The Easiest Indian Foods to Make

 

Craving a taste of home, but sick of Maggi noodles? We’ve got you. With ingredients you can get from any store and a basic spice kit, you can whip up an Indian dish that only tastes fancy. Whether you choose to follow the recipes or just the basic guidelines, the end result will be a nutritious and delicious dish.

Biryani: One of the most famous Indian dishes, biryani is also ridiculously easy to make. Just sizzle a mixture of oil, garlic, ginger, onion, tomato, cumin, chilis, and turmeric, and stir cooked rice in. Add chicken, mutton, or vegetables if you’d like. I prefer to eat it plain, but some people like to add yogurt, pickle, or even some plain rice.

Dal Makhani Also easy! Stir cooked dal into tomato sauce flavored with ginger, garlic, onion, cilantro, cinnamon, cumin, and chilis, and top it off with cream and butter. Crumble some dried fenugreek leaves on top right before serving. Have it with rice (Dal chawal) or paratha (dal roti).

Paratha: You’ll need one special ingredient for this: atta, which is a type of flour you can find at almost any Indian food store. Just stir atta and water, knead it into a smooth ball of dough, roll it out, and cook it on a flat pan. Eat this with butter and yogurt, or serve it with dal or chicken tikka masala. Some people compare it to an Indian tortilla.

• Chicken tikka masala: You guessed it: we’re starting with ginger, garlic, and onion. Flavor it with some cumin, turmeric, and coriander seeds, then add tomato sauce and cream. Cook chicken (make it Indian-style or plain) and throw that in, and serve it with another drizzle of cream.
• Chaat: When I was young, my mom used to make this with tortilla chips to substitute for the crispy papdi she couldn’t find in America. To make chaat, just drizzle yogurt, tamarind chutney, potatoes, and raw onions and chickpeas over tortilla chips. Eat it like Indian nachos or crush it up with a spoon.