Calling all Indian cooks

[Anonymous]

I’m not Indian but have managed to make a couple consistently decent versions of chana masala, biryani and various curries. One of my kids is an extremely picky eater and won’t eat most of the (typical American) food I grew up eating and can just throw together for dinner when needed, but loves Indian food. So please, tell me what your go-to, easy meals are for your family. We can handle hot and vegetarian, of course, but no cheese. I’m asking for dish names (that I could Google a recipe for), meal ideas and/or full recipes. I need to expand my repertoire. Bonus points for lentils, garbanzos, or other beans. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Madhur Jaffrey’s books.

[Anonymous]

Dal (lentils- moong, masoor, toor, etc), Rajma (kidney beans), paratha (stuffed flare bread), aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower), baigan bhartha (eggplant)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dal (lentils- moong, masoor, toor, etc), Rajma (kidney beans), paratha (stuffed flare bread), aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower), baigan bhartha (eggplant)

Upma, tandoori recipes (grilled or oven roasted so easy)

[Anonymous]

Indian-ish cookbook. But I think you can find some of the recipes online.

My friend (who is Indian) gave this book to her son because he is on his own and just starting to cook.

[Anonymous]

Khichdi is an easy meal.

[Anonymous]

Chicken tikka masala, aloo saag (potatoes and spinach, so good), lamb saag, Channa masala (chickpeas). Just look at an Indian restaurant menu.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Indian-ish cookbook. But I think you can find some of the recipes online.

My friend (who is Indian) gave this book to her son because he is on his own and just starting to cook.

+1. This. It’s got fusion recipes that aren’t that hard

[Anonymous]

Priya Krishna (Indian-ish author) has lots of great cooking videos.
I really like Raghavan Iyer’s 660 Curries cookbook. It will cover all your bases for beans, lentils and plenty of meats and vegetables.

[Anonymous]

OP again- what are the meals you fix for your family when you didn’t have a plan, are tired after a long day at work or when you forgot to go to the store? I use Ministry of Curry’s instant Pot Indian cookbook and many of those recipes are easy/quick, but I’m wondering what typical home cooks do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again- what are the meals you fix for your family when you didn’t have a plan, are tired after a long day at work or when you forgot to go to the store? I use Ministry of Curry’s instant Pot Indian cookbook and many of those recipes are easy/quick, but I’m wondering what typical home cooks do.

Omelet with lots of onions, buttered toast or naan, served with mango ginger pickle.

Thin-cut pork chops with bone, smear ginger-garlic paste all over, pan fry with a ton of onions

[Anonymous]

Quick hard-boiled egg curry with basmati rice.

Spaghetti with spicy tomato sauce and cilantro.

Potato wedges with raita, mango chutney, pickles. Serve with tomato and cucumber salad. Or maybe a masala omelet.

Lassi and toast (not together, of course), or a cheese and Indian pickle sandwich.

Veg bhaji/pakora in the air fryer (snack).

Matar paneer with bread (I usually buy frozen paratha, naan or roti - quick to cook).

[Anonymous]

I make my rice in the rice cooker and throw in a cinnamon stick and some cardamom pods. When the rice is cooked, I'll add some frozen peas and ghee and let everything warm up for 5 mins. Serve with fried eggs and some chili sauce.

Also look at chaat. Take a can of garbanzo beans, add some cooked potato (fried or boiled), diced red onion, cilantro, chopped samosa (store-bought), and top with some pani puri water, tamarind sauce and yoghurt. I like to top mine with pieces of papad (you can get these in the Indian grocery store and microwave for 1 min each).

[Anonymous]

I love the instant pot recipes at myheartbeets.com food blog.

[Anonymous]

I’d guess a lot of people keep something in the freezer rather than make from scratch when they’re tired.