Our Best Indian Recipes for Beginner Cooks (2024)

Vegetarian Palak Moong Dal

"Indian dal is a classic, soup-like vegetarian comfort food with rich and spicy flavors from cayenne, cumin, and turmeric," says marwamp. "This recipe uses small yellow lentils called moon dal."

Indian Chicken Tikka Masala

Ready in about 45 minutes, chicken breasts, garlic, ginger, yogurt, tomatoes, and curry paste come together quickly. "This Indian chicken tikka masala is an easy but flavorful version of everyone's favorite mild-medium curry!" says Keri. "Serve with naan bread and mango chutney. Garnish with additional cilantro leaves."

Indian Chicken Marinade

This spicy yogurt marinade combines yogurt with soy sauce, honey, garlic, cinnamon, hot pepper sauce, paprika, and ginger. Cover chicken with the marinade and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before grilling. "This spicy yogurt marinade with Indian spices like cinnamon and ginger keeps chicken lovely and moist on the barbeque with a warm spicy flavor," says L Commandeur.

Palak Paneer Curry

Soft cubes of cheese are simmered in a mildly spiced spinach curry. "All of the spinach benefits in an easy-to-make and absolutely delicious Indian curry. Serve with hot naan or roti," says Andreia.

Indian Shrimp Curry

This simple shrimp curry is ready in about 30 minutes. "A subtle yet richly flavored curry that complements shrimp perfectly," says Jacqueline B. '"A very authentic taste, and a very easy meal to prepare when you are in a hurry. Make sure you pop the shrimp tails off before adding to skillet. Serve with rice."

Tandoori Chicken II

"A paste made from a combination of spices and dried peppers is the secret to this spicy grilled chicken recipe," says DAKOTAGIRL. "No long marinating time is required; the chicken can be prepared in the time it takes to get the coals hot."

Easy Vegetarian Kofta Curry

Quick to make, but full of flavor, this vegetarian curry features meatless vegetable meatballs. "My mother-in-law is Indian and let me in on a secret: The vegetable balls from IKEA® make for a great and ridiculously easy vegetarian kofta curry," says Diana Moutsopoulos. "This is ready in just about 30 minutes, making it perfect for a weeknight. Serve with basmati rice."

Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry

In this flavorful vegan curry, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, spinach, and coconut milk are seasoned with garam masala, turmeric, and cumin dish. "Yummy vegan curry dish," says Sherri Zeringue D'Argenio. "Serve with basmati rice and naan bread."

Indian Kale with Chickpeas

Kale is sauteed with chickpeas and Indian spices. "This is a delicious way to cook kale if you are running out of ideas, and it goes great with Indian dishes like dal," says Lady Laff. "Make sure not to overcook the greens!"

Creamy Cashew Chicken Curry

Cashew cream makes this curry rich and creamy without dairy. "Cashew cream is remarkably similar to heavy cream in appearance, taste, and in-sauce behavior," says Chef John. "In fact, cashew cream actually thickens up faster. You won't need anything too hard to find, besides maybe garam masala, to make this straightforward recipe. Garnish with whole cashews, lime wedges, and cilantro. Serve with rice, garlic naan, or both!"

One-Pot Vegan Potato-Lentil Curry

This wonderful vegan one-pot curry contains red lentils, potatoes, tomatoes, and onions, flavored with coconut milk, curry paste, and cumin. "This is a great one-pot dish that's tasty and filling," says JessiT. "Careful when measuring out the curry paste -- depending on its spiciness, 1 teaspoon can be enough sometimes. If you are using a mild one, you might need more."

Gobi Manchurian

"This spicy Asian dish is one of my favorite gobi (cauliflower) recipes, available at many Indian restaurants," says sunwind. "Occasionally, I even love to bake the cauliflower to lower the calories. Keep in mind, baking will take away from the crispiness of fried cauliflower."

Curry in a Hurry

This curry combines tomatoes, coconut milk, red lentils, spinach, onion, tomato paste, curry powder, garlic, and cayenne pepper in a multi-functional pressure cooker. It's ready in about 25 minutes. "This red lentil curry in a hurry is made in a multi-functional pressure cooker and is perfect for a quick and hearty vegetarian meal," says Garrett Griffin.

Easy Chicken Madras Recipe

Madras is a region in southern India, which is now modern-day Chennai. It's also a type of curry powder! This chicken recipe combines Madras curry powder with onions, chile peppers, ginger, garlic, chopped tomatoes, and fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with a big spoonful of basmati rice, yogurt, and a fluffy naan.

Red Split Lentils (Masoor Dal)

These Indian-inspired red lentils (masoor dal) are flavored with cumin, turmeric, and ginger. "Indian-inspired lentils the whole family will love and babies, too," says katie. "Once the dal and rice are at the desired consistency, it's ready to eat or freeze. Make sure mixture is completely cool before freezing. I use freezer ice trays and small individual glass bowls with lids."

Indian-Style Chicken and Onions

"Amazing Indian recipe that is simple, tasty, and full of flavor," says phosmane. "This was the first Indian meal I made, and it has stuck around since all of my friends and family love it! Add more or less chiles depending on your spice preference."

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Easy Naan

"This naan recipe is deceptively easy!" says Anonymous. "Using your broiler is a great way to make naan. You can choose to make garlic naan or plain naan. Enjoy with your favorite curry!"

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