India
17 recipes from India
A guide to the food of India
Indian vegetarian cooking, where to beginLearn the north-south divide, the tadka technique and the spices worth buying first so you can cook Indian food without meat.
IndiaChole bhature
Chickpeas simmered in black tea water and sharpened with amchur, served with deep-fried leavened breads.
IndiaUpma
Coarse semolina dry-roasted then swelled in water, with a tempering of mustard seed and curry leaf.
IndiaSaag
Mustard greens and spinach stewed for an hour, thickened with maize flour and lifted by ginger and green chilli.
IndiaVegetable biryani
Basmati parboiled with whole spices, layered over spiced vegetables and fried onions, then sealed in a pot to finish.
IndiaIdli sambar
Steamed cakes of fermented rice and urad dal, served with a tamarind sambar of toor dal and drumstick.
IndiaChana masala
Chickpeas coated in a tight tomato sauce, built on whole spices and sharpened with dried green mango powder.
IndiaPoha
A turmeric-yellow breakfast of flattened rice studded with crunchy peanuts, curry leaves and plenty of lemon.
IndiaPav bhaji
A buttery, spiced mash of mixed vegetables served scalding hot with soft rolls griddled in butter.
IndiaKhichdi
Rice and moong lentils cooked down together until soft, turned gold with turmeric and finished with cumin ghee.
IndiaMasala dosa
A thin, crisp fermented rice crêpe rolled around a soft turmeric potato filling, straight from South India.
IndiaPalak paneer
A deep green spinach purée scented with ginger and garam masala, holding cubes of softly browned paneer.
IndiaRajma
Kidney beans simmered in a rich, silky sauce of tomato, onion and garam masala, the Sunday comfort dish of Punjab.
IndiaBaingan bharta
A smoky mash of flame-roasted aubergine simmered with tomato, onion, garlic and warm North Indian spices until soft and rich.
IndiaVegetable samosas
Crisp pastry triangles filled with spiced potatoes and green peas, fried or baked until golden, served with a tangy chutney.
IndiaAloo gobi
A dry curry of potatoes and cauliflower turned golden with turmeric, cumin and coriander, caramelised at the edges and soft inside.
IndiaCoconut chickpea curry
Chickpeas, courgette and peppers in a tomato and coconut sauce scented with cumin, turmeric and coriander. Ready in under an hour.
IndiaDal tadka
The great Indian classic, soft yellow lentils finished with a sizzling spiced butter poured over at the last moment.
Read more
- Pulses, the backbone of the world's kitchens
Which pulse each kitchen chose and why, how to cook them without guessing, and what turns a dry bag into a whole meal.
- Where to find protein on a vegetarian diet
How much protein you actually need, which foods carry it, and how to cook it without thinking about it every day.
- The aubergine, one vegetable and ten kitchens
How the aubergine travelled from India to the Mediterranean, what each kitchen made of it, and the techniques that decide the result.