In India, we use a lot of chickpea flour in preparations. It brings slightly sweet and delicate flavors. Gluten-free, it facilitates digestion more than wheat flour. Chickpea flour can replace wheat flour in the making of many recipes such as pancakes, donuts and cakes or in fried preparations such as Pakoras.

We make Pakoras

Do you know the Pakoras? These are these Indian vegetable fritters, made with chickpea flour. They can be served as a starter or as an accompaniment to tandoori skewers for example. If there are 4 of you for dinner, you will need 150 g of chickpea flour, 1 teaspoon of ginger, coriander powder, cumin powder, curry as well as a small sweet potato, 1 onion, 10 florets cauliflower and broccoli and frying oil. In a mixing bowl, pour the chickpea flour. Add the peeled and chopped garlic, peeled and grated ginger, coriander, cumin, curry and 1 tbsp. teaspoon of salt. Add 27 cl of water and mix well. Peel the sweet potato and onion, cut them into 1/2 cm thick slices. Dip all the vegetables and onions into the donut batter. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on absorbent paper, serve hot and bite into it.

With chat masâlâ spices…

Chât masâlâ is an Indian spice mixture composed of amchur, cumin, kala namak, coriander, ginger, asafoetida and chili pepper. One thing is certain: it warms you up.

We make a daal muradabaadi

With a chât masâlâ we invite you to make a daal muradabaadi, an essential part of Indian gastronomy. It is a traditional vegetarian soup prepared with red lentils, spices, coriander and sometimes even coconut milk. It is a complete dish which constitutes a significant source of protein and is quick to prepare. We reveal our recipe that you can serve with naan bread. Still for 4 people, this time you will need 10 g of garlic, 5 g of green chili and coriander seeds, cumin, turmeric, 25 g of ghee, 150 g of cooked mung beans, 20 g of tomato, red onion, 2 tablespoons of coriander leaves and tamarind chutney and to finish in style 1 teaspoon of chat masâlâ. For the daal: brown the peeled garlic and chopped chili pepper, coriander seeds and turmeric in hot ghee for 5 minutes. Salt, then add the mung beans, 25 cl of water and the cumin seeds. Cook for 10 minutes over low heat. Wash the tomato. Cut it with the peeled onion into small cubes. Chop the coriander. Before serving the daal, season it with the chât masâlâ, then add the diced tomato and onion, as well as the coriander. Serve the daal with tamarind chutney and hot naan (or warm bread).

With chicken…

Chicken is widely used in Indian cuisine. It is easily prepared as a sauced or grilled dish. It doesn’t require a lot of cooking time. You probably know chicken tikka massala, or butter chicken, or delicious chicken korma. Today we opt for a spicy chicken biryani.

We make a spiced chicken biryani

A traditional dish from the Indian subcontinent, biryani can be made with chicken, but also with lamb, or with vegetables, in a vegetarian version. Biryani is mainly chicken and fragrant rice. The recipe seems more complicated than it is. However, you will need many ingredients. For 4 people: 4 chicken thighs without skin, 425 g of Greek yogurt, 30 g of fresh ginger, fresh turmeric, garlic, 1 spoon of chili pepper, garam masala, coconut oil, coriander, 200 g crushed tomatoes, 400 g basmati rice, 3 onions, 6 spoons of ghee, 4 cardamom pods, 2 cinnamon sticks, 100 g pine nuts, 2 limes, 1 pomegranate, bay leaves and mint.

To do this, start by preparing the marinade by mixing the yogurt, ginger and turmeric, chopped garlic, chili pepper, garam masala, half of the coriander, 1 teaspoon of salt and coconut oil . Pour into a baking dish, add the tomatoes and chicken. Coat the meat and leave to marinate in the refrigerator. On the side, cook your rice and brown the onion with the cinnamon, bay leaf and cardamom in hot butter, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Pour 80 cl of water and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Peel and chop 1 onion. Heat 3 tbsp. tablespoon of butter. Add the onion and brown it for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and its marinade. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little water if the mixture sticks. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Leave to cool, then shred the flesh.

Dry brown the pine nuts and the rest of the onions in a non-stick pan for 5 minutes. Heat the broth and pour it over the remaining yogurt. Alternate layers of rice and chicken in a dish. Decorate with the pomegranate, pine nuts and the remaining chopped coriander. Serve with the yogurt sauce, mint leaves and lemon wedges.

With coconut milk

100% plant-based, coconut milk brings a creamy and healthy touch to your sweet and savory recipes. It is widely used in Indian but also Thai recipes. Rich in vitamins, iron, calcium, and magnesium, it has everything going for it.

We make a mango curry

Today, we suggest you make a mango curry with coconut milk. For 4 people, you will need: 1 onion, garlic, 1 tomato, 500 g fresh mango, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 15 g mustard seeds, 6 curry leaves, 40 g ginger grated, 3 teaspoons of cumin powder, red pepper powder, two pinches of turmeric powder and 40 cl of coconut milk. To serve, you will need 100g cooked white rice, 100g cooked red rice, 20g ghee, 20g banana chips, roasted cashews and fresh coriander.

The recipe is simple. Chop the onion and garlic, cut the tomato into small cubes. Chop the fresh mango. Brown the onion, garlic and tomato with the spices in a hot oiled pan for 7 to 8 minutes. Add the mango pulp and coconut milk. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes.

Mix the hot red rice and white rice, add the ghee, lightly salt. Serve the rice with the banana chips and cashew nuts, with the mango curry in a separate bowl, sprinkled with a few drops of coconut milk and a little coriander. Good tasting.